5. Clinching the Deal

Obviously, the whole point about DM is that you are trying to sell something. But how do you go about it without being too obvious?

The best option is to switch the emphasis from selling to ‘giving’. This offer can take many forms: money-off vouchers, a free consultation, preferred rates, a no-obligation trial or access to privileged information, for example. Suddenly, your mailer stops being junk mail and becomes a valuable piece of communication. Even if your prospect does not need the thing you are offering, he or she is more likely to feel pleased that you brought it to their attention.

Offering something to the customer helps to justify your reason for mailing. The subliminal message is: ‘Here’s something we thought you ought to know about’. This apparent altruism may go some way to overcoming any objections the customer might have to being targeted in the first place, or to receiving a letter which is poorly targeted. It also gives you an excuse to continue sending mail to the same prospect and thus, ideally, build up some kind of commercial relationship with him or her.

If you are just writing copy for a mailer it is unlikely you will be able to decide whether or how you can spend large amounts of your client’s money on an incentive. However, it is worth asking whether your client is prepared to give something away in order to get a foot in the customer’s door.

Another option is to find a way of treating the entire mailing as an offer or benefit. For example: ‘Be one of the first in the country to try this new product and save money with our cost-effective service,’ or ‘We can guarantee product/service X will help to increase your profits’.

Once you have turned your sales pitch into an offer, you need to make sure your target can respond to it. A direct mail piece should always include a response mechanism – an invitation to buy or to contact your client. The more response routes you can offer, the more you will help to increase response. Options might include phone, email, fax or post. Pre-paid envelopes and free-phone numbers also stimulate extra replies.