To Mail or Not To Mail Before A Cold Call

When setting up a telemarketing campaign I am often asked by a client whether they should send a mail shot before we call.  My answer is that it really depends on what we will be promoting during the telephone call.  In some instances it works, but not all the time.  The trick is to know when it works and when it doesn’t.

I always see a mailer as the cherry on the cake and not the cake itself. In other words, don’t rely on it or use it as a crutch during the calls.

Many telephone calls that follow a mailshot go something like this: –

[Telemarketer] – “Did you receive the mail shot we sent you last week?”
[Recipient of call] – “No I didn’t”
[Telemarketer] – “Oh okay, well the reason for the call was to discuss our new range of ‘x’”
[Recipient of call] – “Well I would rather see the literature first, would you send it again?”

The antidote to this scenario is to not mention the mailshot at all until the recipient mentions it – that’s if he does. A good majority of unsolicited mail shots never reach the correct person.

The element of surprise is also an important one. If a prospect isn’t expecting the call then you have a better chance of having a conversation with them rather than them making up their own mind that they are not interested beforehand because they saw your mailer and know who you are when you call.

Another very common scenario is this:-

[Telemarketer] – “I am calling about the mailshot we sent last week”
[Receptionist/Gatekeeper] – “Okay, hold the line (pauses and returns) I’ve just spoken to Mr X and he says he has your letter and will come back to you if he is interested”

A mailshot does work better in conjunction with a telephone call when the service or product you have to discuss over the telephone is very technical or hard to explain without some visual documentation.  It works well if the mailer is more targeted to the audience with an offer of some kind that makes the recipient keen to talk to the telemarketing person who will be following it up.

Mass mailings of course work on a numbers game theory, relying on sheer volume to hit someone who is looking for the product or service you are promoting.  This works fine as long as you have a good, up-to-date database (screen through the Mailing Preference Service first), and the money to see it through as it can be expensive.  The down side though is that many decision makers will put ‘junk’ mail in the bin before they even open it.

So what is the best solution?  The most effective mail/telephone call balance I have found over the years is to;

1.   Cold call the decision maker to explain the services or product in enough detail to gain interest
2.   If there is enough interest send a targeted letter and brochure
3.   Agree that there will be a call back after this has landed
4.   Call back at the agreed time for further discussion