secrets to growing your auto repair business with direct mail
TRANSCRIPT
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INSIDERS REPORT
Why Direct Mail Marketing?
Direct mail marketing can be especially effective when you want to:
Sell more to existing customers
Reactivate non-active customers
Reach all of your customers
Generate new leads
Secrets to Growing Your Auto Repair Business with Direct Mail Direct mail marketing can be a very successful mar-
keting tactic for auto repair shops. This special Insid-
ers Report gives auto repair show owners the inside
scoop on how to create direct mail marketing pieces
that get results!
© 2014 23 Kazoos LLC. All Rights Reserved www.23Kazoos.com
This Special Insiders Report is brought to you by automotive repair shop market-
ing experts:
Wendy Kenney, President, 23 Kazoos, www.23Kazoos.com
480-242-5219
Doug Dickson, President, Print Source One, http://printsourceone.net/
(602) 254-5451
http://www.23Kazoos.com
© 2014 23 Kazoos LLC. All rights reserved.
Page 2
Are You Missing Out on Marketing to 70% of Your Customers?
Let’s say that your busi-
ness has a database of
3,000 customers. Of
those, you have the email
addresses of 2,000 of
them and you email mar-
keting offers to them on a
regular basis.
However, of the 2,000
customers that you are
emailing, only 33% (or
600) customers open
your emails. That means
that you are missing out
on marketing to 2400 (or
approximately 70%) of
your 3000 customers!
That’s where direct mail
marketing can be the
most effective!
17 Essential Elements of a Successful Direct Mail Marketing Campaign “Direct mail marketing doesn’t work!!” “Direct mail
marketing is expensive!”
Chances are that you’ve said or heard the above
statements regarding direct mail marketing many
times. But the fact is that direct mail marketing does
work and can be an inexpensive way to gain new
leads.
Why use Direct Mail Marketing?
Direct mail marketing can be es-
pecially effective when you want
to:
Sell more to existing cus-
tomers
Reactivate non-active cus-
tomers
Reach all of your customers
I asked business owners all over the United States to weigh in
on direct mail marketing and the result is 17 Essential Elements
of a Successful Direct Mail Marketing Campaign. I think
you will find these tips helpful.
1. GOAL:
Generally there are two types of goals in direct mail marketing;
to sell something right now; or to generate leads so you can sell
something later. Your direct mail marketing copy should be
written with your goal in mind. For an auto repair shop the goal
is usually to sell something right now to either existing custom-
ers or new customers.
INSIDERS TIP: Mailing oversized postcards, such as a 6” x 11”, will help you
stand out above the rest of the mail and get higher response rates.
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17 Essential Elements of a Successful Direct Mail Mar-keting Campaign (cont’d)
2. CUSTOMER:
Have a clear understanding of who the customer is that you want to attract and
tailor all aspects of the direct mail piece toward them.
3. LIST:
Your customer database is a veritable goldmine and yet too many auto repair
shops fail to mine it! This database can be the starting point for hundreds, thou-
sands, tens of thousands, even millions of dollars in sales because the people in
your database already know you and trust you! When was the last time you
mailed an offer to your whole database?
INSIDERS TIP: Clean up your mailing lists by using a 4” x 6” postcard once a year. The postage is only slightly more than Stand Mail rates and will return any undeliverable mail.
4. WIIFM (What’s in it for me?):
According to Dan Kennedy, author of No BS Direct Marketing- Second Ed.,
“People are most easily and quickly interested in
information that directly related to what inter-
ests them. Especially information that promises
fascinating secrets, solutions to problems, pro-
tection from “dire threats” promises of seductive
benefits or timely breaking news.”
Make sure your direct mail marketing piece
clearly communicates what’s in it for them.
INSIDERS TIP: Make sure that the WIIFM is what
your prospects want! In the auto repair industry this
usually equates to a really great deal!
5. SIGNATURE:
This might sound like a no-brainer but it’s
something that many direct mail marketers for-
get! According to Direct Mail Marketing Expert
Doug Dickson, owner of Print Source One in Phoenix, Arizona, “When the reader
examines a piece of direct mail, they are focused on answering two questions: 1)
who is this from; and 2) what is it about? “ Make sure you tell your prospects
who you are. Include your phone number, address, website, etc.
