Direct mail, telemarketing . . . does it work?

Winning cash flow for a business includes developing new business.

If you rely solely on current clients for a winning cash flow strategy you should be careful. What strategies exist then for winning the cash flow struggle and new business development needs of your company?

So how do you get new business in this age of technology?

Here's how I'm using a sales letter with phone follow-up for a current client:

The client provides managed computer services.

I wrote a letter in the Dan Kennedy marketing style using lively imagery to capture attention regarding the problem.

Then the solution was provided. A Lifesaver candy was attached to the letter.

I'm following up with phone calls to the people who should have received the letter.

I've called about 125 out of 550 recipients during the past three days. Many have remembered the candy and it gave me a chance to joke about it and ease into conversation.

I've been able to set about 2 - 3 appointments with 5 - 7 serious inquiries generated.

The expected return on investment for the project was 1% to 2% meaning it would result in about 5 - 10 sales.

I think we should be able to beat that by the time the project is finished.

The biggest challenge is getting the calls made quickly. Each one is taking about 1 - 2 minutes so I may need to delegate to someone else to help me.

This shows why a marketing mix is helpful: printed sales letter, telephone and web site all combine to get the attention of the target customer.

Direct mail with phone follow-up: consider it as part of your marketing mix.