Supplement a small sales staff with targeted direct mail
A recent article in Deliver Magazine noted the importance of direct mail for businesses that don't have a strong sales force or need to get word out about a program - fast.
Illinois-based Nufarm, crop protection product manufacturer, had a product that could benefit a targeted market spanning 10 states by saving them money and resources. Unfortunately, the company only had two inexperienced salespeople on staff, and it just didn't seem possible to pitch the product individually to targeted clients in time for planting season.
“We were looking to generate contacts and leads for our salespeople in a very tight geography,” Brian Rund, director of branding and marketing at Nufarm, told the magazine.
The company spent $6,500 on a direct mail campaign that sent 4- by 6-inch postcards to more than 1,500 dealers, distributors and farmers. A second and third wave of direct mail served as reminder cards for recipients who did not respond to the first postcard. Nufarm offered web visitors a Nufarm hat for visiting the site and a $50 gift card for meeting with a Nufarm sales representative.
The company's "Treat the Seed Right" campaign lasted about one month and had positive results: Nearly 6 percent of recipients visited the website and 4.5 percent agreed to meet with a sales representative. Nufarm also reported that the campaign brought in more than 60 hot sales leads.
Creating a successful recipient list is possibly one of the keys to direct mail success, but address verification software should also be used to ensure the mail arrives to current, correct addresses.