The 10 Do’s and Don’ts of Direct Response Marketing (DRM)
by David Speakman, Speak up!
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1. DO…understand your prospect.

Remember: It’s not about you! If you don’t understand what’s important to your prospects, how they make decisions, what their goals and expectations are and how you potentially fit into that equation, you’ll be lucky to even achieve vendor status-let alone become the partner needed to be effective.

2. DON’T…be like everyone else.

In this information age, your prospects are being bombarded and, therefore, desensitized to marketing messages. If your messaging and design does not stand out in the crowd, you’ll be left out of your prospects decision-making process.

3. DO…keep it simple.

The fundamentals of Direct Response Marketing still apply:

1. You need a good list

2. Messaging needs to be relevant to the prospect

3. Prospects need to be “touched” multiple times

4. Timing is important

5. Design and messaging need to be unique

6. You need a compelling offer

4. DON’T…look for the magic solution.

When meeting with a prospect in the early stages of qualifying and quantifying a DRM program, there is always an expectation that you are going to show up with the magic solution in your back pocket. It sounds odd saying it and probably an illogical expectation, but it’s very real. There is no such thing as a magic solution. If someone promises one, they’re lying.

5. DO…put yourself in your prospect’s shoes.

Understand that one size does not fit all. The importance of profiling and segmenting your targets into multiple buckets cannot be overstated. With technology in personalization, it is possible to customize your messaging to different prospects ensuring you are hitting the hot buttons that will motivate them to action.

6. DON’T…fall into the “we” mentality.

Traditionally, the need to tell everyone what you’re capable of has always been the objective. If you find yourselves using the word “we” more than you should, you may be “pushing” your message out rather than “pulling” your prospects in.

7. DO…your research!

If you find yourself saying “I think”, you may want to re-think your approach. While you’ll always know your business better than anyone else, often times it takes some simple research to truly get the facts. The worst outcome may simply be a validation of what you originally thought. Then, instead of saying “I think”, you’ll be able to confidently say “I know”.

8. DON’T…bury the lead.

Avoid packing a direct mailer with so many “important points” that that the impact is lost. Remember, ideal prospects are looking for a solution. They are expecting it to be simple, easy to understand and presented in meaning-rich style. Messaging should not be “stiff” or formal and good grammar should not replace good sense.

9. DO…make your messages “sticky”.

Research has found that sticky messages are:
Simple
Unexpected
Concrete
Credible
Emotional
Stories

10. DON’T…lose sight of the big picture.

While it is understood that the “funnel” approach is sound, if the funnel is filled with unqualified and unlikely-to-buy prospects, the likelihood of achieving the main goal is not good. Truly understanding your “ideal” prospect, standing out in the crowd, being simple, concrete and unexpected and incorporating new technology and tactics will enable you to attract the right prospects.

Sources: Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath