Communication with Consumers.

It is to your benefit to provide a means for consumers to provide you with feedback about their experiences and their attitudes. To achieve this you may look to seek an enquiry for additional product details; it could be in the form of answers to questions which would highlight how the consumer interpreted your advertising message; it may be asking for opinions about products or services, this being structured in the form of a questionnaire; or it may be through participation in a sales promotion program designed to increase awareness of product features and benefits.

This communication process is an essential part of your direct mail marketing. It is your link as a marketer with your existing and potential consumers. If your communication efforts are to be successful, it’s not so much what you have to say, it’s more about how consumers interact with, or how they interpret, your advertising message that’s important. In summary, it’s what meaning consumers put into your message.

Here are just two practical tools that you can use to assist you in putting into action what has just been covered above.

Programmed Learning.

Programmed learning is tactically ideal for establishing two-way dialogue with consumers. Firstly, it provides the right climate for effective dialogue. And secondly, it can positively enhance the benefits and opportunities presented in your direct mail marketing material.

Programmed learning is a question and answer learning technique. The information to be communicated is broken down into component parts. The recipient is asked to appraise each part of the message and feed back his or her understanding of it. This leads to better and more complete comprehension of the total message content. It helps the recipients to realise that their views are important and of vital interest to you, the marketer. And, programmed learning raises awareness and helps engender positive attitudes.

To achieve maximum involvement in, and response to, a programmed learning promotion, some form of incentive is desirable. An example of this would be the offering of a number of business orientated items (premiums) on a sweepstakes draw basis from correct entries received. Or, if affordable, to all entries received. A simple example would be a “Facts In Five” format. This would call for five questions, each calling for correct interpretation.

Customer Satisfaction Survey.

This is the second communications tool you may consider for your direct mail marketing.

There are two primary objectives for this mailed communication:

1.   To gain a read-out on what consumers think about you, the marketer, and their attitude to such factors as your products or services, your pricing, service, staff, sales methods, etc.
2.   To provide data to assist you in formulating a definitive strategy for future direct mail marketing communications.

Should the outcome to (1)  be good, give yourself a pat on the back. If not, corrective action can be quickly taken.
Experience indicates that consumers are usually happy to give their opinions, particularly on matters that concern them. And, by introducing specific demographic/psychographic questions, you’ll find you learn many things about your existing and potential consumers.

You may decide to mail to your total database, or a representative sample only. If the latter option is taken, selection can be done on an “enth” name basis. For example, a mailing to 50% of your database, and assuming a minimum 35% response rate, would mean replies would be received from 17.5% of your total database on a totally random basis. This should be sufficient to provide a representative read-out.

Such a Customer Satisfaction Survey will obviously not directly influence sales in the short-term. It is, however, important in the long-term if you are to become closer to your consumers and use direct mail marketing to your best advantage.