Tips for Getting Your Direct Mail Letter Read by Corporate Executives

One major decision many businesses make is to leave out the high-level executives from their marketing campaign, mainly because they figure a direct mail package will get thrown out without being read. Well, they're right. But if you know how to reach these executives using the mail system, you're already ahead of the game. Here are some ways to market to senior-level executives:

Since most executive mail will be screened before it ever reaches the target's desk, don't employ the usual "teaser copy" that works with individual consumers. Anything that includes the words "free" or "open now for _____" will be tossed into the trash without a second glance.

Try sending a personalized direct mail letter that's been written (read: approved) from your own boss or CEO on a corporate letterhead to the equivalent employee, i.e. CEO in your target business. Make sure you cover the common bond they share, the challenges and responsibilities that come only with their position. Some call it peer-to-peer marketing, and it's been proven to be an effective marketing strategy.

Also consider using "dimensional mail", a tactic that practically guarantees it will be read. Dimensional mail comes in a package or tube, usually with a creative marketing package inside. While the target executive's staff may automatically throw out anything that remotely looks like "junk mail", the likelihood of dimensional mail being opened is increased simply because the office staff will never throw out anything that looks important. Creative dimensional mailings are also more memorable than more conventional mail-no one will remember the postcard you sent last month, but they'll remember a three-foot tall spoon with your flyer attached to it. Even though the ROI is much higher with a dimensional mail campaign that a regular direct mail campaign, it also costs more both monetarily and time-wise, so choose who you send it to carefully. For this reason alone you may have to choose prospects that stand a fairly good chance of producing a great deal of revenue for your company. For most businesses, dimensional mail is best used for targeting prospects with the best possibility of a large sale.

Be sure to use overnight mail. Express is even better, if you can afford it. As a general rule, anything with the FedEx logo will be opened. (If it will be read is all depending on the quality of your presentation.) Obviously, you're not going to mail countless packages at a time to numerous addresses. Ideally you'll want to send two or three a day/week and follow up shortly with a phone call. This method doesn't have a guarantee of success, but it gives you a better chance of the mail being opened; your ad copy and offer need to be interesting enough to actually make your target executive interested.

The best marketing strategy will still fail if the information provided in it is stale. Just like with individual consumers, you need your letter to include pertinent information for your target audience. Senior-level executives are often type-A personalities, and are always searching for information their competition may not be aware of (remember the adage "knowledge is power"?) This means they'll likely be interested in well-written reviews of business books on subjects that concern them, like team management, leadership and production. There's also the added allure of offering information that they can't find anywhere except from you, like a well-timed memo or an exclusive survey of their target demographic. This can be an effective tool for getting the response you want.

Direct mail doesn't have to be destined for the office shredder if you know how to market to the high-level business executive. Remember, the average senior-level executive can get virtually hundreds of letters a day, not to mention phone calls and email. With such competition for their attention, it can be a daunting task getting them to read your letter. If you're planning to target these high-level corporate employees, a well-planned direct mail strategy will go a long way in achieving your goal.