Seven Steps to Successful Direct Mail, Part I

Step 3: Identify your product’s features and benefits

If you send direct mail, you should always remember that people buy products based on benefits, not features. However you can state features along with benefits.
The following will help you identify benefits of your products:
• Is the material unique?
• Is the price competitive in the marketplace?
• Is the return policy attractive?
• Will it have exclusivity?
Be specific. If you’re selling stone-care products and your product lasts longer than others, you might state how much users can save each year. If you’re a wholesaler selling natural tiles and slabs with free shipping, you might state how much your customer can save with free shipping while your competitors charge for shipping.
If you’re a design center, which sells stone products and provides installation service for homeowners, you might present the figure that they can save by making bundled purchase (sales+ installation) and you can emphasize the time they will save with your company. If you have a user-friendly return policy, you can always present the convenience as a benefit for your customer and prospects.

Step 4: Your Offer

An effective direct response mail will include the following three things:
• Making an offer;
• Providing sufficient information to allow your prospective customer to accept your offer; and
• Providing an easy means of responding to your offer.
The offer is the backbone of your direct mail package. It needs to reduce risk, increase urgency, and call your prospective customer to respond.
A guarantee will be the most powerful tool to reduce the risk for prospective customer to buy from you. Limited-time offers increase the urgency so that your prospective customer can act now.
First of all, you need to decide if you will make a one-step or two-step campaign. If you can sell the product to your prospective customer with your first direct mail, you need to make a one-step campaign.
If you need to give a presentation or sample to your prospective customer, you need to make a two-step campaign. First, you need to generate inquiries; then you can close the sale.
Based on your product, you can choose and test one or more of the following popular offers for a one-step campaign. This is especially good for sales of stone-fabrication tools, stone carriers, stone-display units, stone-storage units and stone-care products:
Free Trial: You can offer free use of your products for a certain time. The time frame should fit the product. With stone-care products, you might give 10 days; for stone carriers, you might consider 30. This offer removes risk for the customer and helps them overcome possible hesitations.
Money-back Guarantee: The customer pays upfront, but if not satisfied, they can return the product for a full refund. If you are really confident in your product, this offer is a good choice. If you are selling saw blades or stone-care products, you should offer a money-back guarantee.
If you are selling stone, you might offer this guarantee as well. This offer removes risk for the customer and helps them overcome possible hesitations as well.