MKLINK Marketing was incorporated in 1998.  Since then they have generated over £40 million in additional revenue for their clients, ranging from small companies to Building Societies.  MKLINK specialises in “common-sense” marketing derived from real-life experience rather than theory.

Q:  Thank you very much for talking to us today about your direct marketing plans.  Can you tell us why you decided to choose Thomson Local data?

Mike: “Thank you.  I decided to use Thomson local data simply because I was recommended it and having run a quick Google Search, I found that the feedback was good. I’ve used other data suppliers in the past and was wary because some of the data wasn’t very fresh.  The fact that Thomson Local verify all their data gave me confidence to invest.”

Q:  Why is it so important to choose accurate business data for your marketing campaigns?

Mike: “There are two primary reasons that spring to mind.  Firstly is one of cost. Sending material to incorrectly listed people or companies means that essentially it’s wasted, consequently the more accurate the information the less mail goes in the bin.

Secondly is client perception.  How often have you received communication where your name is spelled incorrectly or other key contact details are wrong? It looks really unprofessional and instantly alienates your recipient.”

Q:  What tips do you have for increasing success with telemarketing to businesses?

Mike: “Telemarketing is a conversation all in itself and different people have different ways of doing things.  However, when I built the company up I used telemarketing almost exclusively and although we use it less extensively today, I'd still recommend employing the same approach.

Wherever possible, ask for your target prospect by name.  Asking for the “person in charge of marketing” or the “person in charge of purchasing” is hugely inefficient, embarrassing for the telemarketing operative and again instantly alienates the recipient of the call – whether it’s the prospect themselves or a gatekeeper.

I always earn the right to have the call.  If I have sent some information to Mr. Smith, Purchasing Manager of ABC Company then I have showed courtesy by introducing myself and my reason for business.  Thereafter, my whole tone is more empowered because I have a legitimate right and reason to call back.

If I do this for the first time without sending information beforehand, then again I would ask if I can send some information that I hope may be of benefit to them.  I NEVER expect to sell instantly.  There’s simply no relationship yet and no respect.  This way, every time you call you are gathering more information and increasing either their commitment or building up your relationship with them.

I would rather speak with less people but with a much higher conversion rate because I believe it is more efficient to qualify appropriate prospects and then give each one more time and more of a chance to respond positively.

Of course, it IS a numbers game but you can still stack the numbers in your favour by getting as much information about each contact as possible and using it next time you call. It’s easy because most people don’t bother so you will stand out!

So, if you asked for Mr Smith and last time he was away on a business trip to Kenya – you can ask if he has returned safely from Kenya.  Simple. The fact you remembered – or bothered to make a note of it really stands out.

If nothing else, it reminds the recipient of the calls that you have called before and are following up and that you are not simply another first time caller.  Persistence pays - as long as you make each call count and always get more information each time.  You've made the call so you might as well get as much background information as you can each time.”

Q:  If you were conducting an email marketing campaign, how would you ensure you generate a good response?

Mike: “Personalisation is key. If nothing else, ensure you put the recipient’s name in the subject field and anything else than can personalise it to them. Given the amount of unsolicited email everyone receives, it is imperative to demonstrate that you have information that is beneficial to them and not the whole wide world.  There’s a whole discussion there about prospect/client segmentation!

People have information overload so the PRIMARY thing the email needs to do initially is S-T-A-N-D  O-U-T to get read.

Remember that they HAVE to read the top of an email because it is the bit that is displayed.  Same as a webpage – you can’t help but see the top – because it is how the page is rendered. But whilst 100% of the visitors to a web page see the top, maybe only 5% ever reach the bottom.  Ditto emails.

Therefore, keep the headline punchy and compelling enough to cause the recipient to read further – or at least open the email.

I’m in favour of quite short emails.  If you have a lot to say, then link to the rest of the information on a web page somewhere. This also means that you can track how many people click on the links and can build up a profile of how engaging the emails are.

Avoid using certain words that will trigger spam filters – marketing emails often unwittingly fall foul of this.  There are loads of online tools available that will give your copy a spam score before you send it out.

Also make the emails easy to read. Both in terms of language and font – not everyone has perfect eyesight.

If you have the time – split test your emails to see which get read more. Up to 80% of the response can be from the headline alone.

The hardest thing I am up against is getting business people to send emails as if they’re from a real live person, rather than containing a load of corporate jargon. People buy from people so make your marketing less corporate and more approachable. It works for people like Google!”

For more marketing help contact Mike at MKLINK.