"The Postcard vs Salesletter: A Case Study"

Are you ever confused about what to send to your prospects to get the maximum response with the minimum cost?  Do you ever wonder whether you should be sending out a full salesletter or a humble postcard?

If so, you'll find this case study fascinating.

I frequently get questions from business owners asking which direct mail piece they should use in their marketing efforts...postcards or salesletters.

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A Postcard or a Salesletter?
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As any good consultant would answer, I say "it depends."

It depends on a number of things like...

1. Are you generating leads or going for the sale?

2. Are you selling something everyone is already
   familiar with or do you have to explain your offering?

3. Are you sending the piece to past customers or new
   prospects?
   
These are just a few of the questions that you need to ask yourself before you can decide which tool is better to use.

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My Heart Is Torn In Two!
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To be honest, my heart is torn in two. 

I love a good, well-written salesletter, but they are more complex and expensive to send.

I love postcards and have had a LOT of success with them, but they have limitations.

The bottom line is that both methods of communicating with people can be extremely successful, if you use it for the right situation.

Here's a great example of what I mean...

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Look at This Salesletter and Postcard I Received In the Mail Just Yesterday...a Stark Difference!
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Yesterday, I received two promotions from local HVAC (heating and air conditioning) companies.  One was a postcard and the other, a letter.

The letter I received was from Arvell Moore, a local reputable HVAC business.

It's probably one of the BEST two page salesletters that I've ever received from an HVAC company. 

Heck, I would go so far as to say that it's one of the best two page salesletters I've ever received!

It has everything...

1. A compelling headline and attention-getting photo.

2. A very strong first paragraph. (it gets right to the point)

3. Startling statistics that PROVE the bold promise in the first paragraph.

4. Testimonials that further prove what the letter is promising.

5. An IRRESISTABLE offer.

6. A dynamite P.S.

It's got everything a great 2-page salesletter should have.  (In fact, it's so good that I think they must have purchased it from a marketing company.)

Would you like to see this letter?  (This one is for your swipe files!)

Here it is...

http://url123.com/md43p

(copy and paste the link into your browser)

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Now Here's the Postcard I Received
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The same day I received the salesletter I also received a postcard from a local HVAC company.

Take a look...

http://url123.com/mdbm5

(copy and paste the link into your browser)

The postcard offer was for a tune-up.  It didn't need a lot of explaining but if I had to choose between sending out the letter above and the postcard below, I would definately go with the letter.

Looking that the salesletter and this postcard just goes to prove one thing...

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What You Say to Prospects and How You Say It, Is More Important than What You Use to Say It With.
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Now with all that said, I don't know what the response was from either of these offers, but I can only imagine that this letter blew away the postcard.

(I could be wrong...I've been wrong once before. :-)

Actually, I have a good friend who is in the HVAC business (he is a competitor to Arvell Moore) and I've toured his operations several times.

He has a direct mail room that he says, "When we turn on that room and start cranking out letters, we automatically start getting business.  It's like a water faucet...you turn it on and it starts flowing."

That's the power of a great salesletter.

Have a great week!

David

P.S.  Be watching your inbox this next Tuesday morning for the announcement of my "Information Marketing Masters Workshop." 

This one workshop will far surpass any education that is being provided today about starting and growing and information marketing business.

If you're a past customer, be watching your email inbox later today!

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Recommended Resources
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THE SMALL BUSINESS MARKETING BIBLE

Attract more new customers, sell more to existing customers, and bring back your customers more often, with less effort.

http://www.TheMarketingBible.com

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