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Your EnterQuest Bulletin - Issue 265
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| Thought for the week: "To know the road ahead, ask those coming back." Chinese proverb |
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In this week's issue:
Junk mail myths exposed
Too often people complain about junk mail and how 'nobody opens that stuff any more'. Rubbish! Why do you think you still get mail from businesses? Because it works!
The term 'junk mail' is a misnomer. Simply, junk mail is mail that is sent to the wrong list of people. The offer inside has nothing to do with the person receiving it. However, one person's junk mail is another person's solution.
This means that if you sent mail to someone to whom your offer didn't match, shame on you, because you just sent junk mail. How do you know it's junk mail? Think about how you sort your mail. You probably do it right over the waste bin. Most of your mail goes in the bin, and the other mail you set aside to open.
Your challenge as a direct mail marketer is to avoid sending junk mail. To do this you must first send your mail to the right list of people.
Direct marketers have a saying that goes, 'The money is in the list' - the 'list' being the list of people to which you're going to send your mail piece. The most important factors for direct mail success are:
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The list.
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The offer.
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The letter.
If you have a great offer with dynamic copy and send it to a list of people that couldn't give a hoot about what you have to offer, your campaign will bomb. In fact this is the number one reason for direct mail failure.
So here are six types of people you should aim your direct mail campaigns at that will dramatically improve your chances of success:
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People who have bought something related to what you're selling.
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People who RECENTLY bought something related to what you're selling.
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People who have money to spend.
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People who have shown a propensity to buy or respond via direct mail.
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People in your local neighbourhood.
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People in affinity groups who have a strong want for your particular product or service.
The ultimate mailing list would represent a group of people who belong to the same organisation, who have bought a similar or complementary product within the past 90 days, and who are financially well-off. If you sell a product or service and can find a list of people meeting these criteria, start re-working your direct mail campaign today.
Moving offices - how to make your move smoother
There are many reasons for moving out of your home office and into rented or purchased office space, but relocation can mean disruption, frustration and unexpected costs. Here are some tips to help you move successfully.
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Create a contingency plan to consider the possibilities of goods getting damaged, deadlines not being met, and so on.
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If using a removal business or storage facility, check in advance that they are insured against damage to your property.
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Arrange for phone reconnection and/or line installation well in advance of your move.
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Arrange mail redirection by picking up the relevant forms from a post office. This service costs just a few pounds for a year.
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Will you need a PO Box? (A good idea if you're moving to a shared office block.) If so, remember that they take up to ten days to set up and require a form of address ID (eg lease agreement or bank statement).
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Measure up properly - if your existing furniture won't fit, you may need to replace it. Draw up a floor plan, bearing in mind the position of power sockets and phone points. If necessary, get new ones installed before the move.
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Indicate which boxes are 'hot' boxes, ie containing items you'll need immediately to get up and running in your new office.
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Dump paperwork before you move, not after. There's no better time to do some major filing and get organised.
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Print out new address labels well before you move, and order new headed stationery.
This tip is an extract of an article from EnterQuest's sister publication, BETTER business magazine. Subscribers to the magazine can read even more articles to help them run a better business, including:
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- Work some mail magic. Don't be put off by the horror stories you have heard about direct mail. Carefully targeted, it can be a very effective tool for winning new business. Plus how to choose your mailing list. (Issue 150, October 2007)
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- Working from home can help you, too. Flexible working is still viewed with suspicion by many employers - yet the reality is that it can offer a new pool of experienced staff and improve morale, says James Manning. (Issue 151, November 2007)
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Are you ready for rapid deployment? If you're planning a big push for your business, then you need to find good staff, quickly. The answer is to plan a quick, decisive recruitment campaign, says Jonathan Fitchew. (Issue 153, February 2008)
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To receive a free copy of BETTER business magazine simply send us your name and address to enterquest@cobwebinfo.com, putting 'EQ magazine offer' in the subject box.
Each week we provide you with summaries of some popular or emerging business ideas in the UK and elsewhere around the world.
- Locally sourced milk. Supermarket Tesco is selling milk from family-run farms with a Tesco in their vicinity. The initiative known as Local Choice Milk was set up in response to consumers keen to buy locally sourced produce.
Regularly improving your vocabulary is not just about learning a new word and its meaning. It will improve your general knowledge and make you feel and act smarter in all sorts of personal and business situations.
Do you know the meaning of the word 'sagacious'?
a) determined to continue
b) liking the company of others
c) paying too much attention to detail
d) possessing sound judgement
Answer at the end of the Bulletin.
The following topical business issues have been recently reported in the media. Did your radar pick them up?
1) Research from think tank the Tenon Forum has revealed that 68% of small businesses employing between five and nineteen employees feel worse off since which specific occasion?
a) the announcement of flexible working extensions
b) last autumn's common commencement changes
c) Tony Blair stepping down as Prime Minister
d) Alistair Darling's first Budget
2) According to credit management firm Intrum Justitia, European businesses lost out on €250bn - equivalent to £198bn - in 2007, as cash for their businesses is 'frozen' because of which financial hiccup?
a) outstanding invoices
b) overpayment in tax
c) over-estimated energy bills
d) red tape surrounding grant aid
3) Research by Direct Line for Business has revealed that TV series The Apprentice has inspired almost a fifth - 18% of people surveyed - to do what?
a) work from home
b) ask for a pay rise in their current job
c) become an entrepreneur
d) avoid big companies
Answers at the end of the Bulletin.
Get more out of Google Reader
People using Google Reader can now get to grips with short cuts and other hints and tips courtesy of this blog from the LifeHack site. For those in the know, Google Reader is a powerful and free content aggregator, enabling the reader to check their favourite website and blogs for updates in one place. For those who aren't, you can read more about Google Reader on Google's website.
Business continuity portal
Continuity Central is a web portal that provides information and guidance on aspects of business continuity. The site has numerous articles covering issues such as power management and risk assessment, and there is a 'basic resources' section covering topics like IT continuity and crisis management.
Create polls using SurveyGizmo
SurveyGizmo is a web survey tool that enables you to create surveys and polls for free, for up to 250 user responses. The tool is customisable for XHTML and CSS, so you can upload your own logos, images and CSS files from your own website. The free version is ideal for small business owners.
Market Research Portal website
Market Research Portal is a website that's packed with market research articles, how-to guides and other useful resources for anyone needing to find out more about how to research a particular market. Visitors to the site can opt in to a newsletter or join a forum to get more out of the site.
This book combines the passion of start up businesses with that of larger enterprises to help entrepreneurs grow their own ventures. It presents the reader with insights from all kinds of businesses from around the world, and looks at strategies for innovation, change and leadership. Check out:
Just one word answer
The answer is d).
Sagacious means possessing sound judgement.
The sagacious entrepreneur picked an up-and-coming part of town to locate and launch his business. |
How's your business radar? The answers
1) The answer is d) - Over two thirds of small businesses - 68% - employing between five and nineteen people feel their business is worse off since the 2008 Budget.
2) The answer is a) - European businesses saw a shortfall equivalent to £198bn because of the money was effectively frozen in outstanding invoices. The total sum of outstanding invoices reached record heights, according to researchers Intrum Justitia.
3) The answer is c) - some 18% of Apprentice viewers want to become an entrepreneur, according to researchers Direct Line for Business. |
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Good luck
The EnterQuest Team
This information is meant as a starting point only. Whilst all reasonable efforts have been made, the publisher makes no warranties that the information is accurate and up-to-date and will not be responsible for any errors or omissions in the information nor any consequences of any errors or omissions. Professional advice should be sought where appropriate. |
