Marketing Direct to Consumers. Real Estate Post Cards.

Marketing Direct to Consumers and Data Appending information: Not only name, address, title (if a business lead), and phone number should. be included, but the date of lead, the company's Standard Industrial Classifications (SIC) code or business classification, and the exact nature of the inquiry. The salesperson should know what ad or mailing piece the prospect responded to and in what publication the ad appeared. The lead recipient should have one copy for filing and another to be transmitted back to the computer center for tabulation. The report form should indicate the date of contact and initial disposition, to be tabulated into sales reports.

A lead should be supplied, in my opinion, with some type of expiration date. Perhaps the lead can be exclusive for a given period and then become nonexclusive, with other dealers or the company's own mail conversion effort cutting in after a deadline. My experience has proved that salespeople will convert more if they have only a limited time to call on the prospect. The computer should be programmed so that lead distribution is not automatic. Whether you are dealing with salespeople or dealers, the transmission of additional leads should be contingent on the prompt reporting and effective handling of leads previously sent.

The computer should automatically cut off lead flow if the open lead ratio is too high or if subsequent confirmation questionnaires indicate that reporting wasn't accurate. Cutting off lead flow should not be left to the discretion of the sales manager, who should concentrate on getting the lead recipient to shape up or ship out. Unassignable leads should be sent to a dealer or salesperson in an adjoining area or converted by mail order rather than sent to an uncooperative or ineffective destination.

About Marketing Direct to Consumers

Some merchandisers, instead of offering a catalog or other information in their promotions, go right ahead and sell some product that is an example of their line and that represents an unusual value.

You'll find clothing catalog merchandisers advertising in The Wall Street journal, for instance. If a company's computer system takes too much time to get leads processed, it is often advisable to bypass the computer initially and send a manual lead to the sales force. A copy can be sent to the computer department for data entry on a more convenient schedule. All the above propositions can not only be made on a "free" basis, but they can also be offered for a quarter, a dollar, or more. Even the slightest charge qualifies the inquiry and makes it worth following up.

Every day that passes before a prospect is contacted by a sales-person will noticeably reduce the conversion rate.

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