In Direct Mail, Sell the Next Step

by Brandon Cornett

Before you can begin writing your postcard message, you need to figure out the next step in your sales process. If your goal is to convince the reader that your product or service is superior to all others in its class, your postcard will probably come up short. That's a lot to ask of an 8" x 5" piece of card stock.

People will learn about the quality of your product or service by experiencing it firsthand. They won't learn it (or believe it) from a single postcard.

There is a sales path to be followed, and the marketing postcard is the first (or sometimes second) step along that path. That's the job it should perform — moving the reader forward in the sales process. For example:

• If you're selling software, the postcard could point to a free 30-day trial available on a web page somewhere.


• If you're selling your real estate services, the postcard could mention a free report about area schools.


• If you're in the financial services industry, you could use postcards to invite people to a money-saving seminar.

Happy Direct Mailing!

-Brandon from PostcardSmart.com