Build Your Business With Postcards (written April, 2015)

Though we specialize in mailing out cooperative packets of information, we subsidize our business building by mailing out postcards. You know why? Postcards are the only form of mail promotion that has a 100% open rate success ratio.

From time to time, I move away from mailing postcards. Then I go back to them and I scratch my head thinking why did I stop? Postcards are a great way to promote! Think about this – when you send a postcard to a prospect, especially a beautiful multi-colored glossy eye-catching one – we use Vista Print – it’s all but impossible for the prospect to resist turning it over to see what it’s all about. It is just human nature my friends. In today’s microwave society, many people want the info quickly – so a postcard fits the bill! It will wet their beak to seek out further information when they are interested. So if you want to dramatically increase your results and increase more interest from your prospects, invest some time and money into a postcard marketing system.

Just keep in mind that working with prospects takes time, commitment and a plan of action. It’s been proven that it usually takes 5-7 exposures to get a prospect to join into what you are doing. So by creating an ongoing campaign to keep your business and your opportunity at the top of your prospects mind is critical to your success. In fact, repeated exposures is critical to your success in any business especially MLM!

Here’s what we do: we rent other programs leads. Why? Because then we know they are probably interested in the network marketing business. That’s a very good start! We contact these other programs leads by sending them a postcard for free information. Where do you get other programs leads? Contact a mailing list broker. Simple. To continue, when we get leads from these inquiry generating postcards that we are mailing, we then send them information – a complete packet of information – on what we are doing and why they should join under us. I always make sure they have more than enough information. I’d rather send them too much info then too little info. Now above, we explained that it usually takes 5-7 communications or exposures for a prospect to feel comfortable enough to join with us, so our follow up does not end there. We then call up these prospects maybe a week or so later to get a feel for what they are about. We simple say, “Ms. So and So, you sent for information on our opportunity and we sent it to you last week. We are just following up to see if you plan to join or if you have any questions.” That’s it – then we wait for a reply. This telephone follow up is essential because you’ll know right away how serious this lead actually is. We take notes about this prospect. And we don’t stop there. For the next 3-6 months we send out our specially written newsletter geared toward recruiting and teaching our new prospects encouraging them to contact us and to join with us. As I said above, it takes time, commitment and a plan of action. But it is worth it in the long run.

Why? You get better qualified people to join with you by teaching them how to duplicate your system. They also can plug right into the system you are using – and you can easily help them if you don’t mind calling leads – one of the benefits you can offer them is that you will call their leads too. It amazes me how so many people hate to call up others to talk about the most important financial thing in their life. And it is so easy to do.

I started a simple postcard system by mailing out 250 postcards a week. (Now I mail 1,000 per week). For every 250 postcards I mailed, I generated roughly 10 signups for the program I am promoting over a 4-6 month period. Plus I developed better relationships and better downliners in the process – because let’s face it – if your downliners don’t do anything in the program you are in, you won’t make money! And by handling my downliners follow up calls, I have about 50-100 calls to make every day – sounds like a lot don’t it? But it isn’t. Since most people don’t pick up their phone when you call, I would guess that I speak to maybe ten people per day – tops! So I ask you this – is your career – is your business life – is your lifelong dream of being financially independent worth talking to maybe ten people per day?

Postcards also generate more overall response than just mailing a flyer for the same program. When we mail out the flyer with a cover letter for programs we promote, we generally get an average of a half of percent to a 1% response rate. When we mail out postcards, then follow them up, over a 4-6 month period, we generally get about a 4% response rate in total. What response rate do you like better? 1% or 4%?

I know we often think we need a lot of leads to be successful and to make a lot of money. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. What we really need to do is be consistent with the leads we have! Here’s how you can break it down to a manageable system especially if you work a full time job and are trying to grow your own full time business part time. Mail out 50 postcards every day – that’s 1500 per month. Then when leads come in, call 5 leads per day. Do this each day – every week and continue to follow up with leads from the previous week. Try this simple “mail and repeat process” for six months and I guarantee your business will explode! It’s done miraculously for me.

Keep in mind that by using this duplicable system, its shows that you are a more serious minded networker that your prospect needs to be involved with. Many prospects are simply looking for a “plug me in system.” Just the fact that you call your leads up sets you apart as a professional from other networkers who may also be trying to recruit your prospect. Since a prospect is being bombarded by offers every day from other networkers, this mail and repeat system will give you a decisive advantage over other networkers – it has for me my friends!

The author of this article is Larry Costello, President of All-American Print & Mail, 2200 Wilson Blvd #102-57, Arlington, VA 22201.