Those in the financial services industry and other industries as a matter of practice send pre-approach letters. My counsel to these talented professionals flies in the face of conventional wisdom.



Let's take a quick visit back into the not so distant past, when sales professionals spent more time pounding pavement than they did dialing for dollars. The majority of sales were conducted face-to-face where you could smile and shake the hand of your prospect ? even get away with giving a bag of multi-colored, jellybeans as a "thank you for your business."

Book More Meetings Faster and In Less Time with Cold Calls

Move forward a few years to when some savvy sales pro decides to get a leg up on the competition. He decides to book more appointments faster and spend more time for selling as he opts to let his fingers to the walking. This sales pro coins the phrase, "smile and dial" and he does smile as he brings in many more dollars than his colleagues with this effective prospecting tactic.

Then some not so savvy "sales trainer" -- who hasn't sold so much as a box of Girl Scout cookies -- offers to standardize the prospecting process.

The uninformed staff member makes the decision to substitute the warmth of the in-person handshake with a 4 inch x 6 inch pre-printed, computer signed, "pre-approach letter" ? then in an unprecedented flash of dim-witted brilliance claims that as soon as the prospect sees that piece of paper with your company's name on it, the prospect will rush to the phone to call you and/or have instant name recognition when the administrative assistant breathlessly says "it's you" on the phone, and the gatekeeper and prospect with knowing nods will throw the doors open and welcome you in to do business with them ? because of the all powerful pre-approach flyer.

Kinda makes your heart go pitter, patter, doesn't it?

Eager- to-please new sales professionals; who are anxious to make money since they are on 100% commission do their best to make this plain-vanilla, pathetic tactic work.

When this approach predictably fails, a whole new batch of well-intended, bright, revenue producing sales professionals blame themselves ? when in fact it's the approach to pre-approach letters that is to blame I know, I know, I know you either use "the company's" tried and true Business Reply flyer or you sweat blood coming up with your own direct mail piece.

As you ponder the effectiveness of pre-approach flyers, keep this thought in mind:

Your prospects receive as much or more mail than you do.

Like you either they or their assistant reviews the mail first. During this cut, most flyers that look like junk mail get tossed.

Now, if you cold call your prospect and ask about "the flyer" they received, what are you gonna say when he says, "No, I don't recall that flyer" or "I guess threw it out with the rest of the junk mail?"

Count on it. It's going to happen.

Then, again your prospect may actually remember "the flyer" and exclaim (heaven forbid) "Yeah, I remember that lousy piece of junk mail, what about it?"

You need to know that just like the world of sales, the world of flyers and direct mail campaigns involve a whole other set of sophisticated skills.

These skills begin with learning the many ways there are to get your junk mail to look like mail that is worth opening. Then, the skill level increases to a level of writing "copy" in a way that compels the prospect to read every single line? and the big time copy writers know how to leverage a well crafted a direct marketing piece into an order. But most of these guys don't know sales.

Sure you can learn direct marketing skills, and learn them you must if you want direct mail to be an important part of your sales strategy. If you prove to your satisfaction that your direct mail pieces result in revenues ? new dollars from new clients ? then, by all means send those pre-approach flyers-just don't ask your prospects about the flyers when you call!

Remember this, flyer or no flyer the one to sell you, your products, your services is you ? you talented creature. Now, go get ?em!