Already for a long time (more 100 years ago) the commercial enterprises have added to the arsenal a method of advancement of the goods by address mailing of letters. It is possible to carry to direct-marketing methods also and work of the trading agents driving about in those days on all country and selling the goods directly on a place. Approximately at the same time by manufacturers of the goods publications of advertising character with coupons or the order form began to be used.

As a rule, the basic tools of direct-marketing can be divided into two directions:

1. Creation and work with a client database. This direction includes such tools as personal selling, post mailing, souvenirs, congratulations and invitations and so forth.

2. Use of mass media in unusual way: the publication of announcements with discounts, games, draws etc. with summarizing in the certain, strictly outlined time interval. Such restriction serves in time as excellent motivation to fulfillment of immediate purchase and participation in action.

Main objectives and problems.

Main objective of direct-marketing strategy is reception of the direct response of the consumer for the purpose of final purchase. To a main objective it is possible to add also minor aims:

1. Creation of new business and a set of a database of potential clients.
2. Maintenance of existing business by means of frequent “unostentatious” or “persevering” references.
3. Increase in frequency of purchases or volumes of the order of the goods.
4. Realization of cross sales of additional products and services.
5. Maintenance of repeated sales.
6. Increase of level of loyalty of consumers to manufacturers of the goods and services.

It is thus important to remember: the result of successful work of direct-marketing tools considers not only realization of the direct certificate of purchase but also any response from the client.

Differences from advertising

Direct-marketing is not the same that advertising. The main task of direct-marketing is to carry out sale right now (direct order) or immediately to receive inquiry from the potential buyer on the information (lead generation) or to involve it during certain time in certain shop (traffic building). In direct-marketing for message transfer one contact – the letter or phone call is in most cases used only. The information thus arrives both in a direction the seller-consumer and in a direction the consumer-seller. Thus terms and conditions are established by the seller.

One more basic distinction consists that efficiency of traditional advertising can be estimated rather approximately owing to influence of many collateral factors which don’t come under to influence from the advertiser. In direct-marketing, on the contrary, the strict reporting is the integral requirement. Realization of direct-marketing strategy assumes work with such indicators as:

Expenses for 1 order,

Expenses for 1 inquiry,

Cost of the buyer.

Thanks to a transparency in the reporting direct-marketing often name “accountable marketing” – in a literal translation “responsible marketing”.

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P.P.S. Nowadays we live in the world where info quickly enhances the quality of our life. Due to this if you are properly armed with the information in your sphere of interest you can be sure that you will in any case find the solution to any bad situation. So, please make sure to get back to this site on a regular basis or – best of all – sign up to its RSS feed. Thus you will have your hand on the pulse of the latest informational updates here. Blogging can be helpful, you just need to know how to use them.

Eric Groves, senior vice-president at Constant Contact, claimed that when a person receives an email they immediately ask two questions - namely, do I know the sender and do I care?

“If the answer to both is ‘yes’ then the person is probably going to at least open your email to take a quick glance. That’s what we as marketers are aiming for, to get people to open our clients’ messages,” he wrote in a column for DM News.

Mr Groves suggested that in order to ensure recipients respond positively to the first question, a recognisable “from address” should be clearly displayed in the message.

He noted that it is harder to get people to answer yes to the “Do I care? question”, making it vital marketers get recipient permission to emails when compiling email marketing lists.

Meanwhile, Media Post blogger Ryan Deutsch suggested this week that marketers are now too preoccupied with data and analytics at the expense of considering customer opinions.

A marketing article on blogcritics.org argued that direct mail is proving to be particularly successful in the real estate investment sector.

Indeed, it claimed that according to real estate gurus and direct marketing firms, “well-put-together direct mail pieces for loan modification and real estate investing are seeing open rates as high as seven to nine percent”.

However, the article claimed that direct mail must still be well presented if it is to be effective.

“That does not mean it has to be full color and flashy, but it should be wisely packaged to get it opened and the content must flow right to be conducive to having prospects call you,” it said.

Elsewhere, it was suggested that marketers must ensure they use accurate and targeted business mailing lists in order to ensure they get the best results.

Meanwhile, Richard Lees, chairman at dbg, recently wrote for Marketing Week that direct marketers must get back to basics when it comes to managing business data.

1. The List

You want to get your message to people that most likely need or want what you have to offer. The best way to do that is to purchase a very targeted mailing list. Someone experienced with this is a vital help. You need to spend time speaking with an expert in lists to determine who you should be targeting. Ordering lists from a website without getting advise, is potentially a waste of money.