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© 2014 23 Kazoos LLC. All rights reserved.
Page 4
6. HEADLINE:
Your headline can make or break the success of your direct mail piece. Dickson
says, “It is absolutely critical to grab and keep your prospect's atten-
tion. Because the headline is the very first thing your prospect will see, your
first 15 words are more important than the next 500. Some advertising copy-
writers make a habit of writing a minimum of 50 possible headlines before se-
riously considering which one works best. Spend time considering which head-
line will grab the attention of your prospect.”
7. MESSAGE:
The most successful message tells a story and appeals to the “what’s in it for
me” nature. Your copy should tell a story that emotionally connects with your
customers and clearly illustrates what the benefits will be to them if they heed
your call to action.
INSIDERS TIP: Write conversationally as if you were talking to a friend. And don ’t be
afraid to be bold in your claims; but just remember to back up your claims with examples.
8. OFFER:
The offer is the bait that gets your prospects to do what you want them to do
so you can reach your goal. Typical offers include freebies such as “Free Ad-
mission” or discounts such as “Save 50%.” Just remember to do what Dan
Kennedy advises and “Match Bait to Critter” and make it “an offer they can’t
refuse.” The offer is all about what’s in it for them and has to be something
that the prospective customer really wants.
INSIDERS TIP: Specific numbers are more credible and increase sales more than
general numbers. For example. If you are giving customers a freebie (such as free inspec-
tion) make sure you tell them the value of the service ($89 value). Lastly, don’t forget to
provide context so your customer can determine if your offer really is a good deal or not.
For example, f you are offering half price oil changes, make sure you give them the normal
rates for oil changes (i.e. “regularly $39.99”).
9. CALL TO ACTION:
The most successful direct mail marketing pieces give customers a clear call to
action. Don’t assume you’re your prospect will do what you want. Tell them
what you want them to do. For example, if you want them to call, say “Call
Now!” or “Call me today.” Also give customers two or three different ways
that they can easily respond. For example, they could call a phone number,
email, or go to your website and fill out a form.
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10. SENSE OF URGENCY:
You know how you suddenly accom-
plish more in a day just before you go
on vacation, than you would any other
day? The deadline of your upcoming
vacation gives you a sense of urgen-
cy. I suggest that the thought of a
looming deadline increases your
adrenaline, giving you the push you
need to accomplish more in less time.
You want to give the readers of your
direct mail a sense of urgency so that
they will be spurred to get off of their
backsides and take action. There are
many ways to instill a sense of urgen-
cy in your readers. You can do this by
giving them a deadline to respond to
your offer before it goes away. The
trick on deadlines is to not make them too far out that people forget to re-
spond or too close that they don’t have time to respond. We have found that
30 days is a good deadline for direct mailers.
Another option is to indicate that there is a limited supply. The key here is
that if the “limited supply number” is too low, the customer won’t even try to
respond because they don’t think they will have a chance. An example of this
is “The first 50 people who respond will get…..”
11. PERSONALIZATION:
Personalization can have a dramatic impact on your direct mail marketing
campaign. Because the one thing that people are most interested in is them-
selves, many will respond favorably when they see their name all over the
mailing piece. However, personalization can backfire if you spell their name
wrong. Personalization is especially effective when marketing to your own
customer database. We love to use personalization to reactivate nonactive
customers! It works like a charm!
INSIDERS TIP: Instead of asking for a specific paper, use your printer ’s “house sheet”. This is their preferred paper and it is usually ordered in large quantities providing you the very best price.
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© 2014 23 Kazoos LLC. All rights reserved.
Page 6
12. CREDIBILITY:
If you’re mailing to a mailing list of cold
prospects you should include some credi-
bility elements on your direct mail piece
to help them trust you. In the auto repair
industry good credibility elements include
images of you and your shop, testimoni-
als, awards won, press received, and as-
sociations belonged to.
13. DARE TO BE DIFFERENT:
Don’t do the cookie cutter direct mail
marketing that is common in the auto re-
pair industry. In a sea of sameness you’ve
got to stand out!! Don’t be afraid to do
direct mail marketing differently than
your competitors. Use cartoons, humor,
photos of you and or/your family and
more.
