I am always an advocate of getting back to basics that work and being creative, curious, and inquisitive to try new ways. I believe, as you know by now, that personalization is key to distinguishing yourself from your competitors. Not only should content be personal but so should the cadence you use to reach out and the channels you use to connect with prospects and customers.
So for this post, I will focus on the channels we use to connect. Yes, there is the phone, email, LinkedIn, but think about an old fashioned medium that few implement and pay attention to: direct mail. It’s been used as a communication mode for years, but oh yes, it’s lots of work. Direct mail requires more effort to plan and execute, much more than popping out an email or sending an InMail. Why?
Here’s what a direct mail campaign entails:
- Decide on the list of companies contacts and titles to be included in your mail campaign
- Determine the best address to send it to: remote location or office address
- Devise the personalized contact
- Purchase the material stationary, stamps
- Determine who will handwrite a note, or produce the materials to be sent
- Understand the timeline of the task completion and deliver and plan accordingly
So why bother if it’s so much extra work?
- Few are doing it, so you distinguish yourself from your competitors
- What more human way to connect with another through a personal handwritten note
- Plain and simple, it’s creative and different
If you try this approach, I’d be interested in hearing your results.