2. The Printed Piece

Next decide what kind of piece you want to mail. Postcards have proven to be the most successful. The size of the postcard is the next important step. A small 4×6 card will not get much attention, but a 6×9 or 5 .5x 8.5 card cannot be easily missed in the mailbox. Colorful or unusual pictures also command attention from the receiver. Flyers give you more space to get your message out than a postcard. Just make sure the front of the flyer has a message that entices people to open it. Letters give a more “personal” touch to your message. Again, you need to ensure that there is a message on the front of the envelope that encourages the recipient to open it. Consider sending a “Things To Do” pad in an envelope with your company name and contact numbers. This will stay on the recipients desk for a few weeks and keep your name at their fingertips.

3. Your Message

A great deal of thought should go into your message. If you run a family business, mention it, people like to support family run businesses. Always have an offer that is hard to refuse or unusual. Make sure your offer has an expiration date, you want people to act quickly.

4. Timing

Use common sense as to when to send out your mail piece depending on your business. If you sell holiday items, then mailing before a holiday is good for you. If you have an adult dance studio, summertime is probably not a good time for your mailing.

5. Scheduling

Sending out one mail piece will probably not get you the results you hope for. Try to schedule a mailing to the same list at least once a month for several months. The more people see your company name, the better.

Choosing the right company to handle your Direct Mail Marketing project is the first important decision you will make. Finding a company that does the target list buying, design, printing and mailing all under one roof is important and cost effective. We at Express Marketing will make sure your design conforms for the lowest postage costs. Being able to pick up the phone and discuss your project with an expert in Direct Mail Marketing is priceless.

Studies have been done to determine when it’s a good time to email the people on your list, and they showed that you should do it on a Tuesday or a Wednesday. We live in times where communication and the desire to understand overrule everything else. That means there’s more of chance they will read what you’ve written, and that also means you’re primed to sell a lot more than before. Mondays are no good for emails, it turns out, because people are still trying to play catch up from the weekend. And on the other days, Thursday and Friday, people are in the hustle bustle of the weekend. People are more willing to read emails in the middle of the week, so you should send them then. That’s why you’ll want to send it on the right day because there won’t be a next time. You might be able to send another one, but it would have to be after a long time. Another important aspect to email marketing is having a good click through rate. One thing that can prevent the recipient from clicking on your links is having too many distractions in the form of graphics or long blocks of text. When your click through rate goes down, so do traffic and sales, making your email campaign disappointing. If you want people to readily identify your links, research indicates that rather than using banners you should make the link underlined, bold and blue. This tactic of underlining your links and using blue can increase your click throughs. Your busy readers have to be able to instantly know where your link is if you want them to click on it. Anik Singal has what it takes you make money online. He will show you exactly how to do it at this Empire Formula blog.

By personalizing your emails, you can increase their effectiveness. Many email marketers don’t communicate with readers in a personal way, so their emails don’t have much impact. This step is important for making your readers feel like you see them as individuals. Building a relationship is extremely important with your list and there’s no better way to do it than personalize your emails. How do you do it? Simply use the reader’s first name in the subject line, top of the email, and wherever else it may be appropriate. This way your emails are seen as friendly, coming from someone who recognizes them rather than an anonymous message. People have a special attachment to their names. Be sure to use this technique, which will cause more people to read your emails and click through to your site. You have no more potentially profitable asset than your email list, so use it well. All in all, if you really want to see great results with email marketing, apply the tips that we discussed above. Now you know to avoid terms that will set off spam filters, make bold, blue links that people will recognize and use subscribers’ names to make them feel special. Your goal should be to build mutually beneficial relationships with all of your subscribers.

A Style Guide to Basic Email Configuration

Use a generic email address format throughout business. If you have a hotmail address such as “cuteybabe”- don’t ever use it for business or for personal purposes where you want the recipient to take you seriously. They won’t!

Use “blind cc” when sending to multiple recipients that don’t know each other. Recipients may not wish their email address disclosed to third parties.

Use “Subject” to help the recipient understand what the email is about. General subject lines like “Business” or “Design Work” may be unhelpful for the recipient in understanding the topic and importance of your email.

Set up standard e-signatures for all staff. Use generic format including person’s name, title, company name and relevant contact details.

Think before using a html footer (that is the graphical banner that appears under some emails) to show your logo as some people’s browsers can block it coming through or the graphic won’t appear. If you are keen to use, fully test through sending to external “test” users before going mainstream.

Use a ‘Disclaimer” at very bottom of email. This advises recipient of confidentiality and instruct them what to do if they receive an email from you in error.

Set up your email so that your e-signature automatically appears at the bottom of all “new” emails sent and all “reply” emails sent. This will create a standard and consistent format for your emails.

