| Direct marketing guru and author Denny Hatch | | | | mailers making it past the mailroom and White |
| has a colorful name for executive assistants. He | | | | Fang. A couple of examples - |
| calls these good people, whose responsibilities | | | | - A company selling an enterprise level software |
| include screening phone calls, sorting the mail and | | | | package targeted 70 CFOs at large corporations. |
| helping to manage the daily activities of their | | | | One group received an authentic strait-jacket with |
| high-powered bosses "White Fang." And these | | | | sales collateral conveying the message that, "Most |
| days "White Fang" has very capable assistants of | | | | CFOs don't realize how constraining their financial |
| his or her own in the form of caller ID, voice mail | | | | software can be until it's too late." Another group |
| and email filters. | | | | received a full-size hammock and attached pillow. |
| Let's face it, a big part of their job is to keep us - | | | | The messaging theme for this mailer was, "When |
| the B-to-B Marketer - out. But because these | | | | making changes to accommodate your growing |
| senior-level executives can make or break our | | | | business needs, does your financial software leave |
| sales and marketing efforts, it's imperative that | | | | you hanging?" The program was a huge success, |
| we find ways to get our message in. And few | | | | helping the company produce $2 million dollars in |
| marketing tools are better suited for this task | | | | short-term sales and additional deals later on. |
| than direct mail. That said, I present - | | | | - Another marketer mailed a box. Inside the box |
| Five direct mail tips for marketing to senior-level | | | | was a silk napkin embroidered with the receiving |
| executives. | | | | company's logo, a set of silverware and a menu |
| 1. Make Your Mail Peer-To-Peer Personal - | | | | of the sending company's services. The offer? |
| Consider sending a personalized direct mail letter | | | | The sales rep would bring a catered lunch to a |
| "written" by your CEO, CFO, CIO, etc. on his or | | | | scheduled appointment. Question: How might we |
| her corporate stationery to his or her counterpart. | | | | tweak the above offer if our goal is to have the |
| Play up the commonalities both people share, the | | | | executive dine at our place of business and tour |
| business and professional challenges they face | | | | our plant or offices? How about we offer to send |
| that only someone in their position truly | | | | a limo to take the executive to and from our |
| understands. I call it honcho-to-honcho marketing | | | | offices? Remember, this is the Big Kahuna we're |
| and it can be very effective. For example, one | | | | targeting. A good meeting at your place of |
| organization had success with a simple | | | | business could be worth hundreds of thousands, |
| peer-to-peer letter bearing its CEO's name, | | | | maybe millions in revenues for your company. |
| personal telephone number and a brief description | | | | And you'll only pay the $300 - $400 for the limo if |
| of what the company offers. | | | | the executive takes you up on your offer. |
| 2. Use Dimensional Mail - In the lead-generation | | | | Don't Use Teaser Copy - In many larger |
| category of the Direct Marketing Association's | | | | companies your mail will be screened twice, once |
| 2005 Response Rate Report, response rates for | | | | in the mailroom and again by the executive |
| dimensional mail came in a close second to | | | | assistant. Teaser copy, copy on the envelope |
| telemarketing (5.28% vs. 5.53%). As a tool for | | | | such as FREE, Urgent, and the like, will scream |
| producing executive-level leads I have no doubt it | | | | JUNK MAIL and odds are you won't even make |
| ranked first. Simply stated, anything uniquely | | | | the first cut. Plus, even if you make it out of the |
| packaged, any envelope with a bulge, anything | | | | mailroom you won't make it past White Fang. |
| mailed in a box - you can usually count on these | | | | |