One of the biggest advantages of using traditional direct mail and email as lead generation vehicles is your ability to target specific prospects based on common criteria and efficiently move them through the sales cycle. Effective direct marketing programs establish an ongoing dialogue based on the customer’s position in the sales cycle, pain and needs, receptiveness to key messages, and the appropriate next step toward closing the sale. Tracking every stage of the process is vital for success.

The following general guidelines can be applied to most business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) direct marketing programs.

1. Do as much research as possible, develop a database, and involve your sales team from the beginning. They know which leads have the most potential and they’re accountable for closing them. Your database should capture all relevant information about the entire universe of prospects that can buy your product or service. It is important to have buy-in from your sales team on the criteria used to develop the list and the method for identifying valuable prospects.

2. Typical response rates vary from less than a percent up to double digits. Using telemarketing to supplement direct mail efforts will significantly boost response rates. This type of one-two punch works well in B2B direct marketing programs and for offerings that have an extended sales cycle.

3. Overall, the key variables in determining response rates are:

• Respondent database – the fit and quality of the targeted universe usually have the most impact. Consequently, developing a comprehensive universe of sales prospects can have the biggest payoff in terms of higher response rates and closing sales.


• The Offer – we’re all pragmatic and can be persuaded to respond. An appealing offer that reinforces your message and value proposition can make or break your response rate. The incentive level should correspond with the perceived value of the product or service.


• Creative format – although the package generally has less impact on response rates than the list and offer, it reflects your brand and communicates your key messages.

4. The package needs to be tailored to the target audience by identifying their pain and communicating a unique and highly relevant value proposition. Throughout your direct program, integrated communications in terms of messaging, media, formats, incentives, and tracking are essential.

5. Readers pay more attention when you speak directly to them so personalize your direct marketing package as much as possible. This can be achieved by addressing the target audience by name and with messaging and an offer that moves them through the sales cycle. Variable data printing technology enables this practice to be implemented cost-effectively, even for smaller lists.

6. Direct marketing is a hands-on process and periodic measurement is imperative. Leads should be tracked individually and overall based on the source, sales potential, stage in sales cycle and conversion rates. This type of lead tracking system can be integrated with CRM systems to report a set of meaningful metrics to evaluate and optimize your direct marketing program.

7. Once your program is generating sales leads, evaluate both the quantity and quality of those leads. Based on your quantity/quality objectives, you can decrease lead volume (and increase lead quality) by adjusting your offer, providing a free gift or premium, and facilitating the response process by using a toll-free number, user friendly Web site or postage-paid reply vehicle. Increasing lead quality can be accomplished by asking the prospect for more information, changing the offer, and eliminating unrelated gifts or premiums.

8. For permission-based email campaigns, the time and day of the week the message is sent will impact deliverability. A 2004 study by Return Path suggests about 20 percent of email does not get delivered to the inbox as intended, largely because it gets mistaken as spam. To maximize deliverability rates, the best times to send your message are between 6 AM and 10 AM and the best days of the week are Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.

9. HTML email messages should be less than 50Kbytes in size. To maximize response rates, it’s important to keep the design clean, use the above-the fold area to communicate your offer (not your product shot or elaborate graphics), and lead the prospect to a customized landing page.

“The fit and quality of the targeted universe usually have the most impact.”