7 Ways to Use Direct Mail Marketing to Get Past Gatekeepers

A gatekeeper can be one of the biggest obstacles to sales for your business. Whether you’re cold calling businesses or sending direct mail marketing, the first person you need to ‘sell’ is the one answering the calls or opening and/or distributing the mail. These people are the gatekeepers, and you’ll need to get past them if you want your message to get to the person responsible for making decisions about sales.

7 Ways to Use Direct Mail Marketing to Get Past Gatekeepers

1. Segment your Audience

Large organisations are far more likely to have gatekeepers, so you should separate your B2B mail-outs by company size. If a company has fewer than 20 employees, marketing to a gatekeeper won’t necessarily be required.

2. Go for Professional Rather than Promotional

People often put a lot of thought into the design of whatever is IN the envelope, but sometimes forget to consider the outer envelope. Focus on designing an outer envelope that looks like important correspondence rather than just something purely promotional.

3. Appeal to the Gatekeeper Directly

If you’re confident that your mail-out is something that would be of interest to a decision maker, you can always include a message to the gatekeeper inside the envelope. Explain why the product or service would benefit the boss and why the gatekeeper should pass it on. You might also consider including a freebie offer for the gatekeeper as incentive to pass your mail-out on.

4. Double Check Your Direct Mail Data

The fastest way to lose credibility and have your mailer dumped in the garbage is to have messy data. If your mailer says ‘Mr’ instead of ‘Ms’, or you’ve misspelled the prospect’s first name, it’s very unlikely you’ll get past any gatekeeper worth their salt. It’s very, very hard to make a sale once you’ve lost credibility, so always double and triple check your data.

5. Return Address

The first thing the gatekeeper will do is take a look at your return address, so it can make sense to leave off your company name. That way you’re more likely to spark curiosity – which is what gets your Direct mail marketing letter opened. 

6. Use Postage Stamps

Using real postage stamps on direct mail-outs consistently results in a 10-15% higher response rate than a metered envelope.

Want help creating a great direct mail marketing campaign that will get past the gatekeeper and make sales? Contact your local Kwik Kopy Centre today to find out how we can help.