The 10 Most Common Mistakes That Can cripple your Fax Campaign
Sending out sales flyers to prospective customers or potential clients is one of the most effective ways to create loyalty and get your market to buy.
But then, many sales approaches are regarded as junk mail by today's consumers. For example, when was the last time you opened a sales letter and actually read it? And why didn't you? Because it didn't entice you. It didn't speak to you and most importantly it didn't give you any reason to bother. Here are ten simple and avoidable mistakes that could be costing you in lost sales:
#1. Your flyer doesn't speak to anybody in particular.
Okay, you've prepared a fax flyer and are ready to send it out. Number One question is - who will be receiving it? Will it be the person that you want to read your message? If it isn't, how will you get your message brought to the attention of that person?
With the best will in the world, we cannot know where each fax machine is located within any company. Nor can we know the name of each manager within any company, so personally addressing your fax is just not possible.
However, you can visualise the role of the person that you want to target. That is most likely be the person who makes the decision as to whether your product or service is purchased. So direct your flyer to that person. Tell whoever receives the fax to pass it on as your flyer contains information that will be of direct benefit to their company. Then again, your flyer could be of benefit to employess generally, e.g. you want them to join your health club, etc. In that case, you should tell them to pin it up on the staff notice board.
Always consider that the most important time in your flyer's life is the first five seconds as the recipient scans it. That decides whether it is acted upon - or binned unread. Get past that test and you'r half-way there
#2. It's missing a headline.
Flyers need to attract the eye. Without a headline, a flyer is just a block of words that can easily be ignored. Just look at the headline of this article: it speaks directly to YOU, doesn't it? It speaks in the present tense, and it implies that there is information in this article that you need to read now (and it's true, too!). That's a big reason why you are reading this, isn't it? Motivate your readers to keep reading!
#3. You don't know the difference between FEATURES and BENEFITS.
This is the biggest, most common mistake that companies make in their flyers. If somebody writes me a letter and says, "Hey! Look at what we've got! Look what we've done! Aren't we great?!?", I'm going to throw it away.
What do people really want to hear about? They want to hear about themselves. It's simple human nature. We all have egos, and they need to be stroked. So talk about them: "Hey! You know that problem you have? This is how we can help you out..."
If you are writing about your business, you are writing a FEATURE. That's not what you're supposed to be writing. If you are writing about the consumer, you are writing a BENEFIT. That's what people want to hear about - what's in it for me?
#4. Give them a reason to respond.
If your response rates are down, you may not be giving your market enough of a reason to contact you. Where's the offer? If the consumer reads your entire sales letter, but they are not motivated to take action IMMEDIATELY, you did it wrong. Tell them - Do This, Do It Now!!
You could consider giving them a discount or some form of special offer for responding to your flyer, but above all, you must motivate them. Also make sure that they can respond to your offer as easily as possible. Give them complex forms to fill in or ask for what they consider to be too much, or sensitive, information is a big turn-off.
#5. You are assuming they'll take your word for it.
UH! UH! - you need to give them proof. That means statistics or facts that show them that it works. That could mean testimonials from people who have enjoyed the benefits. Or any other form of proof that you can think of. People won't just listen to you based on what you say - show them what others are saying.
#6. Your letter is unpleasant to look at.
Beyond the headline, how have you formatted your flyer? Is it just a bunch of words? Then forget it. You might as well have mailed them a 700-page Charles Dickens novel, because that's what they will relate your flyer to. You don't necessarily have to put in pictures. But at least put in some sub-headlines or lists. They need something they can easily scan to quickly get the gist of the letter. It will greatly increase the odds of them reading the whole thing. But beware, some pictures can actually detract from your message. Make sure that any that you use reproduce well in black and white. Line drawings are ideal. Try to make it look as professional a flyer as possible because this will reflect on how they think of your company. In most cases, a flyer is not a letter and flyers dressed up to look like letters usually look boring.
#7. You didn't break down the barriers.
Barriers are the things that keeps the consumer from buying from you. Most of the time, barriers refers to risk. They worry that they are investing their time or money in something that won't work. You need to convince them that it will be worth it. Offer them a 30-day, money-back guarantee etc. If you can give them a reason to take the plunge, risk-free, there's a good chance that they will.
#8. You don't have a "P.S." at the end.
The "P.S." is a great way to hit the last few skimmers - people who aren't reading. Sum up your biggest benefit, combine it with your offer, and throw it in as the last line in your letter. Watch those response rates grow! For example:
P.S. "Un-repeatabe offer. Take this opportunity while stocks last". Etc.
Always finish your flyer with very firm call to action - in the form of Do this, and do it now!!
#9. Nothing makes you stand out.
Who are you targeting and why? You need to position yourself as something unique. If you are just like the others, then why should they buy from you. Remember that when you make your offer and explain your benefits. You need to have something different to motivate your specific target market. And don't forget that you prospective customer also wants the best service available as well as the best price.
#10. Your flyer arrives at the wrong time.
When is the right time? That's easy, it's when the recipient has an interest in your product or service and is prepared to act on it. Give your flyer the best possible chance of hitting a prospect by considering when they are most likely to give it their consideration. If they could also benefit from your services or products in the future, tell them to file your flyer for reference as they will need it then.