I was always told to go for the gatekeeper.

The gatekeeper is not normally the receptionist it is the assitant to the person you really want to get too. For example the Assistant of the CEO or Assistant to the sales manager.

Normally when checking mail they expect there bosses name on the letter however sending it to the assistant will be a surprise to them and ensure that they read it.

Also make sure the letter is directed to the person not the position title.

So make sure to do a little research before you send your letter and then your FUP

Hope this helps

You guys all have good points. She might have been threatened for her job and it might still be considered cold calling. I've sent quite a few direct mailings out in the last few months with no results. So maybe I will stop doing them for a while and see what else would work for me. Thanks ladies!

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Janice Correa-Elite Business Services
"My Business is Your Business!"
www.elitebusinessonline.com

Originally Posted by YourLeftHand

I have a new mailing I'm going to be sending out re: a new niche that I came up with and so I'm waiting for the letters to come back from the printer. What I'm going to try is a response card and postage-paid envelope. I give them a sentence at the end of the letter prompting them to act - call me, email, or send back the enclosed response card. I know postage will be more, but I'm ok with that. I guess what I feel is that if I were the one getting something in the mail, I would hang onto it until the need arose. I would poke around the website, and either email the person or send in a card. If someone who sent me a letter in the mail were to just call me a couple weeks later, it would totally put me off. I'm just starting out and still have a lot to learn, so we'll see how that theory pays off for me!!!

That's what I plan on doing as well...giving them a way to contact ME if they're interested (and, like you said, give several different options including something they can send back to me). That way, they don't feel pressured, I don't get stressed out over the thought of cold follow-up calls and all the different contact options should suit every preference. for instance, I prefer to work online as much as I possibly can. I will always try to get what I need done that way before I ever pick up the phone. Some people may prefer to check a box saying, "please send me more information or call me" and send it off with the daily mail.

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Stephanie
New VA in the research phase :daisy:

I also use my business card as the return address on the back of the postcard with a dashed line around it and 'cut out my business card and keep it for future reference' printed just under the dashed line. The client that hired me did just that - he got my postcard in November but didn't call me until February. He has been a steady 5-8 hours/month ever since. 'taint much, but it's a heck of a good start!

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Lily Chambers, The Virtual Office Goddess, LLC
Author "How to Do Your Own Small Business Bookkeeping"

I'm in the process of completing follow up calls to the sales letters I sent out at the beginning of last week. My follow up call script goes something like this:

This is Shauna with Keystone Promise Virtual Assistance. I'm just calling to confirm you received the information we sent to you recently regarding the benefits your company could receive by partnering with KPVA. Did you receive it? Do you have any questions? Please remember that if you ever have any correspondence or other word-based application needs, you can visit our website at _______. Thank you for your time.

This gets the information out there again beyond the original letter. If they don't have any questions, that is fine, because they may need my services later, and will remember it more if they have heard the business name twice.

I also believe that if I receive even 1 client for 10 hours a month out of 100 letters mailed, then the campaign has more than paid for itself. Any more on top of that would be a bonus.

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Shauna Reed
Keystone Promise Virtual Assistance
Blog: Creative Writing Resource

I guess that's what I was trying to do when I got shot down. Those were the types of messages I was leaving as well. Thanks Shauna! Can I ask where you get your mailing info from?

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Janice Correa-Elite Business Services
"My Business is Your Business!"
www.elitebusinessonline.com

Sometimes it helps if you offer some type of incentive which is immediately redeemable upon visiting your website or contacting you via email. This way they really have nothing to lose by learning more about you rather something to gain.

Lily, I like the business card idea. Think I'll give it a try.

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Mattie Stokes