IN THIS ISSUE

• Non-Profits Re-Think
• You're in the Customer Service Business
• Heard Enought Hype?
• Success Story
• Press Box
• Our Favorite Charities
• How Are We Doing?
• Hold That Thought

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HOLD THAT THOUGHT...

“The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.”

Muhammad Ali

Selected by Long Island Business News readers as..

Non-Profits Rethink Value of Direct Mail

Not-for-profit organizations jumped on the online fundraising bandwagon with gusto, but they’re now realizing that their knee jerk reaction to trash direct mail campaigns was unwise.

The online medium reaches new audiences quickly, but fundraising experts say that it’s simply not enough to put up a “donate now” button and hope for new contributions. Online fundraising should be only one component of an overall strategy, which includes face-to-face, telephone and direct mail solicitations.

Online donors are harder to renew, harder to enlist in the not-for-profit’s overall mission — and absolutely harder to integrate into the organization’s “family”. An important point, that senior development office fundraisers have been making to their executive directors and boards, is that once they lose the momentum of their direct mail efforts, it will be very costly to regain, if at all. They are pushing to “stay the course and keep doing what works”.

Fundraising guru Mal Warwick says here’s what works:

• Fundraising letters

• Clean and up-to-date mailing lists

• A distinctive offer targeted to specific mailing lists

• Repetition of themes, slogans and logos

Whether You Know It or Not,
You’re in the Customer Service Business

You may be a car dealer, a men’s clothier or a baker, but if you think your business is only about selling cars, ties or muffins, you’re in trouble. You’re really in the customer service business. Certainly, your customers want your products, but they also want to enjoy doing business with you.

Simply saying “The customer is #1” is not enough. Here are some ways to improve your customer service:

• Hire people whose attitudes match your philosophy of doing business.

• Make sure your employees know how important customer service is to your business.

• Treat your employees the way you want them to treat your customers.

• Get rid of policies that hinder good service.

• Show genuine interest in your customers’ needs.

• Be pro-active, anticipate their needs.

• Really listen to what your customers are asking for and acknowledge their requests.

• Give your customers a good reason to talk about your company.

• Take responsibility for mistakes.

• Correct problems as quickly as possible.

• Make dealing with your company easy.

For more marketing tips click here

Heard Enough Direct Mail Hype?
Here’s the Scoop

• Mail can bring a company’s brand directly to the consumer, who doesn’t need to initiate the contact or be apprehensive about privacy.

• Mail remains an ideal medium. It’s unobtrusive, and a fundamentally familiar, easy and safe communications pipeline into homes. It doesn’t show up unannounced on your computer screen or via a phone call during dinner.

• In 2008, direct mail contributed more than $700 billion in increased sales to the US economy.

• Direct mail is environmentally friendly. EPA studies show that recycling rates for direct mail have increased sevenfold since 1990.

• According to the Direct Marketing Association’s most recent economic impact study (2008), direct mail offers a significant ROI.
  - Last year, every dollar spent on catalog marketing generated an average ROI of $7.28.
  - Every dollar spend on non-catalog direct mail generated an average ROI of $15.55.

For more information about direct mail, click here

Read This Success Story
& Learn

At a time when many companies were reducing marketing efforts, Prime Motor Group auto dealerships in Massachusetts invested $20,000 in a direct mail campaign. Here’s what they did and what happened.

Name of Campaign: “Thank You for Visiting”

Direct Mail Medium: Direct mail “personalized” postcards mailed to prospects within days of their visit to one of the showrooms. Each postcard featured the prospect’s name and provided the names, contact information and photos of the salespeople who assisted the customer. The card also included a photo of the model and color of the car the recipient test drove, as well as a savings coupon for that particular auto. The general manager’s message read: “Thank you for your recent visit …I hope you found your sales consultant to be helpful … I want you to know that we are committed to providing you with a buying and ownership experience like no other.”

Length of Campaign: Launched in April 2007, ongoing

Number of Pieces Mailed: 84,000 postcards over a year

Impact: Each of the company’s 14 dealerships sold an additional three-to-five cars due to the campaign, and the company turned a profit in 2008 when auto sales were depressed. “It’s been one of our cheapest and most effective ways to bring customers back into the store,” said the firm’s director of business development.

* Courtesy of Deliver Magazine, May 2009

Greg Demetriou at Linkedin.com

directmaildoneright.blogspot.com