It happened again this past week. “It” in this case happens to be the instant that “junk mail” becomes a much appreciated and useful piece of information.
KEY: This is not when the sender “wants” it to happen. This is when the receiver is ready for it to happen. The last time this happened to me was the day after my hot water heater broke and I instantly became an interested “carpet” shopper.
This time it was when I heard my wife exclaim, “How timely, a roofing company!” as she was sorting through the daily mail”
In both instances the story involved Direct Mail… or what has come to be known as “Junk Mail.” My personal experiences help qualify these two terms:
Junk Mail is the label we use when the subject being promoted is of no interest at the moment.
Direct Mail is when the sender seems to have overheard the consumer belly aching about some deficiency in their lives and the mail arrives as a god-send just at the right moment.
The differentiating factor: Timing.
This marketing conundrum often results when the marketer has no idea, background or research to determine the exact “right time” to lick a few hundred stamps or send out a batch of emails.
Therefore, most marketers cast their fates to the wind and send promotional materials on a whim hoping that their offer arrives the day of the hot water heater break down or the morning after the roof leaks during last evening’s thunder storm.
There are ways to improve your percentages, but that discussion is more than time allows in today’s message. So where is the message?
To the receiver: Take the concept of “Junk Mail” out of your vocabulary. I have proven on more than once occasion that this stuff works. It is either “timely mail,” or “not today mail.”
Look at each offer and focus on what catches your attention. Slip this piece into your “swipe file” for further scrutiny.
It could serve as an idea generator in the not-too-distant future. Why pay an expensive copywriter or challenge your brain to become more creative when you can go to school on the US Post Office every single day…each and every day.
To the sender: Remember the Rule of 7. This is spelled “consistency.” Your promotions are setting the stage for the day you hit the nail on the head with the right message at the right time to the right person. That is the game you’re playing.
Key Reminder: It is better to talk more often to less people than to send less offers to more people. (Read that again slowly and let it sink in.)
Mike Marchev has plenty of stories, strategies and tactics to keep you on top of your game.
Mike will be conducting his 5th annual Travel Sales & Marketing Business Development Cruise, sailing the Freedom of The Seas from Ft. Lauderdale. Email him at mike@mikemarchev.com for complete details. Five cabins are still available.
Mike’s daily column is made possible by AmaWaterways.
