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THE LEVISON LETTER
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Action Ideas For Better Direct Mail,
E-mail, Web Sites & Advertising
Published by
Ivan Levison, Direct Response Copywriting
November, 2004
Volume: 19 Number: 11
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Make high profits from
low-volume direct mail campaigns
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Direct mail is a numbers game. We send out hundreds
of
thousands of letters or emails, but only expect a tiny
percentage of prospects to respond.
One of the consequences of mailing to so many names
is that we're constantly trying to cut costs. Obviously,
if you can get into the mail for a nickel or dime less
per package, you can save a lot of money.
This cost-cutting mind-set makes excellent sense when
you're doing mass mailings, but it can absolutely kill
you if you're mailing to a tiny list of important people.
You see, a small mailing means you can afford to spend a
lot more per piece and really make a tremendous
impression.
With a budget of $2 to $15 per package you can instantly
cut through the clutter and stop prospects right in their
tracks. Instead of being handcuffed by standard envelope
formats, you can afford to send creative 3D packages that are
guaranteed to get opened.
Let me give you some specific examples of how spending
a
bit of money on low-volume direct mail campaigns can
generate fabulous results.
1. A Sybase invitation to a private breakfast briefing.
Back in the mid 90s, when Sybase wanted to tell important
prospects about the advantages of client/server computing,
they decided to hold a series of small breakfast sessions.
At these by-invitation-only meetings, knowledgeable
speakers would make brief presentations in an informal,
relaxed setting.
There were too many prospects to call on the phone,
and a
standard invitation letter seemed hopelessly flat.
Instead, I suggested to Sybase that we send their key
clients a small box with a specially designed label that
said:
INSIDE: A special gift and
an invitation from SYBASE
Inside was a handsome coffee mug bearing the Sybase
logo.
Sitting on top of the cup was a multi-fold invitation.
On the cover of the invitation to breakfast was the headline:
Sybase would like you
to have this cup.
On October 4th
we'll pour the coffee.
The mailing, which contained additional information,
was
a tremendous hit and quickly filled up all available
seats.
2. An Intel invitation to a press reception.
When Intel launched its i860 64-bit microprocessor,
you
can be sure they did more than simply fax out press releases.
In fact, they invited the entire technical press corps to a
lavish reception at the Palace of the Legion of Honor in
San Francisco.
Intel called on me to write the invitation that had
to
draw reporters to the big event. They enthusiastically
told me that this chip "would knock people's socks off."
That explains why I sent every reporter on the contact
list a little box containing a pair of black wool socks.
The wrapper around the socks simply said:
On February 27, Intel will knock yours off!
The package also contained an invitation complete with
driving instructions.
I might add that this mailer was so successful it was
mentioned on the cover of the San Francisco Chronicle's
Business Section. Their blurb read " . . . Intel said the
chip will 'knock your socks off' - and included extra
socks with the invitation to the unveiling, to be held at
the California Palace of the Legion of Honor in San
Francisco."
That's the kind of impact you can have when you spend
some money on three-dimensional mailings that beg to be
opened!
3. An American President Lines mailing to hot prospects.
Some years ago, American President Lines came to me with
an interesting problem. They wanted to set up sales
presentations with a small number of companies that
shipped perishable cargoes all over the world. APL wanted
to prove that they were expert at transporting cargoes
like fruits, produce, seafood, poultry, flowers, etc.
How do you get your foot in the door at a company that
is
fanatical about product freshness? My answer was to send
each executive a beautiful, fresh, exotic orchid in a
lovely glass vase bearing the APL logo. The cover of the
accompanying note said:
When it has to arrive
in perfect condition . . .
Inside was the pitch for a personal meeting. The
logistics of getting fresh orchids to everyone were
daunting, but the mailing results were fabulous!
Now before you tell me that you don't have the same fat
budget for fancy enclosures that Sybase, Intel, and
American President Lines do, let me argue that you don't
need a ton of money to make a big splash. Only a little
imagination. Let me give you an example . . .
A good friend of mine produced slide shows for large
corporations - motivational programs, new product
launches, top executive speaker support, etc. He wanted
to tell Fortune 1000 companies about his services and
asked me to write him a high-impact letter that would
generate a bunch of hot leads. My friend explained that
his company faced a lot of competition and he desperately
needed to differentiate himself from the crowd.
Here's what I did . . . I had him produce a thousand
35mm
transparencies, (the kind you put in a slide projector
tray). Except these slides were all totally blank. I
had my friend glue one of these slides to the top of each
letter, right above the salutation.
I immediately began my pitch to the prospect by making
the point that everyone who produces slide shows starts
with the same, identical blank slide. What makes the
difference between a boring, lifeless slide presentation
and an exciting, memorable event is the creativity and
experience of the firm selected to produce the show . . .
the ability of the producer to create a seamless flow of
attractive images that inform, motivate, and sell.
In other words, I didn't write the usual cliche-ridden
letter that most of my friend's competitors sent out.
(You know the kind I'm talking about . . . "Allow me to
introduce myself. I'm Bill Smith and I represent a
company that's totally committed to the success of your
next presentation . . . ")
Instead, I grabbed the reader's attention with the glued-
on blank slide, then rolled into the copy.
I'm happy to say that the letter I wrote for my buddy
generated a whole bunch of hot leads and he was
delighted.
So what's the bottom line?
Simply, that every direct mailing you create doesn't
have to be a five-piece #10 package. If you have a small
list to mail to, you can spend a little more, add a new
dimension to your package (literally!), and dramatically
increase your response rates.
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How To Get In Touch
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Ivan Levison
Direct Response Copywriting
14 Los Cerros Drive
Greenbrae, CA 94904
Phone: (415) 461-0672
Fax: (415) 461-7738
E-mail: ivan@levison.com
Web Site: http://www.levison.com
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Copyright 2005, by Ivan Levison, All Rights Reserved.
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