For many retail and service businesses, Val-Pak and Money Mailers are what they use consistently and what I will call “basic” advertising media.  And they should be.  Their success is because they are “low cost and have a high readership since they go to so many people.

 I’ve read that over 80% of the recipients open and browse through the mailings, probably because everybody knows there will be coupons inside that they will use.  Because it gets opened is the reason it is so successful.

This media can work for odd businesses also and should be tested by a wider variety of businesses that don’t currently think about using it. 

There is also a nationwide card deck that goes “business-to-business.  I have found this works best when you have a multi-step process of follow up, which could include follow-up phone calls to the businesses.

Here comes the interesting part.  I believe that all businesses should do their own shared-cost, co-op mailings.

A dentist, chiropractor, dermatologist, optometrist, podiatrist, etc., are logical co-op candidates.  All of the stores in a shopping center, carpet cleaners, gardeners and plumbers, just to name a few more, are candidates for co-op mailings.

I’ve always believed and suggested to everyone that all merchants can have a much greater impact by working together rather than individually. 

And guess what?  When the big “Giant” comes into town, the small merchants often either prosper together or hang separately.  By banding together, they can survive the onslaught of the large companies. 

If any of you have used Val-Pak or Money Mailers, let us know your results.  Remember, most of the time the inserted piece was put together by the salesperson and isn’t responsive. When I receive them and open them, I’m in awe as to how much money is wasted. 

Can you imagine if your piece was direct-responsive, with more than 80% of them being opened, the results you would get and how many new customers/clients you would have coming through your door?

All you have to do is create a short report.  You can say, call (your number) for a free report that reveals (whatever) before you buy from anyone.

Just one example…

 If you are in the carpet cleaning business you can say the following: “Call (your number) for a free report that reveals the 3 questions you should ask before you hire a carpet cleaner.”

I’m sure you get the general idea. 

Again, If you use Val-Pak or Money Mailers, let us know your results.

Technorati Tags: b-to-b advertising, b2b advertising, business-to-business, card deck, co-op mailings, low-cost advertising, low-cost mailing, money mailers, val-pak

The following question was sent in:

How to get high end customers?

A method that I created years ago helped me reach and persuade affluent prospects to call me for appointments.
The following is a letter I used to get appointments. The headline was:

“Linda, Here’s How To Solve

One Of Your Biggest Headaches!”

On top of the headline I attached a Tylenol tablet in a sealed packet.

Here is what the body of the letter said:

Dear Linda,

Like many successful business executives, as you accumulate more and more wealth, one of your biggest headaches is to figure out effective strategies to protect your assets properly, giving you more security and peace of mind.

One way to solve this headache is by taking the Tylenol tablet I’ve attached to this letter. But this solution is only temporary, lasting only a few hours, or several days at the most.

A more permanent and profitable solution is for you to get together with me and discover how you can benefit from a special program I’ve designed for business executives just like you.

There’s no cost, and no obligation for me to show you this unique program. And in just 17 minutes, using my No-Risk And No-Obligation Financial Analysis, I can show you how to retire up to nine years sooner than you had planned, save up to 14% on your life insurance premiums, and at the same time, protect your hard-earned assets more fully.

To gain these wonderful benefits, fill out the enclosed Request Certificate and fax or mail it in the postage-paid envelope provided. Or if you prefer, call me at 123-4567. My office hours are from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. PST. If you don’t have the time to meet with me during the day, we can set up an appointment in the evening.

Sincerely,

Ken Varga

“The Dream Protector”

P.S. When we meet, Linda, I promise you there will be no pressure and I will not ask you to buy anything. After you’ve seen how my program can help you protect your assets better and, at the same time, increase your wealth substantially, if you think it’s the right investment for you, then I’ll let you know how to invest in it.

On the other hand, if, at the end of our meeting you don’t find the 17 minutes you spent with me to be one of the most profitable investments of your time, I’ll write you a check for $25.

I’m sure you’ll agree this is more than fair, right? So pick up your phone and call me at 123-

4567, or fax in the Certificate now, while it’s fresh in your mind.

Just massage this letter to fit whatever you are offering.

Now let’s go over what makes this letter successful. It offers a Risk-Free Guarantee.

All of you that send out letters for prospecting should answer the following question:

“After reading your letter, what is the main reason your prospect is reluctant to meet with you even if he or she is interested in your offer?”

Think about it for a few moments before you answer.

You’re absolutely right, if you’ve said the following…

The Reason Your Prospect Is Reluctant To Meet With You After Reading Your Letter Is They Think It May Be A Waste Of Their Time.

Although your letter may sound great, because your prospect doesn’t know you, he or she’s afraid you may not be able to deliver what you promised in the letter.

You see, like many people, your prospect probably has been disappointed with some other agents or salespeople who made huge claims but failed to deliver. That’s why they’re being very careful about whom they want to meet with.

How do you overcome this resistance?

By offering them a guarantee to take away any perceived risk they may have about meeting with you. In other words, you take the risk off their shoulders and put it on yours.

In my letter to Linda, I removed any perceived risk she may have about meeting with me by offering to write her a check for $25 if she doesn’t think her time was well spent after meeting with me.

Since no other agents or financial advisors have probably offered Linda such a unique guarantee, I have formed a positive image in her mind.

Chances are good that she will be excited to meet with me to find out how I can help her gain the benefits promised in his letter. Besides, she’s eager to meet with the creative genius behind such a unique prospecting letter. Won’t you agree?

Believe me, after you’ve used creative prospecting to make more income while working fewer hours and using less effort and energy, you’ll wish you had found out about it when you first began your business or career.

Let me recap the elements of a creative prospecting letter:

1. A grabber

2. A compelling headline

3. An irresistible offer

4. An easy and convenient way to respond

5. A strong P.S.

6. A powerful guarantee

Now I’d like to discuss grabbers with you in more detail.

As you’ve learned, a “grabber” is any item you put in your letter to make your letter jump out of the pile of mail that your prospect has and grab their attention, compelling them to open your envelope and read your letter first.

You can use almost anything as a grabber – Tylenol or Aspirin packets, coins, dollar bills, fake one million-dollar bills, candles, balloons, match sticks, ties, socks, lottery tickets, erasers, nuts, shoes, tennis balls, chess pieces, bananas, watches, tea bags, bags of sand, and so on.

The bulkier the item, the more attention it’ll attract.

Because most business letters usually arrive in a #10 envelope (or sometimes in a FedEx or

UPS envelope), when you use a bulky item as your grabber, your envelope will stand out from every piece of mail your prospect receives on that particular day.

For instance, a letter that has a tennis ball inside will certainly attract more attention than one that has no grabber or has a flat item as a grabber, such as a coin or a bill.

When the secretary or assistant is going through the mail, your letter will stand out among other pieces of mail they received that day and force them to open your envelope first.

The important thing for you to remember is that whatever grabber you use, you must tie it into your letter. Otherwise, you’ll confuse the prospect and make your letter ineffective.

For example, if you include a tennis ball with your letter without explaining how it’s related to the letter, then, while you may have succeeded in getting the prospect to open your letter immediately, when they read it, they’re going to wonder to themselves, “What does this tennis ball have to do with this letter?” And so they may simply throw your letter away (and keep the ball).

Anyway, this is just one way to persuade affluent prospects to call you for appointments.

Technorati Tags: Affluent Customers, getting affluent customers, high-end customers, reaching high-end customers