Sales Outreach Direct Mail Program
The Quick Story: This global research company needed to help their business development team engage new customers. 3X developed a dimensional direct mail program where the initial 50 mailers increased sales connections/calls by nearly 30% in three months.
From the client: You nailed this deliverable. The team is thrilled with the results. - VP, Creative Services
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PROJECT: DIRECT MAIL CAMPAIGN
SOLUTION: STRATEGY + STUDIO
INDUSTRY
Research & Advisory
HEADQUARTERED
Cambridge, Massachusetts
COMPANY SIZE
$480+ Million, 1,700 Employees
This company is one of the most influential research and advisory firms in the world. They serve clients in over 100 countries and address the functional needs of technology, marketing, customer experience (CX), digital, sales, and product leaders. Their Sales Team asked their in-house agency to come up with a program they could use to engage customers and potential clients. They turned to 3X for ideas.
THE CHALLENGE
Sales needed marketing support to engage target prospects
This Company’s in-house agency, our client, needed overflow assistance in the form of suggestions for a direct mailer their Sales Team could use as outreach after meetings. Not only did they have no set direction for budget, messaging, or packaging parameters, they weren’t initially sure how much of the project they wanted us to handle. They did know they didn’t want a throwaway item, and the initiative had to align with their brand, projecting strength and trust.
Some of the sample concepts presented:
Power Banks – "Power Up" messaging to emphasize their role in empowering business decisions.
Mini Umbrellas – "We’ve Got You Covered" theme to highlight their comprehensive insights.
Measuring Tapes – "Measure Up" concept to reinforce benchmarking and performance evaluation.
Custom Playing Cards – "Ace in the Hole" theme to position the Client as a strategic advantage.
Backpack – "Essential items” theme to align with the essential partnership they provide.
OUR SOLUTION
Easy creation that includes the direct mailer and simple fulfillment process
Without a focused target, our first step was defining the goals and budget. Leaning into our experience with dimensional direct mail campaigns, we wanted the item to be lightweight and compact for easy packaging and shipping. We also needed to ensure it resonated with the client’s brand identity, reinforcing their position as a trusted advisor. Lastly, we wanted to be sure it was an item that would be useful and not likely to be thrown away.
To achieve this, we guided the process strategically, moving from an open-ended request to fully collaborating on and designing a high-impact solution.
Our team worked with the Client’s preferred specialty supplier to generate a range of concepts, each with a strategic theme that tied back to the client’s expertise and conveyed strength and trust. We explored options that balanced cost-effectiveness with premium appeal, presenting a mix of useful, memorable items with creative themes.
After the client chose their favorites, we worked directly with the supplier to refine messaging and finalize premium, cost-effective packaging. The final selections featured a sleek Power Bank Kit and a Backpack, each complete with a custom-branded box and a personalized handwritten note from the sales team.
In addition, we built a process that allowed the sales team to utilize their current ad speciality fulfillment system to request a new mailer be sent to key prospects that included a handwritten notecard with the message they specified.
THE RESULTS
The initial quantity of 50 produced an ~30% lift on BD prospect engagement.
The final direct mail campaign was a resounding success. The client’s sales team was able to send engaging, branded mailers with handwritten notes to clients, reinforcing their relationships and increasing post-meeting conversions. The initiative performed beyond expectations, with strong feedback from both internal stakeholders and recipients. The success of this project led to an expansion of their direct mail strategy further strengthening their sales engagement approach.
According to their project lead: “The response from our sales team and prospects has been outstanding.”
And from our client stakeholder: “This campaign is performing beyond our expectations, and the product line manager is super excited to work with you again.”
This project highlights 3X Marketing’s ability to step in as a strategic partner in addition to a resource for execution. By transforming an open-ended request for suggestions into a results-driven campaign, we delivered a branded experience that amplified the Client’s outreach and impact.
“This project went beyond a simple direct mail piece.
By showing up in a consultative way, we transformed a small idea into a high-performing sales enablement tool.”
3X starting from a blank page:
No defined ask
Unspecified budget
No pre-determined theme
No set messaging