Transform Your Sales and Marketing Strategies
The quickest and least expensive method to improve your current results is to review your existing sales and marketing strategies and improve or better still, ‘TRANSFORM’ them.
My coaching clients automatically get their sales and marketing assessed and improved by me using my ‘Scientific Marketing Makeover’. Even if that includes you, it’s worth me taking you through a good example of what you can achieve when you take your existing pieces and then apply the ‘CORE ELEMENTS’ to them. The difference can be (and often is) significant, resulting in instant improvements in leads, sales and profits, WITHOUT spending an extra penny or cent!
The image below shows an example of a covering letter that was enclosed alongside a glossy brochure.
Now in fairness ‘artspec’ have tried to communicate to us rather than just saying ‘please find our brochure enclosed’ – which most people do – but overall there is no use of any of the CORE ELEMENTS.
So the results from this letter will be poor. Now remember, by transforming this letter we’re NOT increasing costs. We are merely optimising the current marketing piece using the CORE ELEMENTS in order to greatly improve its effectiveness.
So let me take you through the process of ‘OPTIMISATION’.
Now I do not know anything about this company (they are not clients) so I am going to make some assumptions—but it still serves as a great example of how to systematically improve what you are using at the moment.
Remember, in this example, the sole purpose of sending the letter and brochure is to generate a lead or an enquiry. That MUST be the laser-focus of the letter.
What this means is that for every sale and marketing strategy, you must write down what the number one objective is. This gives you complete clarity on what you are trying to achieve.
Let’s address each CORE ELEMENT in turn…
- TARGET MARKET: They are targeting ‘marketing companies’ which is a good fit but notice there is no tailoring of the letter to marketing companies.
So even though they have chosen the target market (one of them) correctly, they have sent a ‘Mass Market’ type letter out! The letter must scream out and say to the reader ‘this is for me’. When you achieve this, you have created the perfect targeted mailing.
- DIFFERENTIATOR: The lack of any differentiator, especially in this very competitive market is a killer (as it is in EVERY industry). I would build the differentiator around a ‘Guarantee’ that is focused on things like delivery times, quality of print, etc.
- HEADLINE: As with 99% of marketing pieces it is no surprise that this letter comes with no headline. My headline is going to be an ‘Offer Headline’ based around the offer shown below. Here’s the headline…
“Attention Marketing Companies – FREE—5000 Full Colour & Double- Sided Leaflets With Your First Order”
- IRRESISTIBLE OFFER: Every sale and marketing strategy has to have an irresistible offer. This letter does not. My offer is going to be ‘FREE – 5000 Full Colour & Double-Sided Leaflets With Your First Order’.
- FEATURES & BENEFITS: You may have been ‘tricked’ into believing that ‘in order to meet those tight deadlines we can take both your artwork and data online and even supply proofs for approval online’, is a benefit, but it’s not, it is a feature.
One important point to reiterate here is that the whole purpose of this letter is to get the recipient to request a quote (the lead or enquiry). Therefore, the features and benefits need to be based around ‘WHY’ the reader should request a quote.
- GUARANTEE/RISK REVERSAL: See above (differentiator).
- REASONS WHY: Their letter does not contain any but with my offer, the letter will need to explain we are giving away 5,000 leaflets on the first order. Here’s my Reasons Why…
‘846 Customers Can’t All Be Wrong – Here’s Why…’
You see, our customers (all 846 of them) know how good we are but just like you, before they ordered from us, they had no idea.
- SOCIAL PROOF: No evidence of any social proof here. It is important to try and tie in the social proof to the objective of the marketing piece.
You will ideally want your testimonials to say something like: “I was actually very happy with our current printer, but I thought I’d give artspec a try. What astonished me was the quick turnaround of the quote and combined with their competitive prices their quality of printing is unmatched. Two years later and I would never choose anyone else.”
- CALL TO ACTION: Their call to action is very weak. My call to action will reinforce the offer and state a deadline to help reduce procrastination.
Here it is…
To request your Instant Quote all you must do is complete the enclosed ‘Instant Quote Request Form’ and send it back to us at 0800 123 456. Alternatively phone us on 088 456 789 or complete the form online here…www.artspec.com/instant/ …and remember to reply within the next 14 days to receive your FREE 5,000 leaflets. Thank you.
Other important points to mention…
- RESPONSE MECHANISM: I would include a reply form with the letter which will repeat the offer.
- SUB-HEADINGS: Lead generation letters are typically only one or two pages long but they still require sub-headings to help drive the skim readers back into the copy.
- P.S.: A P.S. is relevant and very powerful in ALL letters. My P.S. will again reinforce the offer and the deadline. Here it is…P.S. To get your FREE 5,000 full colour leaflets please place your order within the next 14 days.
- OPENING SENTENCE: I would replace their weak opening with…
Here’s the deal: ‘As long as your first order is over £300 we will give you 5000 full colour, double-sided leaflets. There are no strings. No obligation. This is a good old- fashioned offer to help you sample our work.’
Hopefully you can see, if you follow this simple process you cannot go wrong. Look at the completed letter, image 2 & 3. Notice it is completely focused on getting the quote. In this instance it makes sense to use the guarantee because this will enhance the chances of getting the quote. Once the quote request comes in, the CORE ELEMENTS need to be reinforced once again to help convert the prospect into a customer.
…and that’s how you transform and optimise any marketing piece!
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