Sales teams are always looking for an edge, something that will help them close more deals and build better relationships with customers. It can be tough to stand out from the competition in today's digital age. Direct mail and gifting can help you create powerful, personalized experiences that set you apart from the competition and establish trust and brand loyalty with your buyers.
80% of consumers prefer companies that offer personalized experiences. The majority of a buyer's experience is dependent on how they feel they are being treated, and customized experiences help your buyers feel that you understand them and their needs. When customers feel like they are being treated as individuals, they are more likely to do business with you.
To dial in on your targets and customize the experience for them, review their social profiles and company news. Do they have hobbies or life milestones to celebrate, or perhaps you share interests or an alma mater? Has their company or department had a big success or event you can leverage? If you can't decide or if gifting at scale makes this difficult, you can always offer a curated variety of items they can choose from.
Additionally, direct mail and gifting strategies employ a technique called pattern interrupt. A pattern interrupt breaks the normal flow of a situation and grabs someone's attention. In marketing, it's often used to get people to stop and take notice of a particular advertisement or promotion.
Instead of mindlessly scanning and deleting emails, your prospects interact with your message through a physical, tangible medium that is more likely to capture their attention. This creates an opportunity to establish your brand image, guide the customer experience, and change your target audience's behaviors, attitudes, and decisions.
To do this well, it must be relevant to what you're trying to promote. The luxury car brand Bentley used unique postcards to promote several of their new models. They used a TV in a Card - a postcard with a 7-inch display with preloaded video - to launch the Continental GT, focusing on the fact that it is the world's fastest four-seat convertible. The novel experience of a video postcard elevated the thrilling visual and audio presentation of the advertisement.
Additionally, a pattern interrupt must deviate from the over-promotional advertisements we regularly see. Just like with digital ads and emails, if it feels like junk mail or spam, it will quickly be skipped and passed over. A simple gift with a brief note often goes much farther than a glossy print flyer.
Overall, direct mail and gifting effectively get people's attention and stand out from the competition. They create personalized experiences that break the monotony of a potential customer's day, and they interrupt any patterns that have been established. When used in conjunction with other digital marketing tactics, they can result in more conversions and happy customers. How will you use these strategies to give your sales team an edge?
