The Nurture Institute Blog

In marketing, direct mail is one of the most basic, ‘direct,’ ways to communicate with potential and existing clients. Effective communication consequently nourishes company-client relationships, generating the long-term loyalties that set the chain reaction for successful business in motion: company sends mail, client receives mail, client is impressed, client establishes relationships with company, client spreads the word, client encourages family member/friend/colleague to join mailing list, process repeats. Notwithstanding, the whole thing is futile without that vital third step: impressing the client. The trick to mastering that much is presenting yourself with class and honesty, setting yourself apart from junk mail and pushy advertisements and keeping your mail out of the wastebasket. Appearance is key in direct mail, because it takes a good first impression to get your mail opened; in this case, a good first impression means not looking like a bill. For instance, window envelopes and bar codes signify aggressive demands for purchase and payment, so avoid using them in your mailings. Also, print addresses directly on standard envelope, because no label equals junk mail as well. To a potential customer, these seemingly small details translate to “we want your money,” a message that completely defies Nurture Institute principles. Rather than expending our energies on short-term sales, we aim to achieve that perfect fit between company and consumer, which provides the basis for long-term success. Aside from not being mistaken for a bill, direct mail must secure the client’s interest in its own right before the envelope is even opened. To ensure this, remember what gets opened - boxes, FedEx, lumpy mail and 8×10 envelopes are much more intriguing than your basic bill-sized letter. In our experience at Nurture, including small ‘presents’ along with our mail adds curiosity-arousing dimension and inclines the recipient to read what’s inside. What’s more, the presents are signature so they concurrently make us memorable and further support our image as a giving, good-natured institution. However, since our messages are mainly simple greetings and reminders, avoid delivery methods that denote urgency such as FedEx. This ploy to stand out contradicts our standards of honesty, which is unacceptable in any kind of trusting relationship, business or otherwise. To reinforce your mail’s appearance as both professional and personal, always use a first class commemorative stamp and quality paper for your letterhead and envelopes. Minor as these aspects may seem, these simple gestures demonstrate care and competence, just as personal appearance would in a job interview. In a way, a respectable appearance is even more important in mail than in person, because while a very good talker can explain their way out of the coffee stains on their blouse or their jacket’s wrinkles or even mismatched socks, a letter’s appearance must speak for itself. Once your letter is successfully read and your message conveyed you need something else memorable to associate with your company, ideally a logo. Utilize your logo within your mail as often as is appropriate and your advertising will fall into place without having to taint your company’s name with aggressive advertising. Logos, like the enclosures, are unique and assist in personalizing your company. Personalization makes a company accessible to the client whereas anonymity hinders any prospects for a compatible relationship. Hand-sign your letters to greater personalize your business; your client needs to know they are worth your time rather than a copy machine’s. Sign using blue ink rather than black to further differentiate yourself from a copier’s digital black. Everyone likes blue, and as I’m sure you’ve grasped by now, a simple splash of color goes a long way. To confirm that everything in your direct mailing goes as planned, include your name on your mailing list and you will view the customer’s perspective yourself. Good luck!