Direct Response Marketing - What Is It
And Why Should I Care About It?

There are basically two schools of thought regarding "effective" marketing. The camps are divided into "Image Marketing" and "Direct Response Marketing". Let's discuss "Image Marketing" first.

Image Marketing is what big companies engage in to try to build a "Brand Name" in a national market. They go to a big ad agency and lay out mega millions to have an advertising campaign designed that makes people "feel good" about their Company or Brand.

Look at the soft drink giant Coke. Think about all the "feel good" ads they've put out in the market place over the last 15 or 20 years. Remember this one: "I'd like to buy the world a Coke and keep it company…" (Hell, I'd rather sell everybody in the world a coke and use the revenue generated to run more ads and then spend the profits on a yacht!)

Goodyear does another good example of Image building marketing. How many times have you attended a sporting event and seen the Goodyear blimp flying high above the stadium? Think about how many times the Goodyear blimp gets mentioned by commentators while you're watching a sporting event on TV.

Goodyear understands that you are not going to get up out of the stands (or off your couch) and go down to the Goodyear store and buy Goodyear tires this afternoon because you saw their blimp earlier in the day. What Goodyear is banking on is the fact that you will consider buying their tires, when you need tires, because you have been exposed to their "Brand" in positive ways (this sounds like a risky strategy to me).

If you have millions of dollars to spend on "feel good" ads that take years to work (if they work at all) then Image Advertising is definitely for you!

However, if you're like most small business owners (and we are a small business) we don't have the time, money or desire to develop our "Brand".

What we need is marketing that's so effective that we can invest our money in it today, so we start getting results by the end of the week, so we can then use those returned dollars to make payroll the following week!

If You fall into this category then Direct Response Marketing is for YOU!

Direct Response Marketing is nothing more than "Salesmanship In Print." In other words, you are selling your company's message (USP's) in all other ways except "Face to Face."

I've already shared with you why people buy but in case you missed it, I will share it with you again: The only reason people buy anything is they understand "what's in it for them!" If the consumer (or referral source) can't understand what's in it for them by Reading your material - They Ain't Buying!

Ok, with that said, here's what I want you to do: From this day forward, I want you to promise to adhere to the following rules of Direct Response Marketing on every ad you run, on every flyer you distribute, on every letter or postcard you mail, on every web site you set up and on anything else you do to market your business.

Dan Kennedy, one of the true geniuses of the Direct Response Marketing movement states the rules best. He says:

Rule 1. There Will Always Be An Offer or Offers In Your Marketing Pieces

Rule 2. There Will Be a Reason To Respond Right Now

Rule 3. There Will Be Clear Instructions On How To Respond

Rule 4. There Will Be Tracking And Management

Rule 5. Whatever Brand Building Occurs Will Be A Happy By-Product, Not Bought

Rule 6. There Will Be Follow-Up

Rule 7. There Will Be Strong Sales Copy, Not Hyperbole

Rule 8. In General, Your Marketing Pieces Will Look Like "Mail-Order Advertising"

Rule 9. Results Rule, Period

Rule 10. You Will Be A Tough-Minded Disciplinarian And Keep Your Business On A Strict Direct Marketing Diet For At Least Six Months

Please, do yourself a giant favor by posting these rules in front of your desk so that you can see them every time you write a marketing piece!

Also, when the local folks ask you to advertise in their publications determine whether your ad can be written based on the rules above. If the ad can't be written using the Direct Response Marketing Rules then don't advertise. Remember you are on a strict diet for six months. (make it 12 months)

Here Are More Direct Response Marketing Rules So
You Can Use Them More Effectively In YOUR Business!

Let's spend a little more time going over the Direct Response Marketing Rules so that you will fully understand them. Because all of the marketing campaigns we do from here forward, whether it's via Direct Mail or via the Internet will be based on Direct Response Marketing principles. The better you understand the concept, the faster we can help you Grow Your Sales And Profits.

If the potential customer (or referrals source) can't understand what's in it for "them" by using your company or services, then you will have a much harder time "Broadening Your Base."

Rule 1. You've Got To Have An Offer Or Offers.
This one is very easy but few marketers use it effectively or at all. Lots of marketers think if they don't make a direct offer the customer will "get" an implied offer. This is stupid! Don't trust the customer to "get" anything. Have you ever heard the statement, "Tell the people what you are going to tell them, then tell them, them tell them what you just told them?" This way the customer is more likely to respond to your "direct offer".

Here is an example of a generic offer, "Buy one specialty pizza and get a second, one topping pizza free." It's easy for the customer to understand that offer.

Try this, "Get a Free Four Room Dish Network Satellite System from (your company's name) when you use any of our services."

The use of "dollars off" instead of a "percent off" is equally effective. The only thing I like about dollars off is that you can take a price increase in the middle of a marketing campaign without making the discount larger.

