Why You Should Use USPS and Other Hints to Get the Maximum ROI on Your Prospecting Efforts

How many emails do you get each day? 50? 100? 200 or more? (For comparison, I receive between 50 and 80 every weekday.) Most business people complain about their overstuffed inboxes and some readily admit to deleting almost all messages except those from clients, vendors, or networking contacts.

If most people are sick of so many work emails anyway, how can you be sure your email marketing endeavors are landing and sticking?

Here are 5 factors that you should take into consideration in order to create an effective email prospecting campaign and get the best ROI on your efforts:

1. In every industry, there is heavy competition vying for the same pool of clients. To stand out, your marketing content must clearly communicate your industry expertise, your company’s value proposition, the problem(s) you solve, and key points of differentiation from the rest. Give yourself a boost to success by delivering informative, persuasive content.
2. Think carefully about your distribution list. The best messaging in the world doesn’t mean anything if you send it to the wrong prospect group. Be strategic about who and how you target so that you have the best chances for success with as many prospects as possible. Ask yourself: Who are your current clients? Who else are you trying to reach? Should you target prospects in the same category or do you want to go after a new segment of the marketplace?
3. Whether you send your prospecting communication by email or USPS (still preferred these days!), you will need to schedule multiple follow-up touch points in order to ensure the best response rate. Consider integrating your outreach email or USPS mail with phone contacts, and be proactive with invitations, information, and introductions.
4. Your website is the linchpin of your business. Any good outreach initiatives will prompt interested prospects to visit your website and review your products and/or services. Make sure that your website and prospecting materials are consistent and have the same messaging. A confused prospect will never become a client!
5. Think about designing a multi-step program whereby your mail or email is preceded by a short call designed to create interest and recognition. If you have the sufficient bandwidth, you can send different versions of your letter to see which message has the greatest impact.

Your business prospecting efforts take time and money. Move carefully, invest wisely, and you will see the best return on investment and time!