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  • Suggest You - 10 Ways a Small Business Can Use Direct Mail Successfully

    Notes for Newbies - Part Five - Getting Started
    Hello againToday we want to talk about some things you need to get started – the bare minimum you need to launch your business.Getting started There are a number of things you need to get your direct marketing business up and running profitably.At minimum you need:A workspace – the back bedroom or a spare room will do – even the garden shed if it’s dry and secureA PC or notebook computerA desk and bookcaseA printerAn Internet connectionA dedicated telephone lineA voice mail system (answering machine)A FAX machine (these days you can buy combination vo
    oices of different ways they can contact you such as email, phone, or fax. Be sure that all of your contact information is correct and easy to find. Invite people to visit your store and your web site to learn more about the products or services you provide. As them to mention the mailer when they contact you so that you can track your results.

    Direct mailing is not very difficult, but you should follow these 10 tips to improve your rate of return on the mailer. If you can get a 5% return, then your direct mail campaign is a success. Try different approaches until you find the one that works best for your company. Remember that a direct mail campaign is successful even if it does not generate sales, because it brings your business to the attention of potential customers.

    Jo Ann Joy, Esq., MBA, CEO The future of your business starts here!

    You may contact Jo Ann by phone at (602) 663-7007, by fax at (602) 324-7582, by email at joannjoy@Indigo Business Solutions.net, and by mail at 2313 East Ocotillo Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85016. I have many pub

    Profiting From the Business Cycle
    Why is there a business cycle? Someone once noted that people could tolerate any condition except the possibility of one. This one condition is prolong periods of prosperity. Incredible as it seems, this observation contains more than just a kernel of truth, and helps to explain where we are in our current business cycle.When the economy starts to recover from a stiff downturn, people are understandably doubtful about the tenacity of the young expansion. They hold back on their discretionary spending and their use of debt. As the upswing continues to gather force, people tend to become less risk averse. You might say that the greed factor becomes more prevalent.As t
    You must decide whether you can create the mailer yourself of if you have to hire someone. To be successful, direct mail must reach the right person, be read by that person, and persuade that person to buy something or to be interested in receiving additional information from your company. The following 10 ways will help your direct mail succeed:

    1. Identify your audience and target them with your mailing To do this you must decide the purpose of the mailing, whether you want to target existing customers or attract new customers. Learn about them. What do they like and what motivates them to buy? You must know your audience in order to create a successful direct-mail piece.

    2. Create a good mailing list and double check it. Your list must be targeted, accurate, current. There are many places that sell lists if you do not have your own. Review your list to be sure there are no duplications, typos, or incorrect ZIP codes.

    3. Create a direct-mail Piece Be certain that your direct-mail piece looks personalized. This means first-class mail and envelopes that look hand-addressed or typed and are hand-stamped. Do not use a postage meter. We live in a fast-paced world, and your message must be short and attention-grabbing. Postcards are great if your message will fit. They are less expensive and more likely to be read. Postcards can be quickly read, and they do not have to be opened.

    4. Your direct-mailer must have a call to action Your message must include telling people what you want them to do and how they will benefit. You can accomplish this with special offers, coupons, and discounts that have an expiration date, because people respond to these. Special offers and promotions can track for you which direct mailings work. You can ask people to call you or return an order form, but be sure to include an addressed, postage paid envelope.

    5. You must follow up after your direct mailer A good mailer will build rapport and and prepare the recipient for your follow-up. The mailer should give people a good reason for your contacting them again. Good salespeople have a good database, and they send something to their contacts every month or on some regular schedule. This kind of follow-up keeps people aware of who you are and what you offer.

    6. Use the direct mailer to gain credibility and authority People enjoy receiving helpful information, and the helpful information you provide will enhance your credibility and authority. You can be sure your mailer is read if it contains helpful, interesting information. Use your knowledge and position yourself as an expert in your industry with your mailer. People will remember you as an authority who gave them good information.

