Getting personal with good old B2B direct mail

In B2B, a lot is about relationship building. We often talk about email communications, social media and so on. All of these can in their sheer volume get impersonal. Don’t underestimate the power of old fashioned direct marketing. When done right, it can have a lot of impact. It can even reactivate prospects, leads and clients.

What if someone took the time to write to you, personally?

In the holiday season, we think of sending greeting cards and often miss the opportunity to get personal with clients and prospects. As warmth and creating bonds with correspondents is part of content marketing and social media presence, why not surprise people with a handwritten note in a handwritten envelope! Not only can you do this during the holiday season, but all year round, too!

To illustrate this, here is an example of a tailor I met at a breakfast networking event. At the event, we introduced ourselves and exchanged business cards. I didn’t expect much besides a thank you email or a LinkedIn invitation after that meeting but he did better. Besides the email I received a couple of days later, there was also a handwritten envelope! He took the time to send me… mail! It stood out of the impersonal mail I got that day, it appealed to me emotionally. I opened it first and because of the emotional response, I read the contents of his flyer with attention. Even though his communication was a commercial one, he did it in a personal fashion, it reached me. Next time I think of a tailor, he will surely come to mind.

Even though this tailor has probably been doing business like that for over 40 years, I must say that in today’s electronic and database driven communications world, it’s refreshing, surprising and fun to have someone take the time to write to me, personally. In B2B, getting personal with your target audience with appropriate material always counts. This tailor got my attention this way; a positive and personal way.

Finally, as the holiday season approaches, if you haven’t already sent cards, you can send New Year’s greeting cards. Don’t forget to write a personal note to each if you can.

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