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In-house mailings are a great way to stay in touch with your
customers -- and to contact prospective customers. Mass mailing, in
small-business terms, ranges from sending out a dozen invitations to
bulk-mailing several hundred coupons. It all adds up to repeating
your company message and gaining top-of-mind familiarity. You can do
your own mailings, or you can purchase mailing lists from outside
brokers. Either way, small-business mass mailings can take several
forms, some more creative than others.
1. Sales letters to generate sales. This is the
traditional goal of a mass mailing. Unfortunately, it's a rare
letter campaign that generates immediate sales all by itself. You'll
need to follow up, so a good mailer should build some rapport,
deliver a compelling reason to call later, and prepare the recipient
for your follow-up. Sales letters are also a good way to follow up
on prospects and leads developed at trade shows. Together with
personalized sales contact, sales letters are a critical step in
translating prospects into sales.
2. Informational flyers to expand awareness of your company
and its products or services. Although flyers aren't likely to
result in immediate orders, they should be suggestive reminders of
who you are and what you offer. Flyers should be brief and to the
point. They generally announce some type of positive change in your
offerings or operations and create curiosity about what's new and
different.
3. Special discount or other offer to build customer loyalty.
Whether they take advantage of your offer or not, everybody
appreciates a bargain. Special offers let customers know you don't
take them for granted. This develops customer loyalty and draws
customers closer to your business.
4. Educational newsletters to gain credibility in the
marketplace and answer common questions. Because they require
research, educational newsletters are the most time-consuming
mailing tactic. At the time, they also offer the most value to your
customers. Enhancing your credibility and authority in the
marketplace is a very effective marketing tactic. If you're not
comfortable producing an entire newsletter, type up a practical
advice or tip sheet and have it printed. Don't hesitate to leverage
your knowledge and position yourself as an expert in your business.
Just make sure you're giving out sound advice.
5. Greeting cards to build good will. Do not pass up any
opportunity to be courteous and thoughtful. Send holiday cards with
personal notes to everyone in your company database. Anniversaries
are also good opportunities to thank customers and prospects for
their support.
For mass mail software programs contact
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