Tip#16: Focus on Creating Loyal Customers

Direct marketing is often focused on promotions which sell product trials.  The right customers must be targeted so they can be acquired and then converted into loyal customers.  Additional constant and consistent marketing should continue to build the relationship and loyalty to keep customers loyal to you and your brand.

The right customers will be attracted mostly by what the product does and not what the promotion offers.  If you only attract bad customers, they won't be loyal, and your return on investment will suffer.

Tip #15 Educate While you Communicate

The typical consumer requires 7 to 10 'touches' to initiate a buying decision . Strategically develop your communications to educate your consumer base one piece at a time, instead of struggling to convey your entire value proposition all at once. Each advertising message can build on the learning of the previous one; creating brand loyalists gradually and subtly.

Tip # 14 Learn the Missing 'When'

The answer “not now” is as much a pitfall to marketers as “not this.” Only consumers know when they are ready to buy, and they will tell you if you ask them in the right way.” Timing is as critical a component to direct marketing as message is. If your customers tell you “not now”, then ask them “when?"

Tip # 13 Encourage Interactive Dialogues

Listen to consumers rather than talk to them; they’ll be grateful for your responsiveness. Convert one-way advertising to two-way information sharing.
Utilize the interactive tools that are available to listen to your customer, and
don’t forget the power of the personal touch. Technology is great - Personal interaction is even better.

Tip #12 Be Accessible to Customers

Be there for your customers; be their database and source of information and service through as many channels of communication as possible. They can’t tell you what they need unless they can reach you. Remember, trusted advisers are reliable. They return phone calls. They are there when they say they will be, so if you ask customers or prospects to CALL NOW in your communication, be sure someone is there to answer the phone

Tip#11: Media is a Contact Strategy

Direct marketing should focus on measurable results that are directly related to your marketing program or campaign.  These measurements can be phone calls, emails, text messages, reply mail, or visits to specific campaign landing pages as well as conversions and return on investment.  Terms such as exposure, reach, and frequency are typically associated with traditional media and are usually just estimates of results that are difficult to measure.

Tip#10: "Suspects" Are Not "Prospects"

Prospects are consumers who are able, ready, and willing to buy; suspects are merely eligible to do so.  Direct marketing should focus on targeted prospects, which keeps costs down and ROI up.  Spend time on your lists.  Begin with a good list.  Clean it and add to it with each phase of the campaign and in future campaigns.  The more you track and measure, the more you will be able to zero in on your ideal prospects.

Tip#9: Know and Invest in Each Customer's Lifetime Value

"One automobile dealer calculates that a lifetime of cars sold to one customer would be worth $332,000.  How much should a marketer spend to create such a loyal lifetime customer for a given product or service?"  Some customers are better than others.  If you can determine an average lifetime value for your customers, you can use this to calculate how much time, money, and energy to spend on acquiring and retaining them.  You might also consider how much to allocate to them at different stages of their life cycle with you.

Tip#8: Create Relationships

"Relationships continue to grow - encounters do not.  The better the buyer-seller relationship, the greater the profit."  People are more likely to purchase from those they know and trust.  Direct marketing communications should always seek to create a new relationship or enhance an existing one.  Your communications should be relevant and as personal as possible with a focus on making the relationship stronger.

Tip#7: Build Your Brand

You must understand your brand and communicate your brand consistently and effectively throughout the process of direct marketing, packaging, point of purchase, repurchase, and after the sale.  Everything that is communicated and experienced in that process is your brand, which is ultimately what people are buying when they buy from you.

Tip#6: The Next Step - Profitable Advertising

“The results of advertising are increasingly measurable; they must now become accountable...”  Direct marketing is about generating results and measuring return on investment (ROI).  When you measure for profitability, you give yourself the opportunity to improve and optimize your marketing for peak performance and you are easily able to decide the most effective use of marketing dollars instead of simply guessing.

Tip#5: Advertising Must Change Behavior, Not Just Attitudes

“Favorable consumer attitudes go only part of the way to creating sales.  It’s also the consumer’s accountable actions such as inquiries, product trials, purchases, and repurchases that create profits.”  Direct marketing is about getting viable leads that will eventually convert to customers.  Always include a compelling call to action and make it easy for them to respond.  If you’re not asking them to do something, then it’s not direct marketing--it’s awareness advertising.

Tip#4: Answer the Question "Why Should I?"

"The most dangerous question a prospect or customer asks is "Why Should I?"  And he may ask it more than once - but never of you.  The product and communication stream must continue to provide him with both rational and emotional answers."  Never leave any doubt in your audience's mind of how your product or service will benefit them.

Tip#3: Communicate with Each Customer or Prospect as an Audience of One

You must have a deep understanding of customer needs, characteristics, and behaviors.  Use that knowledge and understanding to compose targeted messages (content and graphics) that speak directly to your audience.  With variable data technology, you can communicate specific targeted messages to different demographic segments of your market with a single campaign.  This is commonly referred to as "1:1 Marketing" or "Personalized Communications."