Thursday, January 20, 2005
Can I Use Direct Mail To Get More Clients?
Hypnosis Marketing Tip Of The Week
By Craig Eubanks
Q: I know that it's not all that expensive, but I don't know what the
average return from something like that is. I do know that my
return on newspaper advertising has been a little disappointing.
Say there are 10000 households within 20 miles of the office. There
are no other hypnotists or hypnotherapists around. Would a direct
mail piece be a good investment?
A: Direct mail works very well when done correctly. It has been one of the most consistent tools in marketing for over 60 years.
That said, if you do not take the time to properly do your research on your market, AND craft your message properly, you will waste your money.
This is true for any media used, be it advertising, Yellow Pages, or a web site.
One of the most common mistakes new businesses make, is starting with choice of media as the way to get their marketing started, instead of figuring out just who their market is, and what would be the best message for that market to really learn what it is you have to offer.
This is especially important for hypnosis. Most people have no idea what hypnosis is really all about and how it can benefit them.
If you were a dentist you could get away with sending out a postcard to every household and business within a 5 mile radius announcing your office with an new patient special offer to get them to respond.
If a hypnotist did the same thing they would likely get little or no response since people do not translate "hypnotist" into an outcome they'll get that helps them or makes their life better. Instead they think of clucking like a chicken or Manchurian Candidate mind control.
So you would need to offer the outcome to them as a way to get their attention, then explain how they would get that outcome through the process of hypnosis with you.
Example:
Then explain how they would get that result through a series of visits with you. Make sure you include at least one testimonial.
Notice there is a call to action that gets a response you can measure (call for free consultation). Also notice that this is for them a no risk step, you are telling them they can spend time with you, getting more information, at no cost. This is important. I will talk about Risk Reversal in a future tips article.
Note: This assumes your market is smokers and you know that your postcard will in fact reach smokers. You can have the best crafted message in the world, send it out using a top notch direct mail service, and have it go to the completely wrong audience.
Some Key Things To Know About Direct Mail
Where To Get Inexpensive Lists
To all your success!
Craig Eubanks
Marketing & Publicity for Hypnotherapists -- HypnosisMarketingTips.com
By Craig Eubanks
Q: I know that it's not all that expensive, but I don't know what the
average return from something like that is. I do know that my
return on newspaper advertising has been a little disappointing.
Say there are 10000 households within 20 miles of the office. There
are no other hypnotists or hypnotherapists around. Would a direct
mail piece be a good investment?
A: Direct mail works very well when done correctly. It has been one of the most consistent tools in marketing for over 60 years.
That said, if you do not take the time to properly do your research on your market, AND craft your message properly, you will waste your money.
This is true for any media used, be it advertising, Yellow Pages, or a web site.
One of the most common mistakes new businesses make, is starting with choice of media as the way to get their marketing started, instead of figuring out just who their market is, and what would be the best message for that market to really learn what it is you have to offer.
This is especially important for hypnosis. Most people have no idea what hypnosis is really all about and how it can benefit them.
If you were a dentist you could get away with sending out a postcard to every household and business within a 5 mile radius announcing your office with an new patient special offer to get them to respond.
If a hypnotist did the same thing they would likely get little or no response since people do not translate "hypnotist" into an outcome they'll get that helps them or makes their life better. Instead they think of clucking like a chicken or Manchurian Candidate mind control.
So you would need to offer the outcome to them as a way to get their attention, then explain how they would get that outcome through the process of hypnosis with you.
Example:
Stop Smoking In Less Than 2 Weeks.
No drugs, No Patches, and No Cravings. Guaranteed!
Call now for your free 30 minute consultation 111-2233.
No drugs, No Patches, and No Cravings. Guaranteed!
Call now for your free 30 minute consultation 111-2233.
Then explain how they would get that result through a series of visits with you. Make sure you include at least one testimonial.
Notice there is a call to action that gets a response you can measure (call for free consultation). Also notice that this is for them a no risk step, you are telling them they can spend time with you, getting more information, at no cost. This is important. I will talk about Risk Reversal in a future tips article.
Note: This assumes your market is smokers and you know that your postcard will in fact reach smokers. You can have the best crafted message in the world, send it out using a top notch direct mail service, and have it go to the completely wrong audience.
Some Key Things To Know About Direct Mail
- ALWAYS MEASURE YOUR RESULTS in terms of ROI (return on investment). Simply put, how many dollars of business come in for each dollar you spent. If it isn't at least 1.5:1 (you made $1.50 for each dollar you spent on the mailing), then you need to retool. Ideally you want 3:1 or great ratio. Then you know you have a marketing tool you can count on whenever you need new business (remember the article I wrote about Building A System, this would be one of the pillars of your system)
- you can rent lists and do it yourself or pay a direct mail service to do it for you.
- If you pay a service, tell them you want to do small batch testing before you roll out any large mailings.
- If you use a service, they will charge you in addition to postage, costs such as printing, assembly, material costs, etc. For postcards the total may end up being around .50 to .80 cents or more per piece depending on how much you have them do for you.
- You should do "split testing" which means send out at least two different pieces at the same time to a test market and see which one gets you the best response BEFORE you send out an expensive mailing campaign. The best thing to test is different headlines, but you can also test different copy, different offers etc.
- ask them about their results and to speak with some of their clients as to how well the mailings have done for them. Some direct mail houses charge a lot for sending out graphics heavy mailings with absolutely no way to track results. Avoid them.
- Go with a local direct mail business if you have one. They will not only know your market area and have current lists, they will be more small business friendly.
- You can get amazingly detailed lists, however the more detail the more they cost. Example: you could get a list for females between 25-45 with an income of at least 40k that live within 5 miles of your office. This is a good market for hypnosis clients, since most hypnotists report about 80% of their clients are women.
- If it works once, it will work again. One of the most common direct mail mistakes is not using a successful mailing again. Even to the same addresses. Research has shown that overall response rate improves with each mailing, and that often the best results come on the 3rd mailing. People are busy, mail gets lost, they forget once they put it down, any number of reasons why this happens. Continue to use successful mailings until the ROI gets to 1:1 or below. Then craft a new one.
Where To Get Inexpensive Lists
- If you want to just "blanket mail" your area, you can get address cd's from InfoUSA. Often these are available at your local Office Depot, or you can order them from www.infousa.com.
- Infousa also has some list and mailing services. Order their free catalog and familiarize yourself with mailing lists. Infousa has been around 30 years so they are a reputable firm with lots of experience.
- Another source is a service online you can pay for by the month is GoLeads.com. They offer residential and business listings for 9.95/month. You can choose your criteria (called "selects" in direct mail lingo) such as age range, zip code, etc. and they generate a downloadable list for you. They claim the lists are 93% accurate, meaning they keep them up to date.
To all your success!
Craig Eubanks
Marketing & Publicity for Hypnotherapists -- HypnosisMarketingTips.com
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Systems Are The Key To Long Term Success
Hypnosis Marketing Tip of the Week
By Craig Eubanks
Do You Know Where Your Next Client Is Coming From?
If you don't, then you most likely don't have a system, unless you count hoping or praying as a system. We all need marketing systems, you need them, I need them, any business that hopes to survive and thrive needs them.
A system that is so predictable, so consistent, and so reliable that you can go to bed at night knowing, not hoping, that within a known range of variation, how many leads and clients are going to come to you the next day.
A true marketing system delivers a predictable number of quality leads to you every day, month after month, year after year, so you only spend your time with people who already understand what it is you do and who have sought you out and asked you to help them solve their particular problem.
Like A Thermostat, You Control It
A marketing system is like a thermostat. You can turn it up or down depending on how much business you can handle. Going on holiday? Turn it off till you return. Need extra money to pay for that next Hypnosis convention, turn it up and work a couple Saturdays to handle the extra business.
To develop such a system, you will need to test what works in a variety of areas. Lead generation ads, referral programs, direct response advertising, Yellow Pages, coupons, publicity, public speaking, direct mail, web sites, writing articles, there are so many ways to get your message out in the world. Each requires new learning, possibly new skills, and most importantly testing until you maximize the results.
It's the beginning of a new year. If you were to work with one new marketing method each month, by the end of the year you would have twelve different new ways to bring clients into your office.
The Power Parthenon Of Business Growth
This concept is based on the very simple and all too common fact that most businesses generate the vast majority of their income from one primary revenue activity. This is just plain dumb. It's putting all your eggs in the one proverbial basket. Because with just one pillar supporting the entire revenue stream it is very, very, risky. Imagine the Parthenon in Greece with only one pillar to hold up it's roof... how long do you think that would last?
I was at a business seminar with a client of mine for his industry. Someone asked the question of the speaker, "Do you know a way that will bring in 30 new clients a month?" He smiled and said, "No, but I know 30 ways to bring in one client a month!"
That was the secret of his success, and if you only take that concept with you and implement in your business, you will be a success too. Think of each new idea, each additional revenue generating approach as another pillar providing a powerful base for your business. Each new idea may only add one more client per week, but when you have ten of those in place, you will have ten new clients a week.
So... Where Do You Start?
There are 3 keys to a successful marketing system and they are as follows, you need to have the right message, you need to say it to the right people (the market), and you need to use the right delivery system to get it to them (the media).
One of the most common mistakes hypnotists make is starting out with the media, without having any idea what the message is they want to communicate and all to often they don't even know who it is they want to communicate to.
In the coming weeks, I will cover each of these in it's own tips article, but for now I want each of you to think about a key aspect of the message you tell your prospective clients. This is the most important part of your message, and it will be the answer to this question:
Why should I do business with you
versus any and every other option available
to me in your category?
Someone seeking your type of services may not actually ask you that, but it is in their mind. It is why people seek out information to make a buying decision, it is why you must educate them as to why you are the best possible choice. You must leave them no doubt as to this answer.
The answer to this question is known as your Unique Selling Proposition (USP). It is what sets you apart. It is what makes price shopping irrelevant. It is what makes you superior to any other choice they might be considering.
You may want an example of a well known USP, so here is one for you. "When it absolutely, positively has to be there by 10AM the next morning." You probably already recognize that as Federal Express. When they came out with that USP and their service, there was no business would guarantee such an outrageous delivery promise. It made them the worldwide business they are today.
Your Assignment Should You Choose To Accept It
You may not want a global empire but you do want to be a successful hypnotist. And that includes not only doing good in the world, but also getting paid well for what you do so you can take care of your family, and enjoy your life. So, the first thing for you to do, the first little homework assignment of this new year, is to go home and think about how you can answer that important USP question.
It's not necessarily an easy thing to do. Some businesses spend months answering the USP question. However it is essential for you to do this. Begin to ponder this question and write down the ideas that come to you. I will cover USP in an upcoming tips article, along with some ways to come up with unique answers to that question.
The Next Pillar
Begin now to think about the next pillar you will add to your marketing system. Look at other industries for ideas. I will discuss many different marketing techniques and tactics over time in these tips articles, though you should not wait, go ahead and do something new.
Schedule a talk, give a free seminar, work a joint venture with a business that has similar clientele, write an article for your local paper, call a local corporation and offer to do stress relief for the employees, there are so many possibilities.
The most important thing is for you to decide that one of your goals for this year is to build a system you can rely on to provide you with a steady stream of business. You will be glad you did.
Till next time, all the success possible to you!
Craig Eubanks
Director Sleepwalkers International
Hypnosis & NLP Practice Groups
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
By Craig Eubanks
Do You Know Where Your Next Client Is Coming From?
If you don't, then you most likely don't have a system, unless you count hoping or praying as a system. We all need marketing systems, you need them, I need them, any business that hopes to survive and thrive needs them.
A system that is so predictable, so consistent, and so reliable that you can go to bed at night knowing, not hoping, that within a known range of variation, how many leads and clients are going to come to you the next day.
A true marketing system delivers a predictable number of quality leads to you every day, month after month, year after year, so you only spend your time with people who already understand what it is you do and who have sought you out and asked you to help them solve their particular problem.
