| In my life, I've had two freelance | | | | over a long period of time. |
| careers, one that limped along miserably | | | | Personally, I've never used Who's |
| for a number of years, and one that took | | | | Mailing What! to see what others are |
| off like a rocket after only three | | | | doing since I have an extensive swipe |
| months of marketing. | | | | file of my own. But I've often used it |
| What happened in between was eight year | | | | to build my prospect database. |
| of excitement, growth and misery at a | | | | What makes Who's Mailing What! such a |
| high-powered direct response agency, and | | | | valuable resource for the copywriter is |
| a life-changing event at a hospital from | | | | that it lists known mailers. You don't |
| overwork. What I'll always be thankful | | | | do better than that when trying to |
| for, however, is that I learned exactly | | | | determine whether a company is a likely |
| what it takes to get a lead, and convert | | | | prospect for copywriting services. |
| them. | | | | What's more, in the Who's Mailing What! |
| Prior to my years at the agency I | | | | database you can search by niched |
| managed to maneuver myself onto the | | | | category. For instance, if you |
| board of the Oregon Direct Marketing | | | | specialize in nutritional supplements |
| Association. During this time I was | | | | you can search category #346 |
| often in the company of list brokers. | | | | (Nutritional Supplements and Vitamins) |
| One broker I wrote copy for was fond of | | | | for high quality prospects. |
| reciting the "40/40/20 rule," which I | | | | You'll find many repeat entries, but |
| thought was a not-so-subtle attempt to | | | | that's ok; it just means that particular |
| put me in my place. | | | | mailer is mailing frequently, which |
| According to the 40/40/20 rule, 40 | | | | making them all the more desirable for |
| percent of the success of a mailing | | | | your list. |
| comes from the quality of the list; | | | | An example: In a quick search of the |
| another 40 percent comes from the | | | | database for the Nutritional Supplements |
| quality of the offer, and only 20 | | | | and Vitamins category - and limiting to |
| percent comes from the copy. | | | | just the last two years - I found 66 |
| I'll grant he was right, except in the | | | | entries. One strong mailer is Mountain |
| case where a mature marketer has tested | | | | Home Nutritionals, with eight mailings |
| all the lists, and tested all the | | | | in two years. |
| offers, and now all that's left to test | | | | Now that's all I need to know in order |
| is copy or creative. | | | | to "qualify them" for my list. |
| New businesses (and new copywriters) | | | | However, if you wanted to go deeper, |
| must start with the list, and the more | | | | you'd learn that Mountain Home |
| qualified it is, the greater (and | | | | Nutritionals doesn't mail the same |
| faster) the success. | | | | package over and over; rather, it |
| That's why I spend several sessions with | | | | appears they test offers, as well as |
| my coaching students when it's time to | | | | certain products. |
| start building their lists. I emphasize | | | | Go even deeper, and you'll find that on |
| that nothing is more important than | | | | one mailing, they used a #11 envelope, |
| targeting the right people! | | | | that the mailing specs were 13 pages of |
| One of my list-building secrets is the | | | | four-color process, that it was an |
| online database, Who's Mailing What!. | | | | acquisition (prospecting) mailing...and |
| Who's Mailing What! is a huge archive of | | | | that the concept/copy for the outer |
| "classic" direct mail packages, | | | | envelope was: |
| postcards, magalogs, catalogs, and | | | | "Stock Up Now on Dr. Williams' Top |
| self-mailers. It exists to give | | | | Health-Boosting Formulas!" |
| businesses access to competitive | | | | Now one caution: this is all very |
| marketing materials, and to provide | | | | fascinating, but you're simply looking |
| copywriters with a research tool and | | | | to qualify a potential prospect. Resist |
| copying service. | | | | the urge to look deeper as time is of |
| For instance, say you got your first job | | | | the essence. |
| writing a promotion for the Seminars | | | | What you need to do next is go to your |
| trade. You could spend about $70 for a | | | | potential prospect's Web site to get |
| one-year membership to Who's Mailing | | | | contact data...and that may not be as |
| What! and pull up information on | | | | easy as it seems. |
| thousands of archived mailers selling | | | | For instance, plugging "Mountain Home |
| seminars. | | | | Nutritionals" into Google didn't bring |
| For an extra $40 or so, you can request | | | | it up...but it did bring up "Dr. David |
| that one of these mailers be copied and | | | | Williams"...and that's the brand under |
| sent to you in either a traditional | | | | which Mountain Home Nutritionals is |
| photocopied format, or (if available) an | | | | sold. So this is where you gather your |
| instantly downloadable PDF. | | | | contact information. |
| Sometimes you'll find a sample that the | | | | With hundreds of categories...from fund |
| Who's Mailing What! editors suspect is a | | | | raising and investments to technology |
| control (due to the fact that same | | | | and insurance...Who's Mailing What! is |
| package keeps reappearing). | | | | an ideal source for building your |
| There are two types of control | | | | prospect list. Start here, and I |
| identified: the "Control," and the | | | | guarantee you'll step into the marketing |
| "Grand Control." The Grand Control is a | | | | side of copywriting with more |
| mailer that has mailed many times, and | | | | confidence...and more success. |