How to market to corporate prospects
By Tom Quiner, President
Breakthrough Marketing, Inc.
My last Marketing Tip received many comments and questions about corporate marketing. Since corporations are a serious growth area for DJs, let’s look at these questions so you can tap into this lucrative niche:
Q. How do I reach the right person in my corporate marketing direct mail campaign?
A. This is a big question with no surefire answer. Still, there are ways to reach the right person. You can use a direct mail technique called “Routing Copy.” You will print this text on the address side of a postcard. It will say something like this:
Time-sensitive information.
Please route to:
Owner
Executive Secretary
Human Resources
Marketing Manager
Sales Manager
Office Manager
Company Event Planner
Holiday Party Committee
Precede each item in the list with a checkbox with a check mark in it. The idea is to guide the saboteur (the person who sorts and screens the mail) on whom to give your mailing piece to.
Q. How can I get my mail past the saboteur?
A. Turn the saboteur into your ally. The bigger the company, the more likely mail is screened and pitched before reaching decision makers. Secretaries and receptionists feel powerful when they can dispose of mail they perceive as “junk.” So if you’re interested in getting past these gatekeepers in big companies, enlist their support. Make them feel important. Your postcard might actually utilize a very short letter on the address side that goes like this:
Dear Executive Secretary:
Can you help me? Holiday parties are one of the best ways to build loyalty within a company. They make a place more fun to work at. My company, Acme Entertainment specializes in creating corporate holiday parties that will be the talk of the office for the next year.
Just check out our website: AcmeEntertainment.com. And then could you pass this card onto the person(s) in charge in planning your holiday parties! Thank-you.
Sincerely,
Mary Smith, owner, Acme Entertainment
P.S. Do you have questions? I’d love to answer your questions personally. Call me at xxx-xxxx. I can even meet in person.
Q. Sounds good. How can I make the postcard campaign work even better? Be specific.
A. Call the saboteur on the phone first. Here’s what you will say to whomever answers the phone: “Are you the person who normally answers the phone? Good. Could you do me a favor? I’d like to mail you something to get your reaction. It’s a postcard about Christmas parties for companies. My company, Acme Entertainment, is perhaps the top corporate entertainment company in the metro area. You can probably give me a good feel who else should receive this card in your company. Would that be okay?”
At this point, the person might simply tell you who you should be dealing with, which is even better. On the other hand, she may tell you that is fine for you to mail her the card. Get the correct spelling on her name. Get her e-mail address. Then mail her the card.
Q. Okay. What next?
A. Send her a quick e-mail that says:
SUBJECT: Thanks for your help
Hi Linda: Thanks for your help on the Christmas Party project. I mailed our postcard to your attention. I will call you back in a few days. Feel free to call me directly at xxx-xxxx if you have immediate suggestions on who else to mail to.
Thanks,
Mary Smith, owner
Acme Entertainment
Q. I see where you’re heading with this. Any other suggestions?
A. Bribery. Put the postcard in an envelope along with a nice, premium chocolate bar. Include a brief note:
Dear Linda: Thanks for your help in identifying persons within your company who should see our postcard promoting our entertainment services for your next holiday party.
I’ll call within the next two days to discuss this with you. Or call me at xxx-xxxx.
In the meantime, enjoy a little chocolate on me!
Thank-you.
Sincerely,
Mary Smith, Owner
Acme Entertainment
Tom Quiner is President of Breakthrough Marketing, Inc. For twenty years, Breakthrough has provided marketing services for DJ companies in all 50 states.
Direct Mail is Back.
By Tom Quiner, President
Breakthrough Marketing, Inc.
Direct mail works better than ever. Brides are getting blasted with a ton of e-mail. Much of it is spam. It’s hard (but not impossible) to get them to read and focus on your e-mail message.
The explosion of e-mail and internet marketing has produced a corresponding drop in the amount of direct mail they receive from wedding vendors. I have followed this trend for years, taking regular measurements in a cross-section of cities throughout the U.S.
Ten years ago, even five years ago, a typical bride in a good-sized city would receive about 30 pieces of mail the first month her name appeared on a bridal mailing list. That’s about one a day. The amount of mail would drop in half each succeeding month.
Today, this same bride receives about four pieces of mail the first month her name appears on a bridal list. In subsequent months, this falls off to a mere trickle.
This means that your mail doesn’t compete with nearly as much mail as before. It’s easy to grab her attention and get her to read your piece if it’s a good, professional mailing piece.
There are specific pros and cons to direct mail:
Cons:
1. It takes a few bucks. You’ve got to print the mailer/letter/envelope/postcard or whatever you send, and that costs money. Plus you’ve got to buy postage and a mailing list.
2. It takes time to get the mail out. You’ve got to stuff the envelopes and lick the stamps. Who wants to go to all that work!
3. Your mailing is only as good as the quality of your list.
Pros:
1. Direct mail is real. That means a lot to brides in this age of electronic media. Companies that bother to create and send a professional brochure are more credible.
2. Because of that, direct mail helps to attract more upscale prospects. Upscale prospects value reliability, integrity, and quality. Companies that send a warm, personal mailer will come across as being more reliable, honest, and just plain better in terms of quality.
3. Direct mail makes your website, e-mail, bridal shows, and ads work better. It gets your phone ringing and drives more people to your website.
4. Direct mail is targeted. You can target lucrative zip codes in your mailing to reach your best prospects. Most good bridal lists offer wedding dates. This allows you to target only dates that you still have open.
Most wedding professionals don’t have time to stay on top of a direct mail campaign. Those that do are preaching to a hungry audience that reads and responds to their mail.
What an opportunity for you.
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They keep literature that looks professional and presents a quality image, warmth, and overall helpfulness.
We can help. We offer you the professional brochures that make bridal shows work better. Scan our website to preview our entire collection. Call 1-800-810-4152 if you would like us to mail you actual samples.
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E-Mail Tip of the Month:
"HOW TO IMPROVE BRIDAL SHOW RESULTS"
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