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Words that Sell Strategic
News
June 28 2004
Inside this edition:
More End of Financial
Year SAVINGS offers
The
Art of Writing a Killer B2B Lead Generation Letter
by Kris Mills (I wrote this article
for the current issue of "The Direct Marketing Magazine"
published by Key Media. Out now)
So your sales force need to bump up this month’s figures.
And to do that they need more appointments which means they
need a killer B2B lead generation letter.
What do you do?
In direct marketing we live and breathe “salesmanship
in print”, however the approach used for a great lead
generation letter is different.
It’s more about “relationship building in print”.
A great lead generation letter doesn’t sell a product
or a service. Instead it flirts with the reader … arousing
them just enough to want to take that next step and find out
more. The selling part is then up to the salesperson.
That‘s where many lead generation letters come off
the rails. Here are some of the most common mistakes writers
make…
1. Not writing with the campaign objectives in mind
Quality or quantity - be clear on which one you want.
If the business is new that sells products with a long lead
time and you want to build a large database of contacts, use
an offer of a free white paper. You will receive up to 4 times
as many leads as you would if you offered a free consultation.
Instead, if your focus is maximum sales quickly and lead
times are short, offer a free consultation. Your prospects
are more qualified and the consultation will secure more sales
in a relatively short time period.
2. Not making it easy to respond
Give your reader a variety of response vehicles and your
results will increase dramatically. Include a reply card which
features fax, phone, email, mail and web details.
Feature more than one offer – white paper, demonstration
CD, free consultation, “rain check” consultation,
free demonstration etc.
3. Not using testimonials to establish credibility
Even though it’s best to keep B2B lead generation letters
short, I usually include a separate testimonial sheet packed
with testimonials (the more the better). Through testing I
have found that it boosts responses because it builds more
credibility with the reader.
- Use 1-2 paragraphs per testimonial
- Give each one a headline
- Feature full names, business names and locations for
added credibility
- Mix up the subject matter … some about the company,
product and the offer.
- Always make sure they are genuine.
4. Not including a P.S.
The P.S. is one of the most important elements in any direct
mail piece yet many writers neglect to include one. When a
person opens a letter they will often read the first paragraph
and then if a PS is included they will read that next.
• Re-inforce the benefits of your offer and re-emphasise
the urgency of the offer.
• Mention a specific benefit that someone in their industry/occupation/location
might receive from the product/offer.
P.S. Frank, because you’re an accountant on the Gold
Coast, I think you’ll find the information inside this
White Paper is of particular interest to you. In fact, on
page 23 you’ll see some information that xxxxxxxxxx.
So make sure you secure a copy.
5. Insulting the reader’s intelligence
If you’re selling a high-tech product to a “tech
head” the last thing you want to do is insult their
intelligence by “dumbing it down” and explaining
the benefits of every feature in layman’s terms. They
already know it – it’s their job to know it. You’ll
be seen as out of touch with the market which reflects poorly
on the company’s reputation.
If, on the other hand, if you’re trying to introduce
that same high-tech gizmo to the office assistant or the MD,
techno-babble will probably go straight over their heads which
means you’ve lost.
Know your product. Know the knowledge levels of the influencer,
the information gatherer and the decision maker and tailor
your copy to suit.
6. Not personalizing the message
You already know that the more tailored your message is,
the more responses your letter will generate. This statement
rings even more true when it comes to writing B2B lead generation
letters.
- “If you’re like most web designers I speak
with you …..”
- “I was browsing the web yesterday and I stumbled
across your website. What I saw (be specific) was so impressive
I felt compelled to write to you. Since your company looks
like it prides itself on xxxxxxx I thought this might be
of interest.”
- “Accountants … introducing a xxxxxxxxx”
7. Including a gimmick just for the sake of it
With the right execution gimmicks are great for achieving
cut-through. With the wrong approach, it can make your company
look a little “cheesy”.
Always ensure that there is “tie-in” between
the gimmick and the “big idea” of the campaign.
What problem does your product solve?
What needs does it fulfill?
Then - what gimmick is a great metaphor for that solution
or benefit? What device involves the reader in your message
and creates the right emotional reaction?
8. Not recognising that 80% of sales are made after
the 5th contact.
If a prospect doesn’t respond to your letter straight
away, that doesn’t mean they won’t. Get on the
phone and follow-up a couple of days later and you’ll
find your response rate doubles. If they’re still not
interested, send out a series of drip-feed follow-up letters
and your response rate will double again over the next few
months.
It might be a relevant newspaper clipping with a comps slip
attached followed next month by another letter with a bunch
of success stories and testimonials attached, then a letter
offering a white paper.
At the end of the day, the most important thing you can do
to maximise your responses is to write what you think is a
great lead generation letter, establish it as the control
and test it. Test various offers, test appeals, test industry-specific
vs general business, test timing, test copy and so on. Keep
testing (one thing at a time) and over time you will be producing
maximum bang for your marketing buck.
Kris Mills is an internationally-respected direct
response copywriter, author and Managing Director of Words
that Sell, a unique communications consultancy and freelance
writer’s marketplace. For more information visit www.wordsthatsell.com.au
or call Kris on 07 3353 1107 or via email at kris@imaginicity.com.au
WANTED:
Freelance Copywriters and Direct Marketing Professionals Worldwide
Now, with over 18,000 subscribers on our mailing list spread
across the world, we need some additional copywriting, editing
and marketing consulting help.
So we can more effectively service this growing demand we
have decided to seek out relationships with talented, freelancers
to become endorsed as "Words that Sell" approved
copywriters.
Strategy development, briefing, project management and quality
control will still be performed in-house.
So, if you meet the following criteria, we'd love to hear
from you:
You're ideally located in or near Sydney, Melbourne, Perth,
London, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, New York, Los Angeles,
Chicago or Singapore;
You are an expert, freelance DR copywriter and/or marketing
consultant who has proven results on the board in an offline
and online environment ... especially with direct marketing
and the web;
OR you're a mainstream copywriter or PR consultant who is
very experienced in corporate B2B work ... specifically professional
services, press releases, corporate brochures, newsletters
etc. Another area where we're experiencing a tremendous surge
is in corporate copywriting;
- You don't charge like a wounded bull (we need to make
a living too, you know);
- You work on a freelance basis or you're a one or two man
operation.
If this sounds like you and you'd like to explore the opportunity
further, please send me an introductory email at info@imaginicity.com.au
with some initial details.
For back issues , visit http://www.wordsthatsell.com.au/newsletter-archives.htm
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