In my last article, I outlined 2 specific ways to use direct mail to get the attention of qualified prospects and follow up with them.  I hope you are having success with those strategies. 
 
Now, I'd like to talk about my preference form of direct mail which is the envelope mailing.  If you decide to use an envelope mailing you now have two other basic choices to make using what I call the billboard or the sneak up
approach.
 
Many successful marketers favor the sneak up approach.  In this approach there's nothing on the outside of the envelope that identifies it as business mail.  There is no company name in the return address.  There is either a person's name or no name at all, just the return address.  There is no teaser copy, no headlines, words or
phrases indicative of what's inside.  Sometimes an odd size envelope rather than a standard number ten business
envelope is used. 
 
To carry this sneak attack to the ultimate extreme there are no labels used.  The addressing is either done by hand or individually typed and postage stamps are used, not postage meter impressions. 
 
The theory behind this is sometimes called 'A' Pile, 'B' Pile; that most people sort their mail near a waste basket.  A lot of so called junk mail obvious as 'B' Pile Mail gets thrown out unopened or after only a glance.  The mail that gets 'A Pile' treatment often opened immediately and read looks like personal mail.  It comes in envelopes.  There's a letter inside when you open it. 
 
The object of the sneak attack is to insure 'A Pile' treatment.  I've used versions of this sneak up approach many times with significant success.  I believe in the validity of the theory.  This approach is especially strong if you are targeting high-level executives or business owners. 
 
An added twist to this technique is the use of a famous person's name or an important person's title as part of the return address on the envelope.
 
I've received sneak up mail from an insurance firm return addressed from Art Linkletter at a street address.  No company name, no clue that it was from an insurance company.  Titles can also work.  Not long ago I got an envelope addressed from, "The Chairman of the Board, The Golden Nugget Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada." 
 
This letter is much more likely to be opened than an envelope just from The Golden Nugget. The envelope was typewriter addressed with no stick on label.  It had a postage stamp, not a meter impression, and the letter inside was on the chairman's personal stationary, individually addressed to me.  I read it.  Had it just been from “The Golden Nugget” and had a brochure inside instead of a letter, I would have probably thrown it out unread. 
 
Visit www.cellularmarketingcoach.com today and sign up for one of the nineteen free, 45 -minute coaching sessions Mark will conduct this month.  You can also get a copy of the free report, “9 Sure Fire Strategies Any Cellular Professional Can Easily Implement To Make More Commissions In 59 Days Or Less” by taking advantage of the free coaching session.
 
About Mark Moore...
 
Mark Moore is an independent marketing consultant, sales trainer and author of the “Cellular Marketing Coach 5 Week Lead Generation System” and the soon to be released “Cellular Marketing Toolkit.”  Mark contributed to the book “Guerrilla Marketing In 30 Days”, the most recent addition to the best selling Guerrilla Marketing series, and is the only Certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach serving the wireless industry.
 
Mark has over 10 years of experience in the wireless industry, spending eight with Motorola as a Market Area Manager and Manufacturers Rep. He has worked with carriers (AT&T Wireless, US Cellular and Arch Wireless) in various sales and product distribution capacities including retail sales rep, direct sales rep, sales manager and major accounts rep.
 
 Mark frequently studies businesses outside of the wireless industry to study what makes them successful. Over a 4 - year period, he literally spent thousands of hours, and thousands and thousands of dollars, learning, testing and validating different ideas. Along the way, he discovered things like direct-response advertising, low cost lead generation tactics and pre-qualifying marketing. This education compelled him to develop strategies and tactics hardly anybody in the wireless industry uses, but are actually commonplace with ultra-high income professionals (including salespeople) in dozens of other fields.
 
 After being accepted and successfully completing an intensive 12-week Guerrilla Marketing Certification Course, Mark realized that the knowledge he had accumulated on low-cost, low-risk marketing was the missing piece of the puzzle for wireless agents, dealers and sales reps.