Pest-control firm Terminix Commercial has managed a 3% conversion rate from a direct mailing aimed at cross-selling existing customers new services and 2% conversion in response to a similar offering to lapsed customers.
The Memphis, TN company mailed 170,000 cross-sell and 120,000 win-back pieces to customers and prospects nationwide. Targets ranged from hotels to restaurants and food-service firms to local mom-and-pop stores, said Bryan Holzwanger, account executive at Archer Malmo, Terminix's agency. He added that the budget for the campaigns was more than $100,000.
Specifically, the drop went to company owners, hotel food and beverage managers and purchasing supervisors at the larger firms.
The average cost for Terminix services runs around $1,000, but it can be higher depending on an establishment's size and the treatment selected, Holzwanger said. Besides standard treatments, the firm offers advanced methods to eliminate such pests as subterranean and drywood termites.
Both the cross-sell and win-back mailings came in a white 9-inch by 12-inch envelope. The cross-sell letter's headline invited recipients to get a free termite inspection.
The lapsed-customer drop also promoted the free inspection for returning customers. That copy read, in part:
“Even though this business was previously treated for termites, it could still be at risk. And the fact is, structural damage caused by termites could have your business facing large out-of-pocket expenses.”
The letter went on to offer a customized protection plan and urged recipients to either call a toll-free 800 number or return a detachable card in a postage-paid business reply envelope.
Also included in the package was a green-and-white flier promoting the company's three-point guarantee: “No wait, no doubt, no limit.”