    7. Your mailers should have a consistent look and feel. Repetition is a key element of successful direct mail campaigns, and it is important that your mailings consistently convey your company's identity or brand. Display your logo and tag lines on every mailer, and use the same font . If your mailer has a coordinated look and feel, they will do a better job of conveying your company’s identity and they are more likely to be remembered. If you change your mailers, customers and prospects may be confused and/or they will not remember your previous mailers.

    8. Set a mailing schedule and follow it For the most part, you should avoid mailing around the holidays, because people are already inundated with mail. You should only send one mailing at a time to the same customer. People become annoyed if you doubling up on mail, and it is not professional.

    9. Your mailer should make a good impression. Use good quality paper and do not get carried away with the overall look, size, color. The presentation is just as important as what your mailer says. Never mislead readers by telling they have won something and only make valid claims and promises that you can keep. If you do not, you will drive them away. Make readers feel important and express that you care what they think and want to meet their needs. Never clutter your mailer with technical language.

    10. Include your web site and other contact information on your mailer. Make it easy for people to contact you and give them choices of different ways they can contact you such as email, phone, or fax. Be sure that all of your contact information is correct and easy to find. Invite people to visit your store and your web site to learn more about the products or services you provide. As them to mention the mailer when they contact you so that you can track your results.

    Direct mailing is not very difficult, but you should follow these 10 tips to improve your rate of return on the mailer. If you can get a 5% return, then your direct mail campaign is a success. Try different approaches until you find the one that works best for your company. Remember that a direct mail campaign is successful even if it does not generate sales, because it brings your business to the attention of potential customers.

    Jo Ann Joy, Esq., MBA, CEO The future of your business starts here!

    You may contact Jo Ann by phone at (602) 663-7007, by fax at (602) 324-7582, by email at joannjoy@Indigo Business Solutions.net, and by mail at 2313 East Ocotillo Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85016. I have many pub

    Customize a Value Chain for Your Consumer
    If Value Chain analysis is so important, then why is it so few companies truly try to employ it in their day-to-day work?Of course, there are a variety of reasons, but one reason may be the very general nature of the Value Chain charts that Porter uses. To be valuable across a wide variety of industries, Porter constructed a diagram of his Value Chain that is very flexible. There are five “primary activities” and four “support activities”. This broad view of the elements of a Value Chain allows many different industries to use the Value Chain tool to determine where they do, indeed, add value for their customer.If you are a B-B marketer, the Value Chain diagram you use
    ass mail and envelopes that look hand-addressed or typed and are hand-stamped. Do not use a postage meter. We live in a fast-paced world, and your message must be short and attention-grabbing. Postcards are great if your message will fit. They are less expensive and more likely to be read. Postcards can be quickly read, and they do not have to be opened.

    4. Your direct-mailer must have a call to action Your message must include telling people what you want them to do and how they will benefit. You can accomplish this with special offers, coupons, and discounts that have an expiration date, because people respond to these. Special offers and promotions can track for you which direct mailings work. You can ask people to call you or return an order form, but be sure to include an addressed, postage paid envelope.

    5. You must follow up after your direct mailer A good mailer will build rapport and and prepare the recipient for your follow-up. The mailer should give people a good reason for your contacting them again. Good salespeople have a good database, and they send something to their contacts every month or on some regular schedule. This kind of follow-up keeps people aware of who you are and what you offer.

    6. Use the direct mailer to gain credibility and authority People enjoy receiving helpful information, and the helpful information you provide will enhance your credibility and authority. You can be sure your mailer is read if it contains helpful, interesting information. Use your knowledge and position yourself as an expert in your industry with your mailer. People will remember you as an authority who gave them good information.

    7. Your mailers should have a consistent look and feel. Repetition is a key element of successful direct mail campaigns, and it is important that your mailings consistently convey your company's identity or brand. Display your logo and tag lines on every mailer, and use the same font . If your mailer has a coordinated look and feel, they will do a better job of conveying your company’s identity and they are more likely to be remembered. If you change your mailers, customers and prospects may be confused and/or they will not remember your previous mailers.

