Most of us don’t wake up hoping that we are relentlessly pounded with unsolicited marketing messages; yet the average North American consumer receives between 4,000 and 10,000 marketing messages every day. Whether it is real estate agents sending out stock letters, insurance agents sending you boring form letters, and of course people who won’t shut up about their business on Facebook and other social media channels; they all have the solution to my problems.

One small problem…how do you know what I want or need if you don’t take the time to ask?

I recently received a direct mail piece from a very nice woman working in real estate who attended one of my speaking events. She means well and is a competent professional, but she committed a common marketing sin:

Boring Marketing

Here are 3 top tips for any direct mail letter

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Today’s consumers want would like demand a relationship with the people whom they do business with. You must employ multiple channels of marketing, and become the trusted source for information in your customer’s eyes.

I received a marketing piece from a very nice woman who is a real estate agent. Like many people who are in sales, she relied upon the form letters that her company provided. The only problem with that is that THEY SUCK!

Breaking through the barriers of an over-caffeinated, attention-starved marketplace does not happen by chance. It happens by science.

Here are a few things that she could have done to improve the campaign:

1. Personalize it for me!

Whenever I receive any mail (whether it is electronic or snail mail), I don’t look for “Dear valued customer”. If I am so valued, why don’t you even know my damn name!

2. Make it lively

I know this woman and she is a really fun person. You would never understand that from her letter. If you love kayaking, cross-stitching, or skydiving; talk about it!

3. Mention real people who have worked with you.

A testimonial from “Jessica C.” doesn’t mean squat. It will get hung up in the BS filters of any consumer. Give me a name and location.

Any marketing professional would love and article written by Crystal Milburn from Terrostar Interactive Media wrote a fantastic piece titled, The Top 4 Marketing Practices to Continue In 2014 (and beyond!).

Whether you are marketing to your prospects on their phone, computer screen, mailbox, or over breakfast; invest in the relationship and the value that you can bring to the table. If you are a consultant or professional speaker, read my previous post on costly speaker marketing mistakes here.

What types of marketing work best for your business?

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