I’m often asked why I mail my list so often. The answer is remarkably simple – and something I say time and time again:
Most of us spend prodigious time and effort looking for business, whilst ignoring money that’s just waiting to be picked up – money we already have within our grasp, but don’t realise it.
The prime example: enquiries you have received, but don’t try to convert with sufficient determination, intelligence or vigour.
To put it briefly, most people don’t try hard enough to sell to the enquiries they get – in fact they try harder with people that are far less likely to be profitable.
Let me explain – and see if you agree.
Compare two communications.
One is a mailing going out to people a marketer thinks might be prospects. A “cold” mailing.
The marketer has put an immense amount of effort into it. It’s got every trick in it, because he or she realises that getting a response from someone you don’t know is hard. Makes sense, right?
The other is a response to someone who’s enquired about something. A brochure or other material and a letter thanking the respondent for the enquiry and suggesting they read the brochure and order now.
This is a much easier task, as the respondent has already expressed interest. So that makes sense, right?
Wrong, wrong, wrong – a thousand times WRONG!
Because what seems to make sense is in fact senseless.
For although it is indeed true that selling cold is harder than selling to warm enquirers, it is even more true that the EASY money is amongst those warm enquiries.
So more effort, not less, should be applied to them. They really deserve every trick in the book. They are probably 3 times more likely to reply. They have raised their hands and said, “I’m here! I’m interested! Come and get me!”
In fact I bet there is more money lying around waiting to be picked up because of this than anywhere else in your business. And not just because many take these enquiries for granted as “easy” sales and don’t try hard enough.
But also because they don’t follow them up enough.- which you should do, as one of my favourite clients put it, “until they give in”.
Because they will buy when they want to buy – not when it suits you.
To sum up:
1. Put more effort into enquiry responses than into cold mailings
2. Follow up until it doesn’t pay any more.
If what I’ve said makes sense, don’t just sit there agreeing with me. Mail your list right today.
But perhaps you’ve run out of things to say? Or would like your mails to work better for you.
If that’s you, we can help. Just send Gerald (gerald@draytonbird.com) an email with a subject of ‘Not Guilty’.