14. TIMING:
According to marketing expert Mike Capuzzi, author of High Impact Marketing
Manifesto, “Timing is a funny thing. On one hand it can be an almost exact
science and on the other, luck has a huge part to play in it.” Timing is critical
to the success of your direct mail marketing campaign. You want to mail your
piece when your prospects will most likely respond.
INSIDERS TIP: Every community seems to have a day when all the coupons arrive in the mail (in Phoenix it’s Wednesday). Try to avoid mailing to arrive on that day because the more junk mail ar-rives in the mail with your piece, the more likely it will get discarded..
15. POSTAGE:
Direct mail expert Doug Dickson says “Postage is the most costly element of
any direct mail campaign. Most campaigns can benefit by being mailed as
standard mail, saving about .10¢ over the first-class rate.
INSIDERS TIP: I f you are mailing prospects in a specific area around
your business, you might consider the US Post Office’s EDDM (Every Door Di-
rect Mail) program. This rate reduces postage to as low as .174¢ per piece
and eliminates the cost of a mailing list, but requires that you mail to everyone
within the carrier route.”
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16. TRACKING:
Another important element of a successful direct mail campaign is tracking.
After all, how will you know how successful your campaign is if you don’t track
it? Don’t rely on manual tracking systems run by your employees because al-
most without fail, your employees are going to mess it up. Instead, automate
your direct mail marketing tracking using a call tracking phone number.
A call tracking phone number can be purchased from a variety of vendors
such as LogMyCalls.com or IfByPhone.com for as little as $50 a month. Use a
call tracking system that records the phone calls as well as reports number of
calls so that you can tell how well your employees are selling or setting ap-
pointments. Use separate landing pages on your website that are in align-
ment with your direct mail piece’s message. You’ve got to track your results.
17. FOLLOW UP:
I used to sell life insurance and I knew that when I was looking to attract new
customers it often took 7-10 communication points before a person decided to
buy. It’s the same in the auto repair industry. Follow up can greatly increase
the conversion rates of your direct mail campaign and can be done in a varie-
ty of ways including additional direct mail, phone calls, emails, and in person
visits. It all depends on who your customer is and the best way to reach
them. But if you want to increase your return on investment, one of the best
things you can do is follow up.
CONCLUSION:
Direct mail marketing can be a very profitable marketing tactic when done
correctly. However, there’s one thing to keep in mind. Dickson says, you need
to “have a long term perspective. Direct mail should not be viewed as a "one
and done" project; instead, it should be created as a campaign. Prospects
need to hear the message not once, not twice, but several times (up to six
even) before they buy. Be patient and give your prospects time to understand
and accept your offer.”
About the Author: Wendy Kenney owns 23 Kazoos, a marketing and
PR firm that specializes in auto repair shop marketing. She is the best
-selling author of “How to Build Buzz for Your Biz” and has been quot-
ed in USA Today, Newsday, and The New York Times. Contact Wendy
http://www.23Kazoos.com
© 2014 23 Kazoos LLC. All rights reserved.
Page 8
Direct Mail Marketing Planning Worksheet
Courtesy of 23 Kazoos
Samples of
Successful Direct Mail Marketing Campaigns
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Samples of
Successful Direct Mail Marketing Campaigns
End of year Thank you Check mailer to top customers
Courtesy of 23Kazoos
http://www.23Kazoos.com
© 2014 23 Kazoos LLC. All rights reserved.
Page 10
Samples of
Successful Direct Mail Marketing Campaigns
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Samples of
Successful Direct Mail Marketing Campaigns
http://www.23Kazoos.com
© 2014 23 Kazoos LLC. All rights reserved.
Page 12
Case Studies -Direct Mail Campaign
Courtesy of Ben Landers
Blue Corona
http://www.BlueCorona.com
Samples of
Successful Direct Mail Marketing Campaigns
13
Samples of
Successful Direct Mail Marketing Campaigns
Sun Valley Imports Direct Mail Campaign Courtesy of
Wendy Kenney
23 Kazoos
http://www.23Kazoos.com
© 2014 23 Kazoos LLC. All rights reserved.
Page 14
Contact Us
Give us a call for more
information about our
Marketing Services.
23 Kazoos
Small Business Market-
ing That Gets Results
480-389-5219
877-932-5219
Visit us on the web at
www.23Kazoos.com
Direct Mail Marketing Resources
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