How to break through to prospects using Direct Mail And Gifting
Sales development has never been harder. According to a HubSpot survey, the hardest part of the sales process is… you guessed it: prospecting! Prospects are inundated with emails, phone calls and LinkedIn requests.
“Your prospects receive 121 emails a day on average with only 24% being opened and 48% of them being deleted within 5 minutes. The phone is still a trusty servant but it takes an average of 18 calls to connect with a buyer.”
Don’t be alarmed though.There’s one channel that is having a real comeback to help your message break through the digital noise and reach your prospects: direct mail.
At Reachdesk we’re on a mission to enable sales teams to prospect more effectively while creating a better buying experience for potential customers.
This playbook is designed for sales teams that need to boost their gifting and direct mail efforts to break through to prospects as well as those who are looking to get started and join the offline revolution.
Just like anything, you need a strategy. Luckily we created the R.E.A.C.H. framework to help you kick things off. Here are the things to consider before you get sending:
Agree on what matters and then measure for success!
Direct mail can be used as part of an “always on” strategy as well as at “campaign level” for one-off plays. Once you’ve done this it’s important to track results in your CRM or Sales
Engagement platform
Let’s face it, when it comes to prospecting we want to book more meetings with the right people. Once you drill down into this there are a few more factors to think about. See what you might be aiming to in the next page.
Direct mail leaves a long lasting impression (49% more than email) so make it count. Your prospects are busy so stimulate their imagination
You will get the best response from prospects when you gift them at unexpected times. The concept of surprise and delight makes your effort even more recognized as you create an experience. Send items they would use on a daily basis and might use around
Think about who you are sending to and what they care about. If you sell to multiple industries and personas you might need to make some tweaks so you speak to your prospects using their language.
It’s not the thought that counts. It’s the thoughtful thought. The best gifts are personalized and all about your prospect
If your prospect feels you can relate to them whilst communicating what your product or services does and how it can help them, then you’re on to a winner. Ask yourself “Will my prospect understand the problem we solve and why I’m getting in touch?”
The best emails and phone calls have clear next steps. This is no different for direct mail and gifts.
Make it easy for your prospect to make the next step. Ask yourself: “Does my prospect clearly understand the next step?” This will differ depending on the results you’re looking to achieve. Here are a few examples CTAs
Your prospects are humans, not leads. So treat them like humans. We all have moments that matter in both our personal and professional lives that act as triggers for sales reps to get in touch. Triggers include
“I’m the Co-owner and CEO of Noms Bake Shop in Phoenix, Arizona. Noms Bake Shop is a gourmet gifting company that specializes in customized gift boxes with your logo/branding that make for excellent client appreciation and prospecting gifts.”
As part of your strategy it’s essential to consider how you budget for your team. Unlike an email, there’s a cost to sending. It’s one of the reasons why the physical channel holds so
much weight as there’s tangible value to sending.
For Sales Development teams that plan on using direct mail and gifting as part of an ongoing strategy we recommend allocating between $150-$200 per month to each rep if you are
targeting mid to enterprise companies. $80-$150 per month is the average amount for SMB SDRs
Now you have your sending strategy it’s time for the fun part. Here are a number of plays to help you break through to prospects andbuild long lasting relationships:
Sign off with your name. The modern sales pro knows how to build a relationship on a personal level. You are the trusted advisor, not your company. So don’t sign off with “Generic Company Name”.
Getting the gift right is half the battle. Often it’s the message that draws the line between epic and epic fail. One liners as part of a wider campaign strategy can be the real difference between getting the meeting or not.
Send cupcakes with your logo and the target account logo printed on top
Send branded ring donuts along with a case study on how you helped XYZ company
Send custom boxes of cookies with your prospect’s name and logo on
Send chocolate coins in a branded box with a video brochure
Do : Automate
Set up alerts and tasks in your CRM or Sales Engagement Platform that allow you to follow up in a timely manner
Don’t : Follow up immediately.
We recommend 2 hours after an item has been delivered in case your prospect has been in meetings or on long calls.
Do : Refer to the item sent
Develop your message from the DM send for a continuous narrative surrounding the messaging.
Don’t :Ask what they thought.
This creates an impression that you’re expecting something in return.
Do : Start by calling
Double dial and leave a voicemail if the prospect doesn’t answer the second time.
Don’t : Just call.
Use email, LinkedIn and other channels to follow up.
Do : Be persistent.
Design multi-channel follow ups. Perhaps even consider drip feeding DM sends that build on one another.
Don’t : Expect a response from everyone.
It might be the highest performing channel but may not warrant a response from every recipient.
Do : Start by calling
Double dial and leave a voicemail if the prospect doesn’t answer the second time.
Don’t : Just call.
Use email, LinkedIn and other channels to follow up.
If you’ve been manually packing boxes, hand writing notes, standing in the queue at the post office and guessing when items land then we’ve got some good news for you. You now get this time and visibility back so you can focus on what’s important.
If you are managing a team of Sales Development Reps it’s now possible to enable them by providing a clear view of budgets as well as out-of-the-box templates. There are 4 ways to send on a 1-to-1 basis for maximum results:
Not everyone works in an office and remote working might be permanent for some companies now. Generating pipeline in a remote working environment requires some creativity. Custom landing pages can include meeting booking links, content, video and much more. Send these custom links to key target accounts so they can reward themselves for giving you their time. Their personal data doesn’t even have to enter your CRM.
Let’s face it. Nothing works well without technology and data to supercharge SDR efforts. We handpicked some of our favourite providers to help change the game for Sales Development professionals so they can scale their direct mail and gifting.
Direct mail and gifting needs to be treated as part of a holistic approach to your sales and marketing strategy. Only 22% of prospects will automatically respond to a direct mail or gifting campaign. This means 78% of recipients will need a follow up.
We recommend following up on all direct mail and gift sends within 24 hours of an item arriving. 48 hours is the absolute maximum. As soon as an item lands this is your chance to break through in a meaningful way.
If you’re still stuck for ideas or want to speak to a specialist to help your Q4 direct mail and gifting campaigns really come to life visit www.reachdesk.com or contact hello@reachdesk.com
