Comments on: Drumming up business with direct mail http://smallbusiness.blogs.cnnmoney.cnn.com/2008/02/07/drumming-up-business-with-direct-mail/ Editors from FSB magazine answer your pressing small-business questions. Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:52:55 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Inseguard Security, Doral, Florida http://smallbusiness.blogs.cnnmoney.cnn.com/2008/02/07/drumming-up-business-with-direct-mail/#comment-627 Inseguard Security, Doral, Florida Fri, 23 May 2008 15:12:37 +0000 http://askfsb.blogs.fsb.cnn.com/2008/02/07/drumming-up-business-with-direct-mail/#comment-627 A direct mail program will work if you qualify the data base being solicited...I use a great software program called Sales Genie, you can look them up in a search engine..they provide a list of all end users, by company, size of employeea etc and contact names...my mail out program produces 2-3% return and a 1-2% sale A direct mail program will work if you qualify the data base being solicited…I use a great software program called Sales Genie, you can look them up in a search engine..they provide a list of all end users, by company, size of employeea etc and contact names…my mail out program produces 2-3% return and a 1-2% sale

]]> By: Sybil Ege, Elburn, IL http://smallbusiness.blogs.cnnmoney.cnn.com/2008/02/07/drumming-up-business-with-direct-mail/#comment-392 Sybil Ege, Elburn, IL Fri, 08 Feb 2008 21:03:14 +0000 http://askfsb.blogs.fsb.cnn.com/2008/02/07/drumming-up-business-with-direct-mail/#comment-392 Direct Mail may work for some products or services. It depends too if you are contacting other businesses vs. consumers. Cold calling is a art, and can be very effective. The real point is to "touch" your prospect frequently, and, I believe, in different ways. A combinition of cold calling, emails, and snail mail may be the ticket. Direct Mail may work for some products or services. It depends too if you are contacting other businesses vs. consumers.

Cold calling is a art, and can be very effective. The real point is to "touch" your prospect frequently, and, I believe, in different ways. A combinition of cold calling, emails, and snail mail may be the ticket.

]]> By: Gleb Esman, Canada http://smallbusiness.blogs.cnnmoney.cnn.com/2008/02/07/drumming-up-business-with-direct-mail/#comment-391 Gleb Esman, Canada Fri, 08 Feb 2008 16:04:53 +0000 http://askfsb.blogs.fsb.cnn.com/2008/02/07/drumming-up-business-with-direct-mail/#comment-391 Wow, George - excellent advice!!! It should be carved on stone on every marketer's desk. Thanks for sharing. Gleb Esman, gesman@mensk.com Wow, George – excellent advice!!!
It should be carved on stone on every marketer's desk.
Thanks for sharing.

Gleb Esman, gesman@mensk.com

]]> By: George Las Vegas Nv http://smallbusiness.blogs.cnnmoney.cnn.com/2008/02/07/drumming-up-business-with-direct-mail/#comment-389 George Las Vegas Nv Fri, 08 Feb 2008 01:28:07 +0000 http://askfsb.blogs.fsb.cnn.com/2008/02/07/drumming-up-business-with-direct-mail/#comment-389 I am an "outside" sales associate calling on major home builders. Cold calling in this business is just plain brutal today. After many months of calling, leaving voice messages, faxs, e-mails, and mailings with very limited response I tried a new direct mailer. I hand wrote a "Thank You" card to each of the 22 major builders. I addressed the card to the person starting with "Hello Tom". I included a short and to the point offer of a gift card program they could use to "thank" their customers for shopping with them.. I included one of our gift cards and my business card and asked them to call or e-mail me if they were interested. The day after the mailing I got 3 phone calls and 2 e-mails from interested customers that until now I have not even been able to talk with. Within a week I received calls and e-mails from about half and the other half never responded. 50% is better than 0% and this got me in the door. I am an "outside" sales associate calling on major home builders. Cold calling in this business is just plain brutal today. After many months of calling, leaving voice messages, faxs, e-mails, and mailings with very limited response I tried a new direct mailer. I hand wrote a "Thank You" card to each of the 22 major builders. I addressed the card to the person starting with "Hello Tom". I included a short and to the point offer of a gift card program they could use to "thank" their customers for shopping with them.. I included one of our gift cards and my business card and asked them to call or e-mail me if they were interested. The day after the mailing I got 3 phone calls and 2 e-mails from interested customers that until now I have not even been able to talk with. Within a week I received calls and e-mails from about half and the other half never responded. 50% is better than 0% and this got me in the door.

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