Today we are introducing our first series of guest posts from Jennifer Neal, of K9 Design in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Jennifer and I have been working together through the Marketing Mentor program for the past 4 months now and she is having such great results with her cold calling that she can’t stop writing about it. I’m hoping this will inspire some of those who don’t want to use this very effective (and really inexpensive) marketing tool.

Here’s Jennifer…

As the owner of a boutique design firm in Toronto I find myself both in the position of "recipient of marketing materials" and "sender of my own".

It seems since the clock struck 12 on January 1, 2008 every Tom Illustrator, Dick Photographer and Harry Printer has sent out their post card to the members of the Association of Registered Graphic Designers of Ontario (RGD).

On average I am getting 1-3 pieces per day. Some are wrapped in pretty cellophane envelopes, some with clever wording but the message is clear – HIRE ME. There are no follow up calls and no further contact just a post card. These usually make their way into my "for future use" file or my other file – you know what that is.

When I think about the marketing that we (K9) have been sending out (read my recent post about making follow up calls after sending out a sample publication with a direct mail letter, 10 per week to a very targeted list) I feel I am getting very different results than my post card friends are getting. I feel like my marketing lands with a Bigger Thud.

This could just be a figment of my imagination, but when I call them after the mailing,  and I say…"Hi, it’s me Jennifer….I’m calling about that BIG BLUE ENVELOPE that landed on your desk the other day"…and then they say….."it’s right here"..or…"yes I got it"…. And then we go off into this lovely conversation about what I sent them.

The package is so big and distinctive that they instantly know WHO I am, they know WHAT I sent them and they remember ME.

This is just the beginning of my marketing life with them but it starts off with impact.

I remember so desperately wanting another tool that I could use to put in front of my prospect’s face. For 10 years I have attempted to come up with some maverick marketing that would do the hard part for me – a post card a brochure anything – just make them notice us.

Now I wonder…do you get better results from sending more to less? That way your stuff “lands with a bigger thud.”

I don’t know the answer, but so far it’s working.