    8. Set a mailing schedule and follow it For the most part, you should avoid mailing around the holidays, because people are already inundated with mail. You should only send one mailing at a time to the same customer. People become annoyed if you doubling up on mail, and it is not professional.

    9. Your mailer should make a good impression. Use good quality paper and do not get carried away with the overall look, size, color. The presentation is just as important as what your mailer says. Never mislead readers by telling they have won something and only make valid claims and promises that you can keep. If you do not, you will drive them away. Make readers feel important and express that you care what they think and want to meet their needs. Never clutter your mailer with technical language.

    10. Include your web site and other contact information on your mailer. Make it easy for people to contact you and give them choices of different ways they can contact you such as email, phone, or fax. Be sure that all of your contact information is correct and easy to find. Invite people to visit your store and your web site to learn more about the products or services you provide. As them to mention the mailer when they contact you so that you can track your results.

    Direct mailing is not very difficult, but you should follow these 10 tips to improve your rate of return on the mailer. If you can get a 5% return, then your direct mail campaign is a success. Try different approaches until you find the one that works best for your company. Remember that a direct mail campaign is successful even if it does not generate sales, because it brings your business to the attention of potential customers.

    Jo Ann Joy, Esq., MBA, CEO The future of your business starts here!

    You may contact Jo Ann by phone at (602) 663-7007, by fax at (602) 324-7582, by email at joannjoy@Indigo Business Solutions.net, and by mail at 2313 East Ocotillo Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85016. I have many pub

    360 Degree Feedback - Legal Pitfalls and Dangers?
    There are legal risks and potential liabilities involved with using 360 degree feedback, although you can reduce your risk by using 360 feedback correctly. The risk of a law suit associated with 360 increases when you use it for determining promotions, bonuses, pay raises and the like. It's much less when the ONLY purpose you use 360 for is to improve performance. In other words, use 360 as a replacement for traditional performance appraisals, and you have the potential for legal problems.For the most part, the risks associated with performance appraisal in general, and 360 specifically have to do with whether the information used is valid, job related, accurately measures employ
    od database, and they send something to their contacts every month or on some regular schedule. This kind of follow-up keeps people aware of who you are and what you offer.

    6. Use the direct mailer to gain credibility and authority People enjoy receiving helpful information, and the helpful information you provide will enhance your credibility and authority. You can be sure your mailer is read if it contains helpful, interesting information. Use your knowledge and position yourself as an expert in your industry with your mailer. People will remember you as an authority who gave them good information.

    7. Your mailers should have a consistent look and feel. Repetition is a key element of successful direct mail campaigns, and it is important that your mailings consistently convey your company's identity or brand. Display your logo and tag lines on every mailer, and use the same font . If your mailer has a coordinated look and feel, they will do a better job of conveying your company’s identity and they are more likely to be remembered. If you change your mailers, customers and prospects may be confused and/or they will not remember your previous mailers.

    8. Set a mailing schedule and follow it For the most part, you should avoid mailing around the holidays, because people are already inundated with mail. You should only send one mailing at a time to the same customer. People become annoyed if you doubling up on mail, and it is not professional.

    9. Your mailer should make a good impression. Use good quality paper and do not get carried away with the overall look, size, color. The presentation is just as important as what your mailer says. Never mislead readers by telling they have won something and only make valid claims and promises that you can keep. If you do not, you will drive them away. Make readers feel important and express that you care what they think and want to meet their needs. Never clutter your mailer with technical language.

    10. Include your web site and other contact information on your mailer. Make it easy for people to contact you and give them choices of different ways they can contact you such as email, phone, or fax. Be sure that all of your contact information is correct and easy to find. Invite people to visit your store and your web site to learn more about the products or services you provide. As them to mention the mailer when they contact you so that you can track your results.

    Direct mailing is not very difficult, but you should follow these 10 tips to improve your rate of return on the mailer. If you can get a 5% return, then your direct mail campaign is a success. Try different approaches until you find the one that works best for your company. Remember that a direct mail campaign is successful even if it does not generate sales, because it brings your business to the attention of potential customers.

