McLellan Marketing Group Archives - Page 3 of 3

Five elements to writing an effective sales letter

June 28, 2011

…make me feel like you know I’m unique

Writing an effective sales letter for a cold list? Are you kidding me?

Cold calling doesn’t work. Blind sales letters go right into the circular file cabinet. E-mail solicitation to strangers get flagged as SPAM.

All of that is true. Most of the time.

And while I will never be the guy advocating for blindly reaching out to people who have no idea who you are, have no burning need for what you’re selling and in fact, will probably see you as a nuisance, not a trusted partner — every once in awhile I see someone who does it masterfully enough that I admit, never say never.

We got an e-mail sales letter today that not only got me to read it but — got me to respond. And that hardly ever happens. I thought I’d share the letter with you (I did trim/paraphrase for space) and then we can identify why it worked.

“You can stop wasting time chasing after the wrong ones and simply attract the ones who are your perfect fit. Customers who love you aren’t about the transaction. They’re about the relationship.”

Now, some would call the above quote plagiarism, but let’s assume none of those people are here. This quote was lifted from the MMG website because it’s simply one of the smarter lines I’ve read on an agency’s website in quite some time. It’s honest and effectual, and it speaks volumes of the work your company does. It makes advertising geeks like me want to get to know MMG and what the company is up to (and possibly get one of those sweet nicknames. Not going to lie – I’m a little jealous ‘Girl Wonder’ is already taken).

I just wanted to reach out and introduce myself as your new – or possibly first – rep for Company XYZ.

And now that I’ve explained why I want to work with you, I’d like to come in and tell you why you would want to work with me…

If you’re not familiar with Company XYZ, here are the Cliffsnotes: [Two short sentences about what they do] On top of that, we swear by our customer service and I can promise you’ll be embarrassingly doted on as a client.

I’d love to swing through Des Moines office and get the scoop on what’s in the works at McLellan. Do you have any time available for lunch (liquid or otherwise – pick your poison) or a meeting the week of 8/1?

Looking forward to working together!

Sarah

Bravo Sarah! Let’s dissect her efforts to see what elements made this work:

Show me that you know me. I’m sure she used the same technique of quoting a prospect’s website in all her letters, but in this one — she quoted us. And she referenced our job titles. It felt like she “got us.” No one wants to be prospect #2,843.

Cop our attitude: Our website is written with a bit of attitude and Sarah captured it perfectly in her e-mail. It feels like we speak the same language.

Talk more about me than you: In the entire pitch e-mail, two sentences are about the company she works for. The rest is about us. And who doesn’t like to talk and read about themselves.

Keep it short: Whether it’s e-mail or snail mail — you don’t need to tell me everything in one fell swoop. Hit the highlights and whet my appetite.

When you talk about yourself, talk about me: Even in the two sentences she wrote about her company’s offerings — she talked about them in relation to how they could help us serve clients better.

Notice how many times I used the word “me” in the call outs above. That’s why most sales letters don’t work. Because they’re not about the prospect at all. Most sales people don’t take the time to do their research or tailor the letter.

Which is why most sales letters go right in the trash. But if you build in the elements that Sarah so deftly demonstrated — you might be surprised at the results!

Creating smart QR Codes

June 14, 2011

…An example of QR codes & my column

QR codes seem to be the media’s most recent marketing darling. You’ll find lots of articles talking about how to use them, including a couple I’ve written (read here and here). And in March, I shared Central Park’s incredible QR campaign to inspire you to give this technology a try.

Along with the various online places where you can find my marketing thoughts, I am a weekly columnist for Iowa’s business journal, the Business Record. A few months ago, we started adding a QR code feature to my columns — to share extra resources and to demonstrate how QR codes can work. (the screen capture is of one of my columns that has migrated from their print product to their website)

When we decided to add this feature, I decided I wanted a QR code creator that was a bit more robust than some of the free sites I’d been using. We weren’t ready for custom shapes (check out these designs) — but I did want to know how many scans each code had and if there was a pattern to when the scans were occurring.

After reviewing many options, I am down to two choices. The “must haves” for me were:

Could create a high resolution QR code (need it for the print publication and for some of our client’s work)
Reporting/tracking capabilities
Good customer support if we had questions

The first contender is QReate & Track by InterlinkONE. They do offer a free membership/option but I opted for the $19/month version so I could get the reporting. That reporting includes:

Number of scans
Scans by day, time and month, year etc.

Really, for most local businesses, that’s plenty unless you’re going to do some serious number crunching. In terms of easy access for support, they have a forum, a blog and you can e-mail them your question. They’re also here in the states so for me, that’s a time zone advantage.