Email Etiquette – Things to Consider Before Hitting that Send Button

Avoid using large/small font size or unconventional font type. This can drive the reader mad and may reflect poorly on your professionalism. Wings Dings as a font type is a no no!

Don’t ever write an email in anger as research has proven that the written word has much more power (and is generally perceived as more offensive) than speaking. A good rule is to “sleep on your response” and send the email the next day when you are calmer.

When in doubt regarding replying to an email, consider picking up the phone. A phone call has many elements – volume & tone, pace & inflection and words. Email has just one element – words. And words without tone and inflection can be dangerous.

DON’T WRITE IN CAPITALS AS PEOPLE THINK THAT YOU ARE SHOUTING AT THEM!

Avoid using slang, jargon or abbreviations if possible as it can polarize people. Of course, industry language used in communicating between industry players is OK.

Don’t swear or make overtly political or race based comments. There is no upside.

Remember that statements made in emails have been found to be binding contractually. So don’t email any commitments you are either unauthorized to make or unwilling to deliver on.

Don’t “cc” every person in the entire loop. It drives people mad and can make you look like you lack awareness and confidence.

Remember also that Microsoft and other email browsers limit the number of recipients you can send one email to. Be aware of block limits.

Don’t “cc’ individuals to leverage them doing something or to “dob them in” on a failed promise or deadline. They will resent it and won’t forget it.

Have a standard greeting. I recommend “Hi John” or “Hello John”- something friendly and understated. By having a standard greeting used through the office, it creates consistency and strengthens communication. I have received emails with “Yo man” as the greeting.

Have a standard “close” to finish your email. Avoid writing the unutterable – that is, things that you would generally never say. ‘Regards” is a good standard close while “Cheers” is OK for people you know on a more personal basis.

Use headings, sub-headings and bullet points to separate topics and break up your message. Avoid long sentences and massive block paragraphs as it makes it so much harder for the reader to comprehend your point and respond.

Use attachments where the message or content you are sending is detailed or lengthy. This can allow you to make summary points or direct the recipient to key points.

Remember not to gossip or slander people as email is the most easily accessible permanent documented record in existence. If forwarded as a chain email, the six degrees of separation kicks in and is treated as fact. No further questions your Honor!

Take great care in providing explicit personal facts about yourself. An email is not truly “in confidence” is it?

Avoid arguing through email as it can escalate very quickly and has and will continue to start World War 3 between combatants. Meet with someone in person or speak with them by phone before things get messy. You can’t “un-send” an email after it’s landed.

Anyone can view your emails with or without the help of IT technicians. Some businesses periodically review outbound email to check up on business communication. It’s long been a debate whether this is in breach of privacy but emails sent “at work” are often argued by management to be “fair game” within the work domain. Assume that others are reading your emails (even though they’re probably not) as that will help provide a filter for you in authoring your emails.

A Final Word on Email

Write in a tone and style that reflects how you would appreciate being written (spoken) to. If you think of this regularly, you shouldn’t fall foul of the email monster and should get treated comparatively well in your in-box while maximizing the intended and real benefits email provides us.

Darren Bourke, Business Influence, 2008.

Darren Bourke is a Consultant, Business Coach & Mentor who helps small & medium businesses struggling to maximize profitability, productivity, people and performance. His Free Report titled What Successful Owners of Growth Businesses Do That You Don’t, newsletter and updates are full of strategies and tips to make your business boom. Sign up now at www.businessinfluence.com.au

However, with the power of HTML email marketing this is a completely different scenario. That same visitor will visit your site, and will see your opt in box that allows them to join your newsletter for free information or a free gift and they might be encouraged by this and fill your opt-in form and has now become a member of your marketing list which means you can send him or her promotions, update them on new posts/information, and continue to get them back to your site as often as you want. Do you see the power in this?

So what precisely is HTML email marketing?

Well, when you are running an email marketing account, there are two types of emails that you can send.

HTML or Plain Text

A plain text email is simply that, it is 100% text, no links or coding to make it look better or anything like that, has a good open rate but not used as much nowadays by internet marketers.

However, a HTML email allows you to send links, pictures, videos, it basically allows you to really bring a personal level to your list (resulting in more conversions). Not to mention the fact that the links add a huge convenience has factor.

So, you’re likely thinking “Why don’t I just use a HTML email then? What’s the point of a plain text email?”

Well the answer to that is somewhat simple;

You see, when it comes to email marketing, there is one thing that really matters first and foremost, that is the subscriber, if your readers aren’t reading your emails or even seeing your emails then you will be wasting a lot of effort and time and not to mention money.

