Postcards are cheap to print and mail but they have one major weakness as far as direct response lead generation is concerned. They don’t have a physical response mechanism.
Traditional letter packages contain a business reply card and maybe even a business reply envelope. But a postcard, unless it’s a double postcard, contains nothing that your prospect can mail back to you. Here are eight ways to generate that response anyway, ranked in order of likely effectiveness.
1. Toll-free number to a live operator.
Tell your prospect to pick up the phone and call you on your nickel. Have operators standing by to take orders and answer questions.
2. Website landing page.
Direct your prospects to a special page on your website that deals with the topic of your postcard. Invite the prospect to complete a form so you can follow up.
3. Bring postcard to store.
Invite prospects to bring the postcard with them when they visit your retail store, to qualify for a discount, for example.
4. Toll-free number to a recording.
If you want to screen prospects and qualify them before talking to them, ask them to phone a number that connects them directly to a pre-recorded message (or messages) describing your product or service or promotion.
5. Autoresponder.
Invite your prospects to send a blank email to an email address that triggers an autoresponder (a series of automatic email messages that give prospects more information).
6. Mail back the postcard.
An innovative way to generate a response (although it means more work for the prospect) is to invite prospects to mail the postcard back to your office in an envelope that the prospect supplies (to receive a free sample, a premium or more information). My thanks to Bob Bly and his excellent book, The Lead Generation Handbook, for this idea.
7. Fax number.
Give prospects a fax number (toll-free if you like) that they should use to request more information. Avoid asking them to fax you back the postcard, since postcards do not travel well through most fax machines.
8. 900 number.
If you want to weed out time-wasters and attract high-quality prospects, offer them a 900-number to call for more information. Prospects who are willing to pay to learn more about your offering are likely ready to buy soon.
