Recently, I saw a magazine featuring the area’s top realtors. I bought the issue and, based on my impressions of the photograph, the ad copy, and the overall appearance of the full page ads, I selected four female principals of four different firms. Just four.
I then engraved a short verse on the tall blue Riesling bottles I use so often in my promotional efforts. Each bottle had the same verse. Each bottle was personalized with the recipient’s name and firm name. I hung my little card around the neck of the bottle, then wrapped it as though UPS or FedEx would run over the box with a fork lift. It would take an explosion or the tailgate of the truck flying open and dumping it on the toll road to damage the bottle inside these boxes.
I took the time to send an email…each had her email listed in the ad…to briefly notify each she would be getting a box from me. Also included a link to a digital brochure to validate me and the work. I shipped one box every day for four days.
One emailed a reply at once saying she was thrilled to be getting my work. The day another bottle arrived, I got an email raving about it. Later in the day I got an order for the bottle shown above; she knew my work and would definitely be in touch with more orders.
Fifty percent of my mailout got a positive response. Twenty-five percent placed an order that far more than paid for all 4 bottles, 4 boxes, a lonnnng string of bubble wrap, 4 envelope labels, and 60 bucks in total shipping charges. Not a bad percentage for a ‘direct mail’ program.
Its not the number of pieces you send. Its the personal touches, the personalization of the item, and presenting a quality product that produces percentages like this. Stay tuned. I’d bet I’ll get orders from the other two as well.
I still have another dozen realtors selected that will take another couple of weeks to engrave and send. I expect to hear from most of them, if the response to the first four is any yardstick of success.
NOTE ABOUT THE BOTTLE: I had no other bottles of this item to choose from. Poor attention during the bottling process that the logo on the long neck of the bottle did not align with the bottle’s small label. Aesthetically, it was better, in my opinion, to center the engraving over the small label on the front. The customer was delighted. And so will be the recipients.
-Ken • 214.250.6958
Still have a few seats in September, October, and November. Earning potential is amazing.
I would think the main issue is communicating to the recipient that he/she can afford your calligraphy. If I received a personalized bottle with your calligraphy on it, and I did not know how much you charge, I would think it would cost hundreds of dollars.