Minding Your Own Brand

Why can’t we be friends? ... Continued

Why? Because a box guarantees your direct mail piece will be opened. Boxes, big or small, always end up on top of a stack of mail. Gatekeepers would never open a box addressed to someone else and the “little kid at Christmas” in all of us ensures that the intended recipient will be compelled to open a box to see what it is.

The second reason this was an “Awesome Marketing Strategy” was that her message was creative, compelling, and left the recipient wanting more. The rep wetted my friend’s appetite and did not overwhelm her with capabilities brochures, samples or special offers. This marketing piece didn’t try to do too much. It did what it was supposed to do; it introduced the company, the rep and extended an offer to begin a dialog. But more importantly, this piece made an offer to begin a relationship based on something other than doing business together.

This is great example of how to begin a true relationship with a prospect. Instead of just marketing at my friend, the rep marketed to her, while setting the stage for a potential friendship. By doing her homework, this rep found a basis for a friendship and who wouldn't want to do business with a friend? They now have something in common besides a potential order and when my friend needs a printer, she will call this rep.

So this rep has taught us how to stand out and catch a prospect’s attention, but more importantly the lesson from this story is that instead of looking at a prospect in terms of just a sale, we should ask ourselves “Why can’t we be friends?”

Dave Lubelczyk is the president of IMAGEidentity, LTD which helps organizations achieve success by building advocacy through brand development and organizational development. He can be reached by phone: 508-259-9016 or by e-mail: dave@imageidentity.com.

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