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Direct marketing is contacting the seller personally to engage them in the sales process. This is generally done around a certain offer or event, as this type of marketing is not appropriate for general awareness marketing.<\/p>\n
Direct marketing is generally done by telephone, email or letter.<\/p>\n
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This guide contains the following topics:<\/p>\n
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Telemarketing is where you call customers or prospective customers directly to make them an offer.<\/p>\n
With this sort of direct marketing you will need an accurate database with names and phone numbers, and a script.<\/p>\n
Telemarketing works best in conjunction with other marketing media, so ensure you send out any marketing emails or mail-outs before commencing your phone calls.<\/p>\n
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Telemarketing works best in conjunction with other marketing media. Don\u2019t put all your eggs in one basket.<\/p>\n
If you have not yet started your marketing campaign, use your phone call as a heads-up as to what\u2019s about to happen.<\/p>\n
If you have sent out any marketing emails or mail-outs, follow these up with a telemarketing call to reiterate your email marketing \u2014 but don\u2019t simply double up.<\/p>\n
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Telemarketing carries a certain sort of stigma, and is seen as invasive, so reserve it for business to business direct marketing during business hours.<\/p>\n
Keep your phone call short and follow it up immediately with an email.<\/p>\n
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Always introduce yourself, don\u2019t be evasive. If you try to pull the wool over the receptionist\u2019s eyes it is unlikely you\u2019ll get much further.<\/p>\n
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If you are interested in a large-scale telemarketing operation, there are plenty of organisations in New Zealand which offer complete call centre telemarketing packages.<\/p>\n
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Email marketing is where you email your customer database with an offer. This could be an impersonal group email, or a personalised email letter merge or e-newsletter.<\/p>\n
With this sort of direct marketing you will need an accurate database with names and email addresses of the opt-in variety.<\/p>\n
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This is a great non-invasive way to keep customers up to date with what is going on in your business. For most businesses, sending an e-newsletter has become standard practice and customers expect it.<\/p>\n
Send out an e-newsletter at least once every quarter, just to keep your customers up to date. And throw in special issues when you have sales, special news or offers and of course let your customers know if you shut down for holidays.<\/p>\n
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Depending on how serious you want to get with your email marketing, consider consulting one of the many marketing companies who specialise in online marketing, as they can help you plan a professional campaign.<\/p>\n
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Sending out email marketing is easy, actually getting customers to open your email is not.<\/p>\n
Your subject line is key.<\/p>\n
Keep your subject line short and attention grabbing. Figure and numbers are a key feature which people respond to e.g. \u201875% of \u2026\u2019, \u20183 out of 4 \u2026\u2019, \u20186 ways to \u2026\u2019.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t try to be abstract or clever, try to sum up a benefit they will get or something else exciting.<\/p>\n
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Some words will trigger spam filters to block your email, so try and avoid the following in your subject line (or in the body of your email):<\/p>\n
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