    Jo Ann Joy, Esq., MBA, CEO The future of your business starts here!

    You may contact Jo Ann by phone at (602) 663-7007, by fax at (602) 324-7582, by email at joannjoy@Indigo Business Solutions.net, and by mail at 2313 East Ocotillo Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85016. I have many pub

    Job Interview Success Secrets: Stand Out from the Crowd by Knowing Your Facts
    Job interviews are inevitable and unavoidable part of adult life. Unfortunately, so are the often clich?d and canned answers associated with the typical job interview. “Where do you see yourself in five years?” “What is your greatest accomplishment?” or my favorite, “Tell me about a time when you had a problem with a supervisor.” With such canned questions, it can be very difficult to come up with an original and memorable response. Sure desperate attempts to get noticed like wearing a wacky tie or bringing the interviewer cookies may immortalize you in annals of the prospective employer’s water cooler fodder. But, to truly leave a lasting impression and get the job, you need a secret
    change your mailers, customers and prospects may be confused and/or they will not remember your previous mailers.

    8. Set a mailing schedule and follow it For the most part, you should avoid mailing around the holidays, because people are already inundated with mail. You should only send one mailing at a time to the same customer. People become annoyed if you doubling up on mail, and it is not professional.

    9. Your mailer should make a good impression. Use good quality paper and do not get carried away with the overall look, size, color. The presentation is just as important as what your mailer says. Never mislead readers by telling they have won something and only make valid claims and promises that you can keep. If you do not, you will drive them away. Make readers feel important and express that you care what they think and want to meet their needs. Never clutter your mailer with technical language.

    10. Include your web site and other contact information on your mailer. Make it easy for people to contact you and give them choices of different ways they can contact you such as email, phone, or fax. Be sure that all of your contact information is correct and easy to find. Invite people to visit your store and your web site to learn more about the products or services you provide. As them to mention the mailer when they contact you so that you can track your results.

    Direct mailing is not very difficult, but you should follow these 10 tips to improve your rate of return on the mailer. If you can get a 5% return, then your direct mail campaign is a success. Try different approaches until you find the one that works best for your company. Remember that a direct mail campaign is successful even if it does not generate sales, because it brings your business to the attention of potential customers.

    Jo Ann Joy, Esq., MBA, CEO The future of your business starts here!

    You may contact Jo Ann by phone at (602) 663-7007, by fax at (602) 324-7582, by email at joannjoy@Indigo Business Solutions.net, and by mail at 2313 East Ocotillo Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85016. I have many pub

    Business Greeting Cards
    Business greeting cards help business organizations in developing and maintaining a positive relationship with its customers and business partners. They show a company’s commitment towards its employees and business clients. Business greeting cards are the best way to express appreciation, gratitude, care and concern towards the co- workers and valued customers.Today there is a Business greeting cards for every occasion. There are Christmas Cards, Anniversary Cards, Birthday Cards, Congratulations Cards, Get Well Card, Sympathy Cards, Thank You Cards, Welcome Cards, Thanksgiving Cards and many more. Select an appropriate card according to the occasion.Business cards hel
    oices of different ways they can contact you such as email, phone, or fax. Be sure that all of your contact information is correct and easy to find. Invite people to visit your store and your web site to learn more about the products or services you provide. As them to mention the mailer when they contact you so that you can track your results.

    Direct mailing is not very difficult, but you should follow these 10 tips to improve your rate of return on the mailer. If you can get a 5% return, then your direct mail campaign is a success. Try different approaches until you find the one that works best for your company. Remember that a direct mail campaign is successful even if it does not generate sales, because it brings your business to the attention of potential customers.

    Jo Ann Joy, Esq., MBA, CEO The future of your business starts here!

    You may contact Jo Ann by phone at (602) 663-7007, by fax at (602) 324-7582, by email at joannjoy@Indigo Business Solutions.net, and by mail at 2313 East Ocotillo Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85016. I have many published articles, and I will send any article to you free of charge. Most consultations are free.

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