Know-How Exchange : Advertising/PR

Dear Justine,

Your response rate is just over 2 percent, which for direct mail
is OK. Rather than simply inviting boutiques to call you, offer
them something they simply can't resist. You need a strong call to action, an offer, and a deadline—an incentive to get people visiting your studio, store, and website, and to get your dresses in front of them and their customers.

What these people want to know is what's in the relationship with you for them. Make this offer ultra compelling by telling boutique owners how stunned their customers will be to have discovered such great dresses.

Use social proof (testimonials) and don't be afraid to toot your own horn. Send another mailing that refers to the first, but this time, send it to more people. The other thing to consider is partnering with other businesses that serve the bridal market: limos services, caterers, florists, invitations companies, and so on, all of who you could ask for referrals and vice versa.

I hope this helps.

Gary Bloomer
Wilmington, DE, USA

Are these boutiques all in fairly close proximity, or many miles apart?

If they are all, say within a few day's travel by car, why not put bridal models into your top five outfits, put them in a stretch limo, and drive to every boutique to do an impromptu walk-in show? You could present the product and explain the details of each dress, hand over your card and let them know where to find you.

It might take you a week or more to get through all 60 boutiques, but what an impression you would make!

You could video parts of the roadtrip for a video blog, YouTube, and maybe to get the attention of local media outlets ahead of your arrival.

Everybody's seen a bride in a limo.

But nobody's ever seen five brides - and a designer - in a limo.

Expensive? Yes, probably.

But I bet you'd make sales every single day.

Super responses--particularly ASVP , above. But if you decide to do any type of publicity be sure to pre-notify the local newspapers, TV etc.

Another perspective: yes, do another mailing and yes, follow up with personal tel calls to the manager/buyer, etc. Anyone who makes their living on cold calls will tell you that 60 is a drop in the proverbial bucket. The personal touch seems to be going the extinction route yet people still hunger for the 'human connection' so don't be afraid to keep aspects of it in your marketing plan!

Best,
jag
MarketBase

Your prospect universe of 60 is pretty modest. So follow-up personal phone calls from you is a logical next step. Be prepared to make 3-5 calls to each contact before you are successful in getting them live on the phone. Don't be discouraged; it's just what you should expect. But is is just step #2 in what I believe should be a perpetual stream of communications with your prospect universe. Like friendships, business relationships are not build overnight. It takes time and a sustained effort. It's good to remember that most sales people will give up after 2-3 contact attempts with prospects. If you are the person who is willing to call 6-7 times in order to break through, then you will be successful.

You are on your way to building an ongoing dialog with your prospects. Plot out your communications over the course of a calendar year. Consider alternating direct mail, telephone and e-mail contacts. As someone else said, you want to be top-of-mind with each boutique, so that when they are poised to order something fresh and new for their store, they think of you.

Here are some communication tactics to consider:
1. You spent good time and money on your brochure. Be sure to send it out again to your prospect list in 6 months or so - with a new cover letter.
2. Post card mailings are less expensive and many times just as impactful, if not moreso, than a #10 letter/brochure mailing. Pull photos from your brochure to create 2-3 post cards. Use a web-based post card operation like postcardbuilder.com to help you create the post cards.
3. Write a telephone script for yourself. Focus on three key features and benefits of your product line. And then practice your phone pitch many times before making that first follow-up call.
4. Your goal is to have a conversation with at least one contact at each boutique. While you have them on the phone, ask their permission for you to contact them via telephone, mail and e-mail in the future. Ask them what their contact method of choice might be. And certainly ask for their e-mail address, their web site address (if you don't already have that), and then ask if there are other contacts that you should know at the store.

Good luck!

Doug O'Leary
RDO Marketing LLC