sending post cards instead of fliers

[huggytree]

i send out fliers every 3 months to every builder. i hand address every envelope to increase the odds they will open it. 500 builders/remodelers

i do a different theme every time. this past time i send out a flier and a 2nd page with testimonials.

every time i do this i get 5-15 new calls from it and usually 1-5 new customers.

my customer base is dwindling again (a few of my larger customers have had trouble paying and have stopped calling w/ new projects). I have been talked into trying monthly post cards in between the quarterly fliers.

if i get 1 new customer from each month of post cards it will have been worth it. im not sure if post cards do much...i think a higher % will be tossed w/o looking at it...i know i have to say something important on them in large print to get their attention.

Here's what the first months will say:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOES YOUR PLUMBER LET YOU DOWN? (LARGE PRINT)
Do they show up late & not return your phone calls?
Are problems & call backs common?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
WAUKESHA PLUMBING IS THE SOLUTION!
On time & Built to last

*Great service *Top notch materials
*phone calls returned quickly * Installed correctly

Website .............. phone number
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

the top 1/2 has a yellow background and the bottom 1/2 will have my light blue water droplet background....it will have my logo too

opinions on the whole post card idea vs flier and opinions on the design itself?

thank you!

[vangogh]

Huggy I like what you've written as the postcard message. I think it hits on a likely complaint some contractors will have with their plumber and naturally gets those contractors to take notice and think about giving you a call. I also see no reason why you shouldn't sent it.

One thought though is not to look at results based solely on the postcard. You may find that you get no new calls after a postcard mailing, but that you start to get 3-8 calls from the flyer. Think of them working together. You might also try several different postcards with the same basic idea. Maybe pick a different objection or maybe even have one postcard focused on late plumbers and another focused on plumbers that don't return calls and another focused on the callbacks. You could target each card a little more to the one objection and then send out a different card each time.

If the design of the cards stays the same it will do the reinforcing your brand thing, but the variety might get people to take a little more notice after the first.

[huggytree]

im working on a 2nd post card....i always do different themes..

i decided to do the large post cards...$40 extra in postage, but it will look better

[Spider]

I am quite partial to the larger cards, and when they are glossy and well-produced, they can look very professional. The great thing about postcards is the address is on the back (ie. not the side that is first read) so labels do not detract from the message as would a labelled address on an envelope.

Next, the message is instant - no opening an envelope to find out you didn't want to read it. With a postcard, the message area is far less so the sender must focus what they want to say, and their message is thus more powerful. It is read before the reader realizes he doesn't want to read it!

Not to mention they are generally cheaper, which means more can be sent for the same money - although the cost of larger, glossy cards may cancell that.

I agree with VG to maintain a standard color scheme for each mailing for recognition purposes but change the wording each time. But I do not like negative advertising. There is too much danger in the negativity backfiring. Negative ads put the reader in the wrong frame of mind, I think. Criticizing other companies in the same industry could be read as criticizing all companies in that industry, including yourself.

I would just go with positive advertizing, saying what you are good at, and let the reader make the association with other companies that don't perform as well as you do. But that's only an opinion - with advertising, it's what works that matters.

They say that half of all advertising is a waste - but it's impossible to tell which half!

[vangogh]

Interesting perspective. I understand why you see part of the ad as negative, but I don't quite see it that way. Had it named a specific plumber I would have thought it negative, but I don't see asking the question as a negative, though I suppose it technically is.

I guess I see it more as asking if the recipient has a specific problem and then offering the solution. In this case the problem is a plumber who doesn't meet expectations and the solution is Huggy.

Maybe that's a bit of a stretch, but it didn't feel negative to me even though the question is negative.

[huggytree]

when i started to notice my sales % increase is when i started telling customers what to look for in my competition thats wrong....its when i became an advisor instead of a salesman....i talk about the cheap parts most plumbers use, their scheduling problems, etc....then i show them my parts and discuss how im better....i never use a competitor by name.....my company is different/better and i need to show the difference....

i am not negative in every flier...just once in a while....i thought the title would get attention....make them think for a second...

sounds like over all everyone likes the post card...it went to the printer to be designed yesterday.....since i just sent my fliers out yesterday it will be a month before i can mail out these post cards....im curious to see what they do....

[Just H]

I think it's a great option to add to your mailings to see if the calls/customers increase overall. I agree w/ VG that one or the other could trigger a call as they see the name again and need something then. Postcards are much more likely to get stuck on a refrigerator or file cabinet so the chances of keeping your name in front of them daily is much greater.

On the positive/negative issue, I think I'd tend to stay more to the positive w/ my biz. It seems this may not be a huge factor tho and may depend more on the type of biz and the client base. My choice would be to point out the same things on the positive side: HOW IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP . . . WITH YOUR PLUMBER? (LARGE PRINT)
Are you looking for a prompt and courteous serviceman?
Do you expect a quick call back?

Like I said, I think the plumbing industry focusing on the downfalls since when you seem to have a bad plumber experience, that is a source of much anger and resentment.

Let us know how it goes Huggy!

[vangogh]

[quot]HOW IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP . . . WITH YOUR PLUMBER? (LARGE PRINT)
Are you looking for a prompt and courteous serviceman?
Do you expect a quick call back?[/quote]

I like how you worded that. It still has the basic message without coming across as negative.

