Bad business habits lead to bad outcomes. These four bad habits could seriously be impacting your growth, so we’ve taken the time to highlight each one. 

Failing to Strategize

We often write about forecasting and business planning on our blog. In the past, we have shared a 3 part series on strategic planning and we really can’t emphasize enough just how important this is. If you’ve never done any form of strategic planning now is the time to change that! Failure to strategize is the equivalent of ‘winging it’ in business. Sometimes if luck is on your side things work out temporarily. For a sustainable business strategy and planning is key. 

The first step is analyzing the previous business year’s performance and asking why things played out the way they did. The second step is doing the math! Looking at your sales and breaking this down into months or weeks. The final part is understanding patterns in your finances. You can read all about each step in our guides as linked above. 

No Contingency Plan

2020 is proving to be one of the most challenging years yet, not just for businesses but for all of us around the world. Although this is a very extreme example, unforeseen circumstances must be extenuated as must realistically possible for business survival. In order to do this we need to forecast all eventualities. This is where strategy comes in to play again. In order to survive a rocky patch of business we need multiple contingency plans in place. 

It’s a bit like doomsday prepping but for business! If you were to lose your main supplier what plans do you have in place? If the cost of manufacturing increased substantially what would you do? There are so many possible variations and outcomes that could apply to your organization you can’t create too many contingency plans. The more you have, the more layers of protection you have. 

Not Delegating

When we’re busy running our companies it’s easy to get caught up in all the day-to-day menial tasks that don’t contribute to growth. As the owner or director of a business we must focus on opportunities for growth, growing business and building sustainability. Often this can be changed by simply delegating tasks to employees or outsourcing elements that eat into your precious time. Opportunities for growth are missed when we are consumed by daily tasks. If you’re too busy working in the business you can’t work on the business.

A Narrow Marketing Reach

If you don’t take a multi-channel approach to marketing you could be missing out on thousands or even millions of new customers. 

A multi-channel marketing approach is usually always best. Firstly, you can cast a wider net initially if you use multiple methods to reach customers (email, search, postal mail etc.). Reaching customers where they prefer to receive information and where they respond best. Secondly, you can create a funnel to build on initial brand awareness and take a customer through the buying journey. For example, you might use a piece of direct postal mail to pull in the recipient. This could take them to your website, but you might later hit them with a remarketing advert on social media or a follow-up email marketing campaign. The type of funnel best for your business will depend on the product/service. A considered purchase, for example, might involve more channels and a longer process than a low-ticket sale.

Zairmail (www.zairmail.com) is the fastest and easiest way to send (real) postal mail. Give us a call anytime at 888.898.0066, we would be happy to help with your direct mail needs.

There are some modern marketers who have never considered postal direct mail.  This is often because digital marketing is seen as less expensive and more immediate.

Direct mail, email, search engine marketing, print ads, and even water closet media, are all forms of advertising.  They are tools that we can use to interrupt, inform, persuade, and call to action. We need to understand the capabilities and limitations for each of our tools to select the best one for the job.

Digital marketing can be a very effective tool for maintaining a rapport once you have a relationship with a current or potential customer. It can also be extremely effective if a prospective customer is actively searching for the product or service you sell. 

However, if you need to find a new customer, especially if they are not actively searching for your product/service (they may not even know it exists), then direct mail has several distinct advantages.

Direct mail is active communication. The customer does not have to look for it, it is delivered to them.  

The delivery (open) rates are close to 100% – especially for postcards. Compare that with delivery rates for email which can be less than 30%.  A client can’t open or act on a message they don’t even receive.

Direct mail can reach every household and business in America. The US Postal Service is changed with making sure your mail is delivered.  

The average American has 2.5 email addresses. This can include a work address and a personal address.  Consumers quite often have multiple personal email addresses. They may get one from their Internet provider, one from their smartphone provider, and email accounts are still free from Google, Microsoft, Yahoo!, and many others.  How will you know which address to use?

Demographics are very well defined for direct mail prospects. Reaching the right person, with exactly the right message, is the key to producing results.

If we want to find the mailing address for renters in Union County, Oregon, with an income of more than $24,000/year, with at least two children in the home, that list is available. We might even be able to tell what type of car they own or how they voted in the last election.  Of course, we have all seen, there is lots of data online. There has been no shortage of high profile data breaches over the last several years. However, it is still a challenge to link this data to a specific electronic delivery address.

Sharpening your tools.  Direct mail is not all created equal.  

The mail format you choose should depend on your goals.  A postcard can powerfully deliver an immediate message.  It is like a mini-billboard in the mail. Postcards are designed to stand out, grab attention with an eye-catching visual, and secure a spot on the fridge!  Direct mail is kept for an average of 17 days, so staking out a spot on the most popular appliance in the house is a solid accomplishment.

A snap-pack, also known as a pressure-sealed mailer, is an impossible to resist format when used to reach consumers.  This package requires the recipient to peel off the edges in order to open it, just like they might open a paycheck or PIN number. Snap-packs stand out in the mail because they are not as common, and they are (mentally) linked to a specific type of mail that people may have received in the past.  The sender can put private information for the recipient on the inside and add teaser copy on the outside.

A standard letter, or course, is another good format to consider.  A letter allows the sender to include more detailed information and it all remains private. The envelope used can be a double windows, single window, or closed face (no window). A letter in a double window envelope looks just like a bill, so most recipients will open it, just to make sure. This gives the sender the open they need to tell their story (in detail, if required).

Use a Reliable Partner

Zairmail has been helping organizations just like yours, deliver winning direct mail campaigns, for over two decades. Zairmail has a complete automated platform that allows customers to upload their document, upload their list, and approve a proof in real-time. That is all there is to it, Zairmail takes it from there.  The mail is printed, inserted, addressed, mailed, and tracked.

Zairmail can also help with marketing advice, campaign design, or direct mail lists.  Zairmail provides free postcard templates, access to thousands of specialized mailing lists, and specialized online software to automate your sales team.

The process is faster, easier, less expensive – and stress free

Zairmail (www.zairmail.com) is the fastest and easiest way to send (real) postal mail. Give us a call anytime at 888.898.0066, we would be happy to help with your direct mail needs.