M+ have experience in the design and implementation of CRM systems that can help you tighten your business processes and gain a better understanding of your customers and their buying patterns. Tracking and maintaining contact with prospects and customers is a vital part of every marketing programme. Personalisation is critical for high response rates and when this is added to a data management system, using information on individual customer interests, then response rates will soar. Direct Mail Direct mail has to engage the reader within 3 seconds or it is filed in the rubbish bin. Designing for impact and response is different to designing general literature, though the process is effectively the same. Things to consider include not only the content, but the look and feel of the envelope or package, the ease of response, the call to action, the expected return on investment and fulfilment of the campaign both pre and post mailing. For the production of effective mailers, email or faxes to send to your target prospects and customers please see Literature Email Marketing E-mail is consistently rated as the most popular and most used application on the Internet. It is the preferred primary means of business communication (ahead of telephone, face-to-face and postal mail) though as it develops has a tendency to be abused rather than used. To avoid the automatic “delete”, it is essential that your communications add value to the reader and that they actively want to receive your mail. Ways in which this can be achieved include: Useful generic industry information Relevant offers Viral marketing Telemarketing Establishing an on-going direct contact with prospects and customers, using dedicated software to store, manipulate and control all data. Focus must be on: Gaining an in-depth understanding of prospects and customer requirements Conducting on-going direct contact with prospects Maintaining effective contact with customers Ensuring that your audience is aware of your full product range Setting up a Telemarketing programme: Existing or new personnel can be trained to be proficient 'Telemarketers'. A series of special market communications are required (to be sent via post, fax and email) All appointments and sales opportunities are handled by your experienced personnel M+ can set-up the programme and provide training through to a hand-over. Thereafter ad-hoc assistance can be provided as required. Expectations: Dedicated telemarketers average 10 calls per hour, and fulfil all record-keeping, sending of market communications and follow-up. Typically telemarketers will have at least 3 discussions of a detailed nature each hour. At minimum one appointment or qualified lead is expected per 8 hours worked. We usually recommend that the programme is established on the basis of, at minimum, 40 hours telemarketing activity per week