You should always try to send two copies of emails, one in HTML and one in plain, the reason for this is because some readers have HTML blocked and will not be able to receive your HTML emails. For these people the system will automatically send the plain text emails.

Another reason to send two copies is because some readers have HTML messages blacklisted. This means that no matter what your title is, it is going to end up in the spam folder just for having HTML in it.

When you are starting a new email marketing campaign it is important to make sure you can handle things like the basics in order to maximize your profits. Something like creating both a plain text and HTML version of your messages could not only improve your open rate, but also improve your relationship with your niche.

Although online platforms have undeniably mushroomed in recent times, there is still certainly plenty of space for direct mail at the table.

Indeed, direct mail can even be used to propel prospects onto your online portal if done in the correct way.

According to Dean Rieck, a direct marketing copywriter and consultant, smart business people don’t make decisions based on personal preferences or novelty - they make decisions based on what works. And traditional direct mail works.

Writing in Marketing Profs, he urges companies to always ask for clients’ email addresses when contacting them offline, so they can use this contact information to lure them into the online arena.

You can also consider building a special landing page as part of your lead generation efforts.

“By creating a unique landing page and driving people to that page, you can control the message, track response and collect information for follow-up and future direct marketing effort,” Mr Rieck says.

Remember the story about the chicken and pig that walk past a diner advertising “bacon and eggs” for breakfast? The chicken enthusiastically endorses the menu. The pig replies, “For you it’s all in a day’s work. For me it’s total commitment.”

Most company owners already understand that selling a business on their terms requires commitment to a cohesive process. Others try and fail to sell, and learn the hard way that selling is more complex and fraught with pitfalls than they realized. A systematic business sale process improves your price, terms and probability of sale, and reduces your time, stress and financial risk. Here is a brief outline:

Phase 1. Evaluation & Planning

Commit to having the business objectively evaluated by a valuation expert. A reliable opinion requires significant due diligence, research and analysis of financials, assets, markets, relationships, contracts, systems and more. The expert acts in concert with your legal and financial advisers to provide essential answers that allow you to make the best decisions. This phase is critical to deciding the right time to sell, whether today or 1 to 5 years from now.

You’ll have answers regarding:

1. Most probable selling price.

2. Likely deal structures.

3. Target buyers.

4. Marketability and potential obstacles.

5. Strengths and weaknesses, value drivers and detractors.

6. Financial gaps, wealth preservation and maximizing after-tax yield.

7. Specific ways to build value, short and long term.

Phase 2. Marketing Preparation

When the time is right to sell, commit to presenting your business to prospective buyers convincingly, in writing, with supportable facts. Since confused minds always say “no,” a thorough deal book allows buyers to grasp your business opportunity, affirm their interest and make strong offers. A “blind” summary will be extracted for initial contact with target buyers. While your M&A adviser produces the book and develops a list of buyers with strong potential synergies, you’ll wrap up recommended business preparations that enhance value, marketability and transferability.

Phase 3. Confidential, Strategic Marketing

A direct marketing campaign is aimed at target buyers, using multiple communication methods. A net is cast deep and wide to produce buyers, based on your business type and circumstances. Deal books are released to candidates that demonstrate financial ability and sign a confidentiality agreement. Your adviser schedules site visits for a short list of finalists, where you get to know each other and ask in-depth questions.

Phase 4. Negotiations & Deal Structuring

Now comes the interesting part, and this is not a one-size-fits-all process. Every transaction is unique. Your adviser endeavors to obtain multiple offers, possibly through a controlled auction process, discusses their pros and cons with you and helps you select the lead horse. The adviser guides you through negotiations, in concert with your tax and legal advisers. Experience is critical.

Phase 5. Due Diligence & Closing

With the deal points settled, buyer and seller due diligence commence, while financing and third-party consents are arranged, and definitive agreements and closing documents are prepared. This is where phases 1 and 2 pay off. In today’s business environment, expect a financial audit, and expect the buyer’s experts to investigate government compliance, environmental issues, insurance claims, key relationships, contracts, equipment, intellectual property rights and more.

Selling a business is often a business owner’s largest financial transaction. To realize the reward you deserve for your years of hard work and sacrifice, be prepared, commit to a cohesive selling process and engage professionals that allow you to focus on business performance at a time when it matters most.

· · ·

Al Statz is president of Exit Strategies Group Inc., a business brokerage and valuation firm based in Sonoma County. He is a Certified Business Intermediary through the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA) as well as a certified business appraiser. He can be reached at 707-778-2040 or alstatz@exitstrategiesgroup.com.