The second contender is PushQR.com from the UK. They too offer a free option but I went for the 6.99 GBP($11 something/month) because I needed to create more than 3 campaigns a month. The big difference between the two is in the reporting. With pushqr.com, I can track:

Realtime # of scans
Bounce rate
Pageviews
Unique scans
Time on page
What barcode reader was used
What type of mobile device was used
The geography of the scanner (down to the city)

Clearly a more robust reporting menu. One of the other cool features to this site is the ability to set a goal. For example, my QR code could lead you to a landing page where I offered something for sale. The goal URL could be the thank you page that you’d go to after making a purchase. Now the reporting shows me not only how many hit the landing site and where else they went — but how many did what I wanted them to do — buy something.

As for support — they have a very simple online manual to answer the most basic of questions and I can open a ticket and submit a question/request to their team.

I haven’t quite landed on the best option for us at McLellan Marketing Group yet — but both of these providers have served our purposes for now but it’s hard to argue with PushQR’s in depth reporting and lower price.

How about you? Are you creating QR codes? How are you using them? Do you have a favorite tool?

Viva the underdog!

May 24, 2011

…a blast from our past…it’s Underdog

Most of our clients at McLellan Marketing Group could be classified as underdogs. Call them challenger brands, the little guy or the rising star — but odds are, they have a Goliath or two in their path.

We love helping them topple the big guys and steal their thunder. In fact, we believe that it’s a market ADVANTAGE not to be the biggest. Yup…. being an underdog is a plus in our book.

Why? In today’s world of constant change, it’s a lot easier to win the hearts and minds of buyers if you’re nimble, not bound by layers of corporate and committee decision making and you can wear your heart on your sleeve. Market leaders don’t actually want to engage in a fight and they hate scrappy little guys who take them off their well prescribed path. That’s how you beat them — you make them play your game.

Here’s the unspoken truth of underdog marketing. You don’t have to actually destroy the industry leader — you just need to take a good sized piece of his pie. In fact, you don’t, in most cases, want to be the leader. Why wear the target on your back? It’s more fun to be the challenger — the one who can break some rules, change the game… and create love affairs with your customers.

That’s why I was eager to read Stephen Denny’s book Killing Giants (click here to buy*) Denny interviewed 70 “giant killers” and tells their story in his new book which outlines some powerful techniques for knocking the big guys down a peg or two.

The book presents 10 strategies that businesses can adopt to overcome a market leader. The strategies run from taking advantage of the speed and agility of being small to the willingness to take on some risks that the big boys can’t stomach.

He’s structured the book well — each chapter is divided into the strategy, the stories and the take aways. My only “complaint” is that Denny’s underdogs are what many of us would consider to be giants in their own right — like Adobe or Hersey’s Krackel. But it’s a good reminder that even large organizations like Hershey can be an underdog and have to think differently. The techniques they used translate just fine to a local bank or CPA. So don’t dismiss the book just because many of the examples are national brands you recognize.

I think you’ll find the book gets you fired up to go out there and take on a giant or two!

*Yup, it’s an affiliate link. Also — Stephen sent me a copy of his book to review. You know me well enough to know I only review books I think you’ll find valuable. (I get several every day…so I am pretty choosey.)

Why would you want to enchant someone?

March 11, 2011

Guy Kawasaki’s enchanting new book

As you know, I talk about creating love affairs with your customers a lot here on the blog. Why do I think it’s so critical? Let’s look at how people behave when they’re in the bloom of a new love.

They find the other person intoxicating — they crave more.
They can’t help themselves. They talk about their new love all the time. To everyone and anyone who will listen.
They are very forgiving of missteps or mistakes.
They want to be good and helpful to their new love — what matters to that person suddenly matters to them as well.

Now translate that back to a customer, donor, employee, volunteer, boss or vendor. What organization wouldn’t want those very important people to feel that way towards them?

And keep in mind…this isn’t a one way street. You have to genuinely treat them the same way. Or the love is very short lived. At McLellan Marketing Group, we call it creating a love affair. Guy Kawasaki calls it being Enchanting* in his new book of the same title. Potato, potato. (You did read those two words differently, right?)

The book’s basic premise is this: “enchantment is not about manipulating people. It transforms situations and relationships. It converts hostility into civility and civility into affinity. It changes skeptics and cynics into believers and the undecided into the loyal.”

Again I ask the same question — what organization wouldn’t want to be able to inspire and instill that spirit?

But as you know, I’m not into books that get us fired up to do/be something without telling us how. (The former is just mean teasing) Guy’s books pushes past the why and gets to the how before page 10. In fact, chapters 2-12 all start with the word “how.” That’s the sign of a book I can use.

You really need to read this book. (You can buy it by clicking here*) With a note pad and pen at hand, because you’re going to get a lot of fresh ideas that you want to capture.

You can also test your own “realistic enchantment aptitude” and if you want an awesome sneak preview…check out this infographic that Guy prepared.

*This is an Amazon affiliate link. While I am confessing, I should also tell you that Guy sent me a copy of the book for free and I swore twice yesterday. And I just lied. I really swore three times.

