DWS Associates - Direct Marketing Offer Checklist

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DWS Associates Direct Response Marketing Offer Checklist & Tips

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Direct Marketing Offer Checklist

The Direct Marketing Offer is the second most important aspect of developing a direct marketing campaign. After identifying and targeting the right audience, it is 2.5 times as important as the least important factor. It is the whole proposition and incentives that you offer for response.

click to download direct marketing offer guide & checklist

What is an 'Offer'?

It's more than your product or service. It's your total proposition to the prospect or customer.
Besides product, the components of an offer might include a free gift, introductory or discount pricing, low finance rates, free shipping, to name just a few. Offers have a major impact and they can positively or negatively impact your programs response.
The more generous your offer, the greater the response. If you're after really large response, then make a really generous offer. If your goal is to attract qualified leads from very interested prospects then a lesser offer will be more effective.
Make sure your offer is relevant to both your target audience and the product you are selling. If you mismatch the offer to the audience, it won't be attractive and you can discourage interest on the part of potential buyers.
Before working up your offer, check to see what your competitors are doing.
If you can make an offer without reducing the price of your product, this is the best path to follow because customers acquired at reduce margins or special pricing generally continue to respond only to these kinds of offers and are very hard to convert to full pricing offers.

Why is the 'Offer' so important?

Because the right offer can sell almost anything.
The offer is one of the simplest and most dramatic ways to improve direct marketing results.
All other things being equal, it’s the most crucial of the three parts of response creativity.
It’s important to think of your market as you are structuring your offer.

What’s their sex, age, educational level, special interests, and social-economic status?

How you state the offer counts.
It both selects and involves the prospects.
It determines the quality of the customers who respond.
It’s an important aspect of creativity to find new ways of stating an existing offer.
It’s important to find new offers.

What makes up an 'Offer'?

The products/services
The price of the product/services
The payment terms
The way the offer is worded or pictured
Any incentives, bonuses, extras, premiums
Any time limitations or restrictions
Any free literature or booklets
Any special fulfillment options – e.g., free shipping

What types of 'Offers' are there?

Basic offers
- Right price
- Free trial
- Money-back guarantee
- Cash with order
- C.O.D.
- Charge card privileges
- Bill me later
- Installment terms
Free gift offers
- Free gift for an inquiry
- Free gift for a trial order
- Free gift for buying
- Multiple free gifts with a single order
- Your choice of free gifts
- Free gifts based on size of order
- Two-step gift order
- Continuing incentive gifts
- Mystery gift offer
Discount offers
- Cash discount
- Short-term introductory offer
- Refund certificate
- Introductory order discount
- Trade discount
- Early bird discount
- Quantity discount
- Sliding scale discount
- Selected discounts
Sales offers
- Seasonal sales
- Reason-why sales
- Price increase notice
- Auction-by-mail
Sample offers
- Free sample
- Nominal charge samples
- Sample offer with tentative commitment
- Quantity sample offer
- Free sample lesson
Time limit offers
- Limited time offers
- Enrollment periods
- Pre-publication offer
- Charter membership or subscription offer
- Limited edition offer
Guarantee offers
- Extended guarantee
- Money-back guarantee
- Double-your-money-back
- Guaranteed buy-back agreement
- Guaranteed acceptance offer
Build-up-the-sale offer
- Multi-product offers
- Piggyback offers
- The deluxe offer
- Good-better-best offer
- Add-on offer
- Write-your-own-ticket offer
- Bounce-back offer
- Increase and extension offer
Sweepstakes offers
- Drawing type sweepstakes
- Lucky number sweepstakes
- "Everyone Wins" sweepstakes
- Involvement sweepstakes
- Talent contests
Club & continuity offers
- Positive option
- Negative option
- Automatic shipments
- Continuity load-up offer
- Front-end load-ups
- Open-ended commitment
- “No strings attached” commitment
- Lifetime membership fee
- Annual membership fee
Specialized offers
- The philanthropic privilege
- Blank check offer
- Executive preview charge
- Yes/no offers
- Self-qualification offer
- Exclusive rights for your trading area
- The super dramatic offers
- Trade-in offer
- Third party referral offer
- Member-get-a-member offer
- Name-getter offers
- Purchase-with-purchase
- Delayed billing offer
- Reduced down payment
- Stripped-down products
- Secret bonus gift
- Rush shipping service
- The competitive offer
- The nominal reimbursement offer
- Established-the-value offer

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Click Image Below To
Download White Paper

Direct Marketing Offer Checklist

What is an 'Offer'?

Why is the 'Offer' so important?

What makes up an 'Offer'?

What types of 'Offers' are there?

Click Image Below ToDownload White Paper

Direct Marketing Offer Checklist

What is an 'Offer'?

Why is the 'Offer' so important?

What makes up an 'Offer'?

What types of 'Offers' are there?

Click Image Below To
Download White Paper