Direct Mail Response Rates Soar Using Dimensional Mailers
by Alan Sharpe
Published on this site: July 22th, 2005 - See
more articles from this month...
The toughest job you face as a B2B direct marketer is reaching
your prospect with your message. Reaching C-level executives
is particularly difficult because they employ mailroom staff
and executive secretaries who screen their mail, or your mail,
depending on how you look at it. So unless your direct mail
lead generation letter or postcard or self-mailer stands out
from the rest, it won't reach the desk of your potential client.
That's why dimensional mailers are one of the most effective
ways to reach elusive prospects with your sales message. A
dimensional mailer is simply one that has more than two dimensions.
Unlike a letter, postcard or self-mailer, it has three dimensions.
Dimensional mailers are usually boxes, but they can also be
sturdy envelopes that have something three-dimensional inside.
These kinds of packages are also known as "lumpy mail."
Dimensional mail is effective because it stands out. It gets
attention because it doesn't look like everything else that
the executive is receiving that day. Dimensional mail is also
effective because it always gets opened. I am confident
in predicting that no one who receives a box 36 inches long,
9 inches wide and 5 inches deep, bearing the prospect's name
and job title on the top and an intriguing headline, is going
to pitch the box in the trash unopened. Innate human curiosity
is too powerful for that.
TIPS FOR PRODUCING DIMENSIONAL MAILERS
- Use a standard size of box if possible to save on printing
costs (talk to a printer)
- Put something in the box that is valuable, or fun, or
both
- Make sure what's in the box ties in with what you are
selling
- Make your sales message inside the box easy to find and
easy to understand
- Remember that the goal of a dimensional mailer is not
to close a sale but to generate a lead, so keep your message
focussed on achieving that goal and nothing else
ADVANTAGES OF DIMENSIONAL MAIL
- Gets noticed amidst all the other mail your prospect receives
- Almost guaranteed to get opened
- Likely to get opened first
- Great at stimulating buzz at a company
- Likely to make it past the executive gatekeeper
DISADVANTAGES OF DIMENSIONAL MAIL
- More costly to design, print and mail than other direct
mail formats
- Might be mistaken at the target company fora bomb or
a prank
- Expensive to produce if you need a custom-made box
- Box can get damaged along with your brand reputation
if delivered by mail
- May be perceived as a bribe for a sales appointment if
the item in the box is particularly valuable
EXAMPLE OF A SUCCESSFUL DIMENSIONAL MAILER
Continental Resources generated a 30% response rate by mailing
a remote-control dinosaur to technology executives (without
the remote control). Prospects got the remote control and
batteries when they booked an appointment with a
Continental sales rep. To see the mailer, visit: http://www.sharpecopy.com/newsletter/index.php/direct-mail-
response-rates-dimensional-mailers-business-to-business-lead-
generation/
Alan Sharpe is a business-to-business direct mail copywriter
who helps business owners and marketing managers generate
leads, close sales and retain customers using creative direct mail marketing. Learn more about his services and sign up for free weekly tips like this at www.sharpecopy.com/newsletter
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