“I’ve heard that prospects need to see your name 9 times before they respond.”

“How many times do you recommend mailing?”

“What kind of response rates can I expect?”

These are the three most common sentences that I hear from clients when discussing their marketing - specifically when talking about direct response or direct mail efforts. These are valid thoughts and questions, and they defy simple answers. If you have a couple minutes, I’ll give you my perspective on this.

It would be awesome if I could tell you: x-number of postcards, or x-number of exposures = a response, but instead, I suggest you think in terms of “points.” It’s like Weight Watchers, except we are measuring positive exposure instead of Girl Scout cookies. For instance: Mailing a postcard may get you a single point. Mailing it and having it arrive on the first warm weekend in spring will get you more points than if you mail it the week kids go back to school in August. You also get points if your prospects see your trucks, you get points for having yard signs, having your office visible on a major roadway, for being active in the community and for countless other things. A positive referral? Well that’s like catching the golden snitch; you win regardless of anything.

Everything you do can win you positive points, and you do need to rack up a certain number of these imaginary points before someone will decide to contact you. The question is “How many times should I mail this spring?” Well, that depends on how many points you have accumulated in other areas. If you’re a brand-new company or new to an area, you will naturally have to put your name out there many times more than an established company that is highly visible in the area. So if you are planning a mailing program, give yourself every advantage you can. Mail to areas where you have clients or are visible, and try to mail at a time when people are naturally interested. Doing so will get you that much closer to the threshold of response.

“What kind of response rate will I get?”

I HAVE NO IDEA. However, I can tell you what will help: good timing, a well defined-target list, a clear call to action, and a professional-looking mailer from a company like Focal Point. These things will help, but there are a myriad of other factors that can improve or diminish your response rates.

Consider marketing to be like fitness. If you know any fitness enthusiasts, they will likely tell you that there's no single thing that does everything for them. Instead, it’s a matter of doing a lot of individual things right on a regular and consistent basis. Your business is the same. If you are consistently putting forth a positive, professional image in your market, you will experience much better results from all your direct marketing efforts.

Every Door Direct Mail - EDDM