Walking out to the mailbox has certainly become an arduous chore. You know what you're going to see when you get there. There are the standard bills, the unexpected bills, and the bills that you've paid already but the bill company is sending you a late notice incase you've paid but they haven't received it yet. Then there's my favorite...
I'm sure you've seen it a million times before: Dear Homeowner, Dear Sir, Dear Madam, aka Dear We-Don't-Know-Who-You-Are. Most of the times, you automatically classify it as junk mail and, if you're like me, trash it before it even gets opened.
However, every once in a while, you receive a letter from someone and the envelope has your name on it. You open it and prepare to read it, glad to hear from whoever has written you. How many times has that letter turned out to be a solicitation just like the ones you trashed, but you opened it anyway because it was addressed specifically to you?
I fall for it every time. I'm a sucker for anything with my name on it. I'm not the only one! I've gotten a significantly higher response rate on my mailings to homeowners looking to sell their houses by:
• Addressing the envelope to them personally (Sally Smith).
• Inserting their name in the salutation (Dear Sally).
• Using the homeowner's name in the body of the letter 3 times. (You know, Sally... Isn't that right, Sally...? Sally, have you heard about...)
By keeping your direct mail letter as personal as possible, you stand a much higher chance of getting your mail read and responded to just by including the name of the recipient in the letter sent. And after all, isn't that the purpose of a direct mail campaign...to get the recipient to respond?
Make the most of your marketing dollars by personalizing your direct mail. Keep your mail personalized and out of the garbage by using the homeowner's name. It's true what they say, "One man's trash IS another man's treasure".
Rachel Young is the owner of Big Cheese Marketing, which provides educational material and consulting services to real estate investors. Check them out online at www.bigcheesemarketing.com.