[SuzanneDIngram]

Hi HuggyTree,

I work in the industry (direct marketing) and I wanted to give my feedback as well. I just joined this forum today... so hello!

I really like what you have written. Pointing out your competitor's "flaws" (perceived or real) is a great way of saying, "I understand your pain and here is how life will be so much easier if you pick our firm instead". So I think your wording is great.

I would also recommend that you mail the postcards first class, because then you will know if you have any bad addresses on your list; be sure to put your return address on there so they can be returned to you.

Also, I always suggest to my clients that they offer something FREE in big letters. Everyone loves free stuff, as cheesy as it may seem. Is there anything you can offer for free?

Also, would you be able to say that you GUARANTEE you return calls within 24 hours... or you GUARANTEE your work. Guarantees are also great.

If you are a member of the Better Business Bureau, mention that too (check with your BBB first to see if you are allowed to put it on your marketing materials though). Or do you belong to any associations? Have you won any awards? Were you voted "Best customer service" or anything like that? Basically, you have to answer the question, "Why should I call you?", "How do I know you are good at what you do?" And the big one: "Can I trust you?"

Lastly, don't forget that the back of the card is also valuable space. You might consider putting a client testimonial on there. It's funny to think of a postcard as having a "back" or "front" when in fact, it all depends which way it lands in your hand, up or down. ;)

Anyway, I hope these ideas will help you and good luck with your postcard campaign!

Suzanne Doyle-Ingram

[vangogh]

Welcome to the forum Suzanne. Feel free to start an intro thread so we can all give you a nice welcome.


Lastly, don't forget that the back of the card is also valuable space. You might consider putting a client testimonial on there.

That's a good idea. I think testimonials can go a long with a certain type of person. Even if it's simply a quick one liner it can really be effective.

Funny too about the front and back. I guess if one side is glossy and the other isn't we figure it out, but you're right. Front is the side we're looking at when we first grab the card.

[Remipub]

Post cards versus flyers ... I would say it depends on your message. If the message can be made succinctly – then post cards are great. You usually only have the reader’s attention for a few seconds – if you can manage to hook them with your message quickly, you’ll have a winner. That plays into the idea of identifying a customers’ need and addressing it with your headline. (i.e. - contractor’s who promptly return calls being a need – making that the theme of your post card).

Flyers are good too, but especially for a warm contact – meaning someone who is already looking for your service. They will be more willing to take the time to open it and read the entire message. I have used a combination of both effectively in the past.

It sounds like the flyers have brought excellent results, so I’d say keep using it until it stops working. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do post cards too, if the budget allows for it. I recently read that one of the most important things to consider when direct marketing is testing, testing, testing. You have to test many different messages and mediums until you find the one’s that work best. If they work, keep at it until it stops working, then test, test, test some more.

I know it’s been said that you should mail them first class – but you can save a bundle on postage by using a mailing service and their bulk rate (assuming you send out more than 200 per mailing). It’s a matter of weighing out the benefits versus the cost. If your post card provider doesn’t have a relationship with a mailing service, most cities have them – just google “mail house” or “bulk mail.”

[huggytree]

my 400 fliers should have arrived to the contractors on Monday...today (Wed) got 2 plans in the mail for new houses from 2 builders...

timing is everything. $26,000 of potential work for $400 in fliers

and its only been 2 days

[Paul Elliott]

when i started to notice my sales % increase is when i started telling customers what to look for in my competition thats wrong....its when i became an advisor instead of a salesman....i talk about the cheap parts most plumbers use, their scheduling problems, etc....then i show them my parts and discuss how im better....i never use a competitor by name.....my company is different/better and i need to show the difference....

i am not negative in every flier...just once in a while....i thought the title would get attention....make them think for a second...

HT, sorry to be in on the thread rather late. You have gotten some very valuable advice.

Obviously, what you're doing with the "negatives" is working. I don't really view these things as negatives. You are dealing with the facts of life in the contracting business, AND you are solving their problems with plumbing subcontractors. THAT is your positive gift to them!

A very valuable formula in marketing is "fear, fear, solution." People will avoid pain much more quickly than they will seek pleasure.

Here is a general approach using "assumptive" statements--

===============
I know you have experienced such-and-such with plumbers. Blah, blah, blah.

I know you have also been frustrated by such-and-such with plumbers. Unfortunately, it has cost you money--perhaps a lot of money. That practice is all too common among plumbers. Blah, blah, blah.

While I neither apologize nor make excuses for the behavior of other plumbers, I simply don't conduct my plumbing business that way. Life is simply too short for you to worry about your plumbing subcontractor and whether he is going to such-and-such or behave in such-and-such way.

Here is my commitment to you!

<Tell them whatever you will do and the commitments you will make to them.>

Consider the money you will save and the headaches you will avoid.

Call me at <phone number> day or night.
==========================

Jay Abraham teaches the very valuable use of assumptive statements and showed us what his experience had been. I've used them many times and Jay's experience has certainly been borne out.

Assumptive statements are very valuable. They make your reader believe you hit the nail on the head. He or she will say, "Of course, that's what I've run into time and again." You look like a mind reader and your reader will never forget that you know precisely what's going on with their business.

If you have made an assumption that they have NOT experienced, your readers will forget that you made that assumption within 3 weeks.

Either way you win.

Paul