In business-to-business direct marketing, I’m often asked about what kind of response rates to expect, about the most productive media channels, the best lists, the best time to conduct a campaign and the most effective qualification questions. I always answer the same way,
much to the frustration of my listener: “It depends.”
But when the subject of the best offer comes up, I don’t have to hedge: “It’s information.”
Hands down, in most business-to-business situations, an offer of some kind of information about how to do your job better, how to solve a business problem, how to save time and money — this is the offer that will drive the best results for direct marketers.
Why? For the same reason that “free trial” is probably the best all-around offer in consumer direct marketing. It combines the three magic ingredients:
- A strong appeal that has high perceived value
- An innate ability to qualify the prospect
- A relatively low cost and risk
It attracts, it qualifies, and it doesn’t break the bank. Bingo. The perfect offer.
But why does information pull so well in business-to-business? Because of the essential character of the business buyer. This person is trying to get a job done. When making purchase decisions, the buyer is thinking about the company and the job as well as his or her own
personal benefit.
Information fits the bill perfectly. Think of the myriad benefits information can fulfill for a business buyer:
• Ideas for cutting costs or improving productivity
• Proof points like testimonials, research reports and case studies
• Insight into what’s working for the competition
• Data that will help sell the idea internally
• Fresh content that makes the prospect look good, and smart, and like a valued contributor to the firm
The most attractive information is very specific, gives immediate assistance on the job, and is deeply relevant to the business buyer. Thus, in turn, only business people who actually have that need are likely to respond. This means an innately qualified prospect. Compare the attractiveness of an offer for “10 Tips for Making Your Business More Profitable” to an offer like a “Free T-Shirt.” I rest my case.
And the best thing about information offers in an electronic age is the cost: next to nothing. Sure, you can spend money. You do have to write the piece, or otherwise acquire the intellectual property. But when converted to a pdf download from your website, the incremental cost per piece is zero.