For instance, if you're using dollars off offer and you raised your prices 15%, the customer still only gets, for example, $25 off. But if you use a percent off offer and you take a price increase in the middle of the marketing campaign the customer might get, for example, $35 off.

Rule 2. There Will Be A Reason To Respond Right Now.
This rule is critical for effective Direct Response Marketing. Earlier, I mentioned that small businesses needed to recoup the marketing dollars they spent today to pay payroll next week and this Rule helps make that happen.

What we are really doing is creating a sense of Urgency for the reader. Combining Rule One - "The Offer" with Rule Two - "A Sense Of Urgency" will dramatically increase the response to the marketing piece. Let's use the offers listed below as examples:

"Through May 31st get a Free Brinks Home Security System when we come out and replace your broken window. Time's running out, so give us a call today!"

"Get a Free Four Room Dish Network Satellite System from (your company's name) when you book blah, blah, blah. Call today because this fantastic offer expires May 31st!"

The client (or referral source) now has a reason to respond to your ad quickly.


Rule 3. There Will Be Clear Instructions On How To Respond.
Lots of marketers give poor instructions or no instructions at all on how to respond to the offer. You can begin to see what's wrong with Image marketing: no compelling offer, no sense of urgency to respond and no instructions on how to respond. Now, if you don't care about making sales then just forget about using these rules.

Most people (I said most) people can follow clear instructions. Let's look at the examples from above again with some additional instructions added.

"To book your appointment and get the Free Brinks Home Security System call us today at (your phone number - if your number is toll free that's better) or log onto (your web site) 24/7 to book your appointment." Don't delay, May 31st is right around the corner!"

"Get a Free Four Room Dish Network Satellite System from (your company's name) when you book a blah, blah, blah with us. Call today because this fantastic offer expires May 31st!" Or if you prefer, book online 24/7 at (www.your web address).

A couple of note worthy points: The person answering your telephone must be aware of the marketing programs you are running.

Two means of "response" to your ad always works better than one. Your phone number is the Primary means of response and your web site is the Secondary means of response to your ad.

Because you're driving customers to your web site, then when they land on your Home Page there will need to be clear instructions on how to get to the proper page or tell them how to book the appointment.

A better idea would be to list in the ad, the URL for the page they book the appointment on, instead of your home page. For example, instead of listing this www.mywebaddress.com you should list this, www.mywebaddress.com/scheduling

This way the customer can land directly on the Scheduling Page of your website. Now you only need to give instructions on what areas need to be complete. Your web master can help you with getting your customer to land directly on your scheduling page.


Rule 4. There Will Be Tracking And Measurement.
Because we as small business owners have a limited marketing budget, we have to measure and track the success of all of our marketing campaigns. If we can prove that Campaign A pulls three times more business than Campaign B, then where are you going to spend you limited budget?

But if you don't know which Campaign gets better results, where do you invest your resources?

Now, tracking gets a little more complicated when you are running multiple Campaigns at one time. For instance, if you're running a Campaign using your Yellow Page Ad, or if you're using different ads in multiple community newspapers and you're running one or more campaigns in different offices of your referrals sources, tracking the results from each campaign can be somewhat tedious.

Here's an example of how to track the results of your marketing campaigns.

If you're running an Ad in only one Yellow Page Directory then tracking your Ad results is easy. But, if you are running a Yellow Page Ad in multiple directories, then your scheduler will need to ask the prospect for the page number where they saw your Yellow Page Ad and code that information.

If you're running the Free Brinks Home Security Systems in more than one community newspaper, then have the scheduler record what newspaper the prospect saw the ad in. Try to keep the process simple so you don't drive yourself crazy with the project.

One other complexity arises as you try to effectively track the results of your marketing campaigns. If the person answering the telephone doesn't ask how the prospect got your company's name or if the scheduler doesn't code the prospect to the correct campaign, your tracking efforts will be futile.

If your scheduler can't or won't cooperate in this critical endeavor then disciplinary action needs to occur. I mean, who's working for whom? If counseling doesn't solve the employee's problem, then you might want to "Free that person to pursue other opportunities."

Remember, your assets are the ones on the line, not the employees!

Rule 5. Whatever Brand Building Occurs, It Will Be a Happy By-Product, Not Bought.
We've already discussed in detail why Image Marketing used for Brand Building is not right for small business owners. Here is another reason you don't want to stick your logo on all of your marketing.

Let's say you are running a Lead Generation Ad in the Homes for Sale section of a local community newspaper. A Lead Generation Ad is designed to get qualified prospects to raise their hand so you can capture their Name and Address or their First Name and their E-Mail Address or ideally, both.

You see, you don't want Branding, you Want Qualified Prospects!


Rule 6. There Will Be Follow-Up.
Ok, I've shared with you how to develop effective offers. You've learned how to incorporate a sense of urgency into those offers. Now you've learned to give your prospects clear instructions on how to act on your offer and you're tracking your results.

