A Two-step Approach to Postcard Marketing
I receive postcards in the mail all the time. The other day I received one trying to sell me a copy machine. It had teeny, tiny lettering slathered all over the front and a large portion of the back of the card.
It was extremely hard to read — so hard in fact, that I threw it away.
Several days later I received a one with 32 words on it, telling me I could get complete information on unrestricted long distance telephone service for 5.5 cents a minute with no additional monthly fee by calling the 800 number on the card.
I did call. I got the information, had my questions answered and ordered my long distance service changed. The company who offered me the long distance service was using a time tested two-step selling process:
Step 1. Generate a lead. They got me to call their phone number.
Step 2. Provide the requested information. The information was provided to me on the phone by one of their sales representatives, who was able to answer my questions and make me feel confident that I could save quite a bit of money on my long distance bill and that the service would be as good or better.
What’s so good about two steps? It is much easier to create interest than it is to get a person through an entire buying process. You aren’t getting the prospect or existing customer to part with any money just yet.
You can use postcards to inexpensively promote to your target prospects and customers and generate leads to then be followed up on and converted to sales.
This two-step process also helps you to create a list of people who were interested enough in what you offered to contact you.
You can then recontact the ones who you didn’t complete a sale with when they first inquired, preferably until they do buy from you.
But be sure to get the information you will need to recontact the people who responded to your postcard offering. Repetitive follow-ups with the people who contacted you will result in increased appointments/sales. Make it a company policy to follow up with those people who contacted you about your products and services.
Joy Gendusa is founder and CEO of Clearwater, FL-based PostcardMania.
