Background
Homematix Home Security wanted to get sales leads for its
door-to-door salespeople. As it became harder to go door-to-door, we
suggested that a campaign to attract quality sales leads could fill the need to set up
appointments. They had an excellent, well-trained salesforce, and the
company was actually a pleasure to buy from. Home Security Systems
of this type were "high-end", meaning expensive and complex.
Objective
To get sales leads from homeowners or renters.
Campaign: We created an irresistible headline: " Burglar Wanted", in a
format like a newspaper classified ad section. It read:
"BURGLAR
WANTED. Householder,
attractive, seeks burglar, junkie or other social misfit to trash a nice
house. Must be prepared to drink all the booze, steal the jewelry and smash up expensive electronic
gear. Don't send photo - just call
when everybody's out."
We also used a number of our creative strategies like:
Creative, provocative words, Grabbing Graphics, Relevant Offer, and Ask
for the order. The copy was mid-length.
The mailer looked
substantial & thick so it implied the company was substantial.
It met the need of being "cheap" in cost, yet
looked like the company offering the security was "substantial".
(This is horribly overlooked by many mailers, who erroneously opt for the
cheapest paper.)
We offered a nice relevant
offer to get the attention of the reader
The quality of the lead was irrelevant, as the
sales force could always convert anyone they spoke to. The sales lead
gave the salesperson the opportunity to phone the customer to ask if the
salesperson should deliver the customer requested item, or mail it?
Then, the salesperson could call a second time and ask "if
they'd received the item?". "Had they read it
yet?" Second request for appointment. Then a third
call was usually followed up weeks later to measure interest, or again
request an appointment for the salesperson to visit. The
"visit" by the Salesperson was KEY.
We had made an offer of a
Security Information Item, that had high perceived value, yet cost very
little
There was also a "sense of
obligation" developed, that let the Salesperson "break the
ice" and warm up to a customer. The nature of the sale is one where
the Salesperson may be asked questions and could give a "sales
angle", a persuasive argument about the need for a particular type of
security solution.
Ah, grasshopper, we're not going to tell
you the full details
We've spent years
developing unique ideas such as this one, which are designed to give
maximum "punch" at a minimum cost. We've found unusual
formats, and worked out a way to allow them to be delivered cheaply by
Post Office, Newspaper, Mailing LIst or other alternate carrier. We have
not shown them fully in this webpage - however, we will show you in
person, in a face-to-face exploratory meeting. (FREE, of course.) This
gives us the opportunity to be the supplier of both the idea and the
printing/mailing. We're 90% successful with these mailers - so we have
many successful customers who try our methods, then repeat and repeat with
continuing success.
Direct Mail can sell both
Services and Products to Consumers
This campaign
for Homematix is a typical Business-to-Consumer Lead Generating Campaign. Direct
Mail Marketing has
worked successfully for those who sell Services to consumers, including Telecom,
Security, Water Services and Automotive Repair Services. Also, Direct Mail Marketing works well for most companies who sell Products to consumers:
such as Consumer Electronics, Cameras, Telecom, Carpets, Jewelry, Furniture, Cars,
Paint, and most
other Business-to-Consumer sellers. Whether you sell a service or a
product to a consumer, this method of Direct Mail marketing almost always
works well.
Isn't a list needed?
Yes, if the list is good. Often,
we can develop a good
mailing list for prospecting. 
Also, a campaign like this can often work successfully
without the need for a mailing list. Often, a
combination of both is best.
What's the cost
for a Direct Marketing Campaign?
We'd suggest that you start
with a minimum budget of $5000 to $10,000 to effectively test a Direct Marketing
program. That's about what this campaign for Homematix Security cost. After a few successful campaigns, you can increase the
scope of your Direct Marketing. Direct Mail Marketing can actually
build a small business into a much larger one - fast.
See these Case Studies:
Retail 
