Get Better Customer Response With Brochure Mailings

Many companies mail brochures to prospects that phone for more information about the company's products or services. Or they may send updated brochures to their existing customers. But they often don't include one, inexpensive element that could boost customer response: a cover letter. Brochures are impersonal. A letter is the most personal of all written communication. It creates immediate rapport. It makes the reader feel that he or she matters to the company and is not part of the anonymous masses. A cover letter can also set you apart from competitors who don't use them. You might want to create a general cover letter template that sales personnel can access on their computers and modify it for their respective customers or prospects. Here's a few content ideas for a brochure cover letter: -Address the customer by name. -Include updated information about your products or services since the printing of the brochure. -Reinforce the top benefits of your product or service. -If your company uses one brochure to sell to different target markets, clearly emphasize the benefits that are specific to the customer's particular market. You might also tell readers where in the brochure they can find more info about products and services related to their sector. The less work customers have to do to find the right information, the better the response. -Remind customers of other available marketing material or resources that have been created since the brochure's printing. Perhaps you've started an electronic newsletter. Here's the perfect place to encourage customers to visit your website and sign up for it. -Tell customers about valuable information in your brochure that would make them keep it for future reference. For example, an accounting firm might include a section with "10 Tips To Reduce Your Taxes Today." -Include testimonials from satisfied customers. -At the end of the letter, have a clear "Call to Action." Tell customers what they should do next. Call a sales person? Visit your website? Send an email? Don't leave it up to the customer to figure out what's the next step in the sales process.