Direct mail marketing do’s and don’ts

March 7, 2011

I’ve always been a fan of direct mail, especially 3-D direct mail. It’s pretty tough for someone to ignore a package addressed to them. Assuming you’re mailing to the right audience — it can be very effective.

I get a fair amount of 3-D direct mail related to the blog and my agency McLellan Marketing Group. So I thought we could examine two recent efforts and glean some do’s and don’ts.

A party in a box!

The first mailing came in a huge box and as you can see, it was this metal wash basin, filled with microbrew beers and some snacks. All it needed was some ice and we were ready to go.

My own personalized mini trash can!

The second mailing came in a smaller box and the box itself was part of the message. Inside the box was a small novelty trash can and a personalized message adhered to the inside lid. Inside the trash can was the sales letter. (The teaser copy on the lid directed me to open the trash can.)

Let’s dig into the do’s and don’ts and see how these two efforts fared.

The Do’s:

Address it to the right person: Spell their name correctly and be sure you use the right “version” of their name. My full name is Andrew but no one calls me that. I know that you don’t have a clue who I am if the label says Andrew McLellan instead of Drew McLellan.

Tie what’s in the package to your message: Don’t just send me something random. Help me remember who you are and what you are selling by making the 3-D gift part of the message.

Give me the next step: Once I open the package, it’s my move. So what do you want me to do? Visit a website, send in a bounce back card, call you or wait for you to call me?

The Don’ts:

Don’t do a one and done: No matter how clever your mailing is, remember that in marketing, frequency still matters. So plan a series (you can mix flat and 3-D mailing to keep the budget in line) or tie the 3-D mailing to some other efforts (e-mail, calls, or even mass media).

Put yourself on the list: Unless you are assembling each package by hand, make sure you are on the recipient list. You want to see how it looks from the receiver’s point of view. Did the box get all dinged up? Was everything still in place or had the contents gotten jumbled in transit? Was everything that was supposed to be in the package included?

Don’t let the coy thing play out too far: Teaser campaigns can be a lot of fun. But, they only work if you pay off the tease pretty quickly. Odds are you’ve invested a fair amount of money in this campaign. So don’t waste it by not being clear about who it’s from and what should happen next.

So let’s go back and grade our two examples. The beer basin was addressed correctly, but that’s the only Do it got right. There was no message included in the box. I have no idea who it was from or what they wanted me to do next. Which is a real shame, because I am sure it cost a pretty penny.

On the Don’t list — obviously the coy thing, if the anonymity was intentional, was played out way too long. It’s been a couple weeks and I still haven’t heard another word. Which also means, at this point, it’s a one and done. So while it was an awesome mailing — memorable and something I will remember, it didn’t do much from a direct mail point of view.

On the flip side, the simple trash can mailing, which was clearly less expensive and a little more home grown, got all of the Do’s and Don’ts right. The message and next steps were very clear. I’ve already received an e-mail follow up and the mailing came through with everything in place.

You don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to create an effective 3-D mailing campaign. Far better to do it simply but well. (And if you send me the beer — please let me know so I can say thank you!)

How about you — what’s the most memorable 3-D direct mail piece you ever received?

Marketing tip #56: Walk a mile in their moccasins

February 8, 2011

I believe this is one of those marketing tips that we all nod our heads at and think, “gosh, I should do that one of these days” but really rarely get around to doing.

We get so caught up in our processes and getting the job done that we forget that we’re doing it “to” and “with” a human being. And those pesky human beings sometimes need a little hand holding or explanation — especially if they’re new to the task.

It’s so easy to get frustrated with yet another question or request that takes you off “the path of the plan.” But honestly — if you find yourself reacting that way — then shame on you. Yes…shame on you.

If a customer is pushing back, or asking more questions or seems unable to pull the trigger it’s because you left something unexplained. The more firmly you dig in your heels and hold them to the process, the more unsure they feel. Which just leads to…yup, more questions and concern. It’s an ugly cycle.

I’m reminded of this truth as we work with a new vendor to McLellan Marketing Group. While they’re quite good at what they do, they have the customer service skills of a grumpy drunk. I have often found myself wondering if they have any concept of what it’s like to work with them. My guess is… no.

Our experience with them has me very mindful of how we’re treating our own clients. Are we taking the time to really walk out the next steps with them? Are we in tune with their hesitations or worries? Do we dismiss their concerns or ideas because “we know” what’s right? And do we even bother to explain the why?

I find myself wanting to be able to experience us… as a new client. What do they see and hear? Do they feel welcome and important? Or do they feel rushed and confused? Are our procedures confusing? Our bills clear? Our gratitude evident?

We can’t step into their shoes, but we can ask for their feedback. We can be more mindful of how it must feel from their position. In our quest to create love affairs with our customers — this would seem to me to be pivotal.

How about you? How do you balance conducting business in a way that is efficient and effective with customer care? How do you stay in touch with what it’s like to do business with you?

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