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Stephen Bailey's winning entry
I started my business, Chesapeake Retirement Solutions, in May 2008. I provide legal and consulting services to seniors who are transitioning to a retirement, assisted living, or long term care community. I had a list of approximately 700 contacts who I wanted to send a letter announcing my new business. My fear was that my contacts lead busy lives and I didn't want this material to end up in the trash unread.
Rather than simply enclosing my brochure and a business card, I decided to ask them for help developing my marketing material and identifying potential customers. I had PrintingForLess.com print 2 slightly different versions (both content and format) of my brochure and a post card survey asking each person to review the brochures answer the survey questions and mail the post cards back to me. My strategy was two fold. First, I actually wanted their input on the brochures I had drafted. Second, I wanted each person to feel part of the process and to read through the same material twice with a critical eye. By reading about my new venture twice, I hoped that my contacts would absorb more information and have a greater investment in spreading the word. The results were amazing. More than 200 contacts took the time to thoroughly read the material, fill out the survey, and mail their comments back to me. Of the 200 returned surveys more than 40 had leads identifying new clients. Asking my contacts to help launch my company with their input instead of simply sending them a brochure "announcing" my new venture made all the difference. |