Written by Jeff Grutkowski
Two clients.
Two direct mail pieces featuring the exact same free offer.
Two completely different outcomes.
This true-life scenario just happened to a colleague of mine, and I think it’s a perfect example of the importance of knowing The Target.
Client A wanted to increase the number of visitors to their tradeshow booth. So they sent out a direct mail piece promoting the giveaway of a very desirable, rather expensive high-tech gadget. The message was immediate, engaging and clearly focused on what was most important to The Target: the free offer. More than 25% of the people who received the direct mailer visited Client A’s booth. Nice.
Client B’s message, on the other hand, didn’t offer The Target a quick, direct, compelling reason to visit their tradeshow booth. Instead, their mailer emphasized the client’s products and services, with only a secondary mention of the giveaway. Ultimately, the response was underwhelming, and Client B was understandably disappointed.
The lesson here? The Target is boss.
Not The Agency. Not The Client.
The Target.
Client A understood this better than Client B, and reaped the rewards. You can, too, by following a few simple rules:
- First and foremost, communicate what The Target needs to hear, not what you want to say.
- Convince The Target why he or she needs to buy your product or service, not why you need to sell it.
- And always, always answer The Target’s #1 question: What’s in it for me?
The next time you’re reaching out to your audience, remember The Target. Zero in on it like a laser. Examine it. Understand it.
Then stay on it.
Because in the end, The Target is the only boss that really matters.