Like A Thermostat, You Control It
A marketing system is like a thermostat. You can turn it up or down depending on how much business you can handle. Going on holiday? Turn it off till you return. Need extra money to pay for that next Hypnosis convention, turn it up and work a couple Saturdays to handle the extra business.
To develop such a system, you will need to test what works in a variety of areas. Lead generation ads, referral programs, direct response advertising, Yellow Pages, coupons, publicity, public speaking, direct mail, web sites, writing articles, there are so many ways to get your message out in the world. Each requires new learning, possibly new skills, and most importantly testing until you maximize the results.
It's the beginning of a new year. If you were to work with one new marketing method each month, by the end of the year you would have twelve different new ways to bring clients into your office.
The Power Parthenon Of Business Growth
This concept is based on the very simple and all too common fact that most businesses generate the vast majority of their income from one primary revenue activity. This is just plain dumb. It's putting all your eggs in the one proverbial basket. Because with just one pillar supporting the entire revenue stream it is very, very, risky. Imagine the Parthenon in Greece with only one pillar to hold up it's roof... how long do you think that would last?
I was at a business seminar with a client of mine for his industry. Someone asked the question of the speaker, "Do you know a way that will bring in 30 new clients a month?" He smiled and said, "No, but I know 30 ways to bring in one client a month!"
That was the secret of his success, and if you only take that concept with you and implement in your business, you will be a success too. Think of each new idea, each additional revenue generating approach as another pillar providing a powerful base for your business. Each new idea may only add one more client per week, but when you have ten of those in place, you will have ten new clients a week.
So... Where Do You Start?
There are 3 keys to a successful marketing system and they are as follows, you need to have the right message, you need to say it to the right people (the market), and you need to use the right delivery system to get it to them (the media).
One of the most common mistakes hypnotists make is starting out with the media, without having any idea what the message is they want to communicate and all to often they don't even know who it is they want to communicate to.
In the coming weeks, I will cover each of these in it's own tips article, but for now I want each of you to think about a key aspect of the message you tell your prospective clients. This is the most important part of your message, and it will be the answer to this question:
Why should I do business with you
versus any and every other option available
to me in your category?
Someone seeking your type of services may not actually ask you that, but it is in their mind. It is why people seek out information to make a buying decision, it is why you must educate them as to why you are the best possible choice. You must leave them no doubt as to this answer.
The answer to this question is known as your Unique Selling Proposition (USP). It is what sets you apart. It is what makes price shopping irrelevant. It is what makes you superior to any other choice they might be considering.
You may want an example of a well known USP, so here is one for you. "When it absolutely, positively has to be there by 10AM the next morning." You probably already recognize that as Federal Express. When they came out with that USP and their service, there was no business would guarantee such an outrageous delivery promise. It made them the worldwide business they are today.
Your Assignment Should You Choose To Accept It
You may not want a global empire but you do want to be a successful hypnotist. And that includes not only doing good in the world, but also getting paid well for what you do so you can take care of your family, and enjoy your life. So, the first thing for you to do, the first little homework assignment of this new year, is to go home and think about how you can answer that important USP question.
It's not necessarily an easy thing to do. Some businesses spend months answering the USP question. However it is essential for you to do this. Begin to ponder this question and write down the ideas that come to you. I will cover USP in an upcoming tips article, along with some ways to come up with unique answers to that question.
The Next Pillar
Begin now to think about the next pillar you will add to your marketing system. Look at other industries for ideas. I will discuss many different marketing techniques and tactics over time in these tips articles, though you should not wait, go ahead and do something new.
Schedule a talk, give a free seminar, work a joint venture with a business that has similar clientele, write an article for your local paper, call a local corporation and offer to do stress relief for the employees, there are so many possibilities.
The most important thing is for you to decide that one of your goals for this year is to build a system you can rely on to provide you with a steady stream of business. You will be glad you did.
Till next time, all the success possible to you!
Craig Eubanks
Director Sleepwalkers International
Hypnosis & NLP Practice Groups
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
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