It is a time-tested truth in marketing that regular, repeated mailings are the way to create big, predictable results. When you mail every 30 days for a year, you will cause a dramatic growth in your business.

I’ve explained why it is important to have a first “warm up” step incorporated into your marketing plan. And I have pointed out that postcards are a great way to get attention. Now it is time to explain why attention translates into a successful Step 1.
People respond to repetition. If you are a parent, you know how hard it is to refuse repeated requests for a cookie or a desperately-wanted toy. If you are not a parent, I’m sure you remember asking, even begging for a toy, treat or permission to stay up past your bedtime until your parents finally gave in. Your customers and prospective customers respond the same way. They need to be asked repeatedly.

There are really only four reasons people don’t buy your products and services. In this chapter, we will discover what those reasons are, and how direct mail postcards overcome them.

Why someone doesn’t buy something (and you can see this in your own buying behavior), it is for one or more of these reasons:

• No need
• No money
• No hurry
• No trust

Now, let’s go deeper.

No Need

Don’t take it so personally. Sometimes when people don’t buy from you, it’s because they simply don’t want what you are offering. They may need what you are offering and not know or acknowledge that need, but the bottom line is they don’t want it.

Yet.

Go where people want you. Avoid the square-peg-in-round-hole conundrum and look for a square hole. If you were dating, you wouldn’t go hunting for a mate at a weekend retreat for newlyweds, would you? So why would you send your postcards to audiences that aren’t interested in what you’ve got to offer?

Save lots of time, effort and money by targeting your postcard mailings to groups of people who have demonstrated they want your product or service – or ones similar to yours. If you follow this one piece of advice, you will become more profitable immediately.

Examples of those who have demonstrated they want your products and services are:

• Your own customers
• Your competitors’ customers
• People who have purchased products and services that complement your products and services

Promotional mailings without a targeted market in mind aren’t called postcards, they’re called lottery tickets – and are about as effective as them.

Promote your business exclusively to people likely to respond to the benefits provided by your product or service.

No Money

Businesses and consumers generally don’t avoid purchases because they don’t have the money necessary to purchase. They usually don’t buy because they decide buying something else (like food) is more important to them.

You can get them to buy from you by making it clear buying your product or service will: 1) Get rid of something they don’t want, 2) Get them something they do want, or 3) Get them more of something they already like.

It is your job to get people and businesses to understand your products and services give them what they really want. What is the most nagging problem you can solve for prospects in your targeted market?

Make sure they really feel what it will be like to have that problem eliminated. Use postcards to communicate how you can solve their problems. Later in the book I’ll show you lots of examples!

No Hurry

People tend to drag their feet even after deciding to buy something. The longer they wait to purchase, the more likely they are to forget why your product or service is valuable or even necessary to them. Keep your message in front of them with repetitive mailings.

If you don’t, you’ll lose the business.

The reason repetitive mailings are so effective is that they remind your customers and prospects what they would be missing by not having your product or service. You can avoid losing sales because of “no hurry” by rewarding customers who take immediate action and penalizing those who don’t. For example, offer a discounted price or a special bonus for ordering before a deadline. Then they will have a reason to hurry.

Mail repetitively to targeted customers and prospects and you will close more sales.

No Trust

Buyer’s remorse is more than a clever buzz-word or catchphrase – it’s a real problem losing us money as we speak. For most people, the fear of losing out is stronger than the desire to get something that could benefit them. This is instinctual self-protection. Unfortunately, it often causes people to avoid buying something they truly want. I’ve been there. Have you?

When it comes down to it, nobody wants to buy something only to find out it won’t solve his or her problem. They don’t want to be (or even feel) ripped off, or still at a loss to the solution of their problem.

This is what you need to do to sidestep that reaction:

• Take away their risk in doing business with you
• Provide a way that they can trust you
• Remove any perceived risk

Here are three ways to build trust that I’ve found effective for any business:

1. Eliminate the risk with some kind of guarantee, such as a free trial, a money back guarantee or a “keep the free gift even if you don’t keep the product” type of offer.
2. Give them testimonials from satisfied customers and/or provide references that prove the quality and reliability of your product or service.
3. Make it easy for your prospects and customers to communicate with you and get their questions and concerns answered. Let them see that you and your business are real and you value earning and keeping their trust.

Give something to them BEFORE taking their money – and also after. For instance, in my business, I give free marketing advice to anyone that asks, whether they’re a customer or not. And, after they purchase, if they want to continue the dialogue, I continue it regardless of whether or not it’s likely they’ll buy again anytime soon.

To recap, these are the only four reasons people don’t buy from you: No need, no hurry, no money and no trust.

Increase your sales and profits by responding to these preemptively:

• Do everything you can to mail your postcards to people and businesses likely to already want your products or services
• Make it clear how valuable the benefits of your products and services are to them
• Get them to realize the urgency and the value of your products and services NOW
• Show them they can trust you by offering security regarding the benefits your products or services offer

When you do all of these things, guess what? People will buy from you like crazy. Postcards are a perfect, low-cost medium to overcome the four reasons people don’t buy from you.