XMENTE BRIEF
Five "Rights" to direct mail results for pool retailers.
1. Right List. The list is the most important element in any direct mail campaign. No matter how well you do everything else, if the list isn't right, you will fail. To get the most out of your campaign the list must reach your existing customers, lost customers and high quality prospects who have never made contact with you but live in your trade area.
Xmente applied its expertise in large-scale data mining and analytics to over 239 million consumers nationwide to develop the most complete and current list of pool owner addresses available today. Then we developed a process to clean your customer list, combine it with Xmente's list and remove duplicates. We help you define your trade area and budget. All the data services are free and you only pay to license the pool owner addresses that were not on your original list.
Xmente’s X-Factor list is the highest quality, most complete, evidence-based prospect list available. Everything begins with coverage of prospects. A prospect who doesn’t receive your message has no chance to respond. Advertising to unqualified individuals is a waste of time and money.
2. Right offer. You have 3-5 seconds to get your prospects attention, period! The offer sounds like a simple concept – and it is – but for some reason, many people, including many in the advertising profession, have never fully grasped it. The problem is that almost everyone views advertising from a branding perspective where creative concepts, clever wordplay and eye-catching graphics rule the day. Brand advertising is largely a subjective form of advertising with no ability to measure results and no direct relationship between advertising and sales.
Xmente understands that direct response is very different. Direct response is measurable down to the penny and it produces real, tangible results in the form of leads or customers. But to be successful at it, one must understand that response is generated not from creativity, but from your offer.
3. Right frequency.
· It takes time. The actual “gestation” period of a homeowner considering purchasing from you can span quite a range of time. Depending on the product and individual circumstances, prospects may look at your mail pieces for an extended period before they follow through.
· It takes regularity. You need to be mailing to these people when they finally become motivated. You want to be “Top of Mind.” Remember that time and circumstances change all things. This is especially true for the pool and hot tub industry.
4. Right time. You want your message to show up when something happens in your prospect’s life that creates an interest in your product. For example, pool openings and liner replacement. It is a significant disadvantage if pool owners receive your promotion two weeks after your competition. On the other hand, sending a store traffic driving promotion before the weather breaks will also have limited response. Identifying and targeting the best times consumers shop each year for various products and geographies may require experimentation.
5. Right measures. Combining your point of sale data with direct marketing results provides a lot of information. Every mailing brings new data to the table as part of a continual process to improve marketing performance that is designed to help you to grow in three key areas:
- Acquire New Customers
- Retain Existing Customers
- Win-back Lost Customers
But having this data is only part of the equation. The real question is “What do you do with it?” That’s where Xmente steps in. We are experts at analyzing business performance, something every small business needs but few owners have the time or skills to do well.
With Xmente's help you will see prospects, customer retention, competitors and improvement opportunities in a way that is not normally visible. We identify cost effective action you can take on your own or using Xmente’s turnkey support. And the base level of our analytical services are free for our ongoing customers.
Track campaign promotions, messages, leads, respondents, responses and close rates to know where and how to improve. Successful lead generation and close is a continuous process and not an event.
To receive a free pdf file of this paper or to inquire about our services, contact Steve Carlyle: stevecarlyle@frontier.com