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Are You Committing The Seven Deadly Sins of B2B Direct Marketing?
ARE YOU COMMITTING
THE
s the shift continues toward greater accountability for marketing expenditures, Adirect marketing is growing
DEADLY more and more attractive to B2B marketers. This can be attributed to the fact that a crucial component of direct marketing is measurability, a component that takes the guesswork out of the marketing equation.
However, measurability can cut
SINS both ways:
OF B2B DIRECT MARKETING? When programs are performing, everybody wants to share in the glory. 7 But when programs don't perform, the glory-seekers flee, and the program manager is left holding the empty bag (regardless of how much input they received from others). And that "input" provided by others? It's often based on personal opinion, not quantifiable data. Do those offering their opinions identify with the target audience or qualify to purchase the product or service? If not, be careful. Such input often leads to one or more of The Seven Deadly Sins of B2B direct marketing.#1: treating lists like an inventory item. #5: providing multiple "do this, get that" offers.Do you source your lists from the lowest bidder? Why? Your contact When extending that all-important response offer, keep it simple. lists are a key strategic component of the campaign, not a mere Don't provide too many offers or choices. Options may confuse and inventory item. You need to research the available lists and find the overwhelm your prospect, and they may end up not acting at all. One best lists possible for the audience and segments you want to target. single offer, communicated clearly, works best.Using a list simply because it has the lowest cost-per-thousand will restrict your success. #6: "panic" marketing.Panic marketing almost never works. If your prospect needs nine Once the best list sources are identified, then you must do the months to make a purchase decision, direct marketing can't possibly best job you can of defining the key emotional drivers within each help your sales today. If the target customer needs 18 months to segment. For example, a CEO may have very different "hot buttons" make a decision, direct marketing can't affect sales this year. Direct than a CIO or a CFO. Your creative and strategic teams can't marketing works best when it is used to generate a consistent brainstorm effectively until they know who they are speaking to. number of leads over a period of time-a steady, ongoing process The "how" and the "what" of your creative strategy cannot begin that predictably fills the lead pipeline. If you find a particular sales without the "who." quarter needs some help reaching the numbers, have the sales force dangle some special incentives in front of the qualified prospects #2: "piling on" already on file. Trouble begins when someone says, "Well, while we're talking to them about X, let's also mention Y." No! When you pile on additional #7: underestimating the power of objectives, your response rates will go down. Ask yourself, "What well-done creative.is the first and most important goal of your direct marketing Even if you've done everything else right-your list is good, communication?" Identify whatever it is, and stick to it. Don't your leads are qualified, your offer is meaningful and clear-if "pile on" the messaging. your "presentation" looks like junk, it will be treated like junk. Good creative-creative that is well-designed, well-written, and #3: using reason instead of emotion. professional-sets you apart from your competition and gets noticed You only have 15 seconds (at the most) to capture your by your prospects. Good creative earns your target's trust and respect, target's attention. You can't do that with a rational approach; making them more likely to respond to your products and services. you must appeal to your target's emotions-you must set off their Simply put: good, smart creative performs!emotional "hot buttons." Avoiding the Seven Deadly Sins should help you create and manage #4: not including a clear "do this, get more successful, creative BtoB direct marketing that" offer. programs that both get noticed and perform.A "do this, get that" response offer is the best (and fastest) way to make that critical emotional connection with your prospect who is subconsciously asking, "What's in it for me?" A worthwhile offer can For questions or talk about your own B2B di... [download for more]
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