This is the second in a two-part series on using direct mail to target prospective clients for your safety consulting and training services in a specific geographic area.   This article discusses direct mail in general. 

Direct Mail Marketing for Safety Consultants & Trainers

If you send out flyers, brochures, postcards, etc. to prospective clients via the US Mail, you're marketing by direct mail.  Even in the age of computers, fax machines, email and other electronic communication technologies, direct mail remains a reliable method of getting your message in front of current & prospective clients.

Consider the following 18 tips when planning your Direct Mail marketing campaign:

1. Include a call to action.  Tell the reader what you want him or her to do.   Whether it's to telephone you for information,  visit your website, contact you by email, request a free quote, etc. - be sure to make it clear what you want the recipient to do.

2. Use a good mailing list.  Direct mail professionals sometimes use the 60 - 40 rule.  60% of the success of your direct marketing campaign depends on the quality of the list and 40% on the offer & creativity.  Use a targeted fresh list.

3. Mail to a person not to a title.  Instead of:

Safety Director
XYZ Company
112 Main Street
City, State Zip  

use:

Jane Smith, Safety Director
XYZ Company
112 Main Street
City, State Zip

To get this information, use a good quality list, local chamber of commerce directory, association lists, etc.

4. The prospective customer wants to know how your services will benefit him.  Tell him.   If you include a summary of your experience & education, for example, tell the prospect how your experience & education will benefit him.  

5. Contact current and past customers.  These are your best prospects.  Make sure they know about all the safety consulting & training services you offer instead of just the services they utilized in the past.

6. Don't overwhelm the prospect with text.  Use numbered or bulleted lists to make a quick scan of your offer easy.  If sending a letter, use a P.S..  Most people scan commercial letters and read the P.S. first, so be sure your call to action is included in the P.S.

7. Don't hesitate to use the services of a professional copywriter in composing your letter, postcard text, etc.

8. Respect the reader's time.  Keep it brief and to the point.

9. People are skeptical.  The evening news brings regular reports of less than ethical business practices.   You can overcome some of this skepticism by including testimonials from past or current clients.  The more specific the testimonial the better.

continued on next page...