Congratulations!

Now, I need to share with you the way to avoid a tragic marketing waste. So many small business owners waste ridiculous amounts of money (and potential business) by not following up with prospects or referrals or only following up one time.

If you only intend to follow up once on a lead, then don't waste your money at all.

If you're running Lead Generation Ads in print or on the Internet, or running a booth at a trade show, or speaking at a sales meeting, or teaching a CE class, you've got to follow-up with these prospects or potential prospects.

If someone calls your office for a quote or information about your firm and you're not getting his or her name and address so you can follow-up, you're wasting a boatload of money.

When someone calls in and doesn't book the appointment right away, have your scheduler immediately offer the prospect a free report of some type. You paid for that prospect to call you, so give them something of value (FREE REPORT) in exchange for getting their name and email address (or home address and telephone number).

Remember…It's the small details that will make you the big money!

Once you have the prospects e-mail address you can send them the information and then you can fire off a follow up e-mail to them next day. You can say you wanted to be sure they got the information and give them a "mini" sales pitch again. They'll be impressed (shocked) that you followed-up with them.

You can actually automate the follow-up process so you never have to worry about it again once the prospect is in your system. More about automating your marketing processes later.

Unless you like a monumental waste of money, you'll need to learn to follow-up effectively with your prospects!

Rule 7. There Will Be Strong Sales Copy.
I hope you know how important this Rule is. I shared with you earlier in this that people buy for one reason only: What's in it for them!

If you can't clearly spell out in writing what's in it for the prospect by using your firm, then we need to back up and re-tool. You need to be sure and sell the prospect on the Benefits they will receive from using your firm.

Don't Sell Features - Sell Benefits!

Here's an example of selling benefits not features. The feature is we schedule appointments 24 hours a day, seven days a week by telephone or web site. The benefit to the prospect is they can schedule their appointments anytime they're ready, even if it's 2 am.

Rule 8. In General, It Will Look Like "Mail-Order Advertising."
One of my pet peeves is that the so-called "Marketing Gurus" tell you to leave plenty of white space on your ad. Yellow page reps are some of the worst peddlers of this nonsense. When was the last time you bought something by reading "blank space"? I know the answer - Never! Effective Sales Copy sells goods and services, blank space does not!

There is an enormous amount of competition for your prospects attention. Which ad will more likely get his attention the "Plain Jane Conformist Ad" or something unusual? Evaluate how advertising gets your attention. I know that I always look more closely at the "Odd Ball" stuff than I do the "Plain Jane" stuff.

Once, not too long back, I sent out an 8.5 by 11 post card (printed on both sides of course because white space doesn't sell my services). It was very unusual and people noticed it. Bingo! That was my goal.

Our Communications Consultant called it my "Ugly Postcard". I had our printer imitate handwriting in blue ink in the right and left margins of the back side of the postcard. Oh yes, it was different and it stood out!

In the very near future, if you become an Inner Circle Member, I may post on the web site some excellent examples of this style of advertising that you can model.

Rule 9. Results Rule, Period.
You will know when you are doing Direct Response Marketing correctly because people will start calling your ads "ugly", "too bold" or "aggressive", or "Unprofessional". But you know what, their opinion doesn't count! (even if the opinion is coming from your spouse):)

The only opinions that count are the ones from the people buying your products or services. If a person ain't giving you money, don't listen to them!

Here's the litmus test: If it sells good, it's good. If it doesn't sell good, it isn't good.

I use Direct Response Marketing every day of the week and it works for my firm and I can help you make it work for your firm as well!

Rule 10: You Will Be A Tough-Minded Disciplinarian And Keep Your Business On A Strict Direct Response Marketing Diet For A Least Six Months.

How many times in the last twelve months have referral sources and others tried to hit you up to buy Image Advertising. They hit me up every week. They want me to buy space on the inside of the jackets where they put real estate contracts, they want me to buy ads in a directory and they want me to sponsor their events.

And here's what I say to them: "Thanks for thinking about us for this (whatever) campaign. Unfortunately, we set up our Promotional Budget last November for this year and we didn't budget for this particular Ad (or whatever it is). Please feel free to send us the information so that we might consider it next year".

You know what, I never get in trouble using this approach because next year someone else in their office is handling the ad or event. And they are not aware of what transpired the year prior.

Learn how to politely say "No" to these (money suckers) I mean, Image Marketers so you can use your hard earned money for marketing campaigns that actually generate results for Your Firm!

Take action now and you will see the results of your efforts quickly!

Put your name & email address to get notified of new article
postings. I also have some great people lined up to do interviews
and you'll get tons of information to help jumpstart your business.

Sincerely,

Cartess Ross

Hippo-Marketing Group, Inc
650 Henderson Dr, Bldg 45
Cartersville, GA 30120