National Clothesline

Our son, Kevin, has just completed his fifth week of OCS, the US Marine Corp’s Officer Candidate School in Quantico, VA. It’s a 10-week course, so he’s halfway done.

In the days leading up to his departure, I observed him writing notes, stuffing envelopes and putting together small packages of various sizes but was all the while completely unaware that a most fantastic idea — an ingeniously devised plan — was being hatched and would soon unfold right under my nose!

The day he left for OCS, he placed a sealed package on my desk at home and asked if I would wait three days before calling his girlfriend, Libby, to come and collect it.

I did as instructed. Libby arrived, opened the box and was ecstatic!

In the box were a handwritten letter, a special t-shirt and hat that had caught her fancy a few weeks earlier and a sealed envelope with instructions “not to open for seven days” inscribed on the outside.

After reading and then re-reading the letter she got all giddy. “I can’t wait till next week!” she exclaimed.

That day finally arrived. Libby opened the sealed envelope and was instructed to face the American flag on the wall above Kevin’s dresser, say the pledge of allegiance aloud then look in the top drawer under a neatly folded blue t-shirt.

Another box. WOW!

Inside she found two journals with a silver charm, another handwritten letter and a sealed envelope containing the clue for the following week.

After reading the letter she leafed through the journals and quickly became overwhelmed.

Kevin and Libby coached basketball together in Spain last summer. Secretly, he had chronicled his thoughts and feelings about her every day since June.

It was all there. She was overcome with emotion as she sat on the side of his bed and read page after page.

Last week she read another handwritten letter, then opened an envelope containing 10 lottery tickets, gift cards to two of her favorite local restaurants and next week’s clue in a separate, sealed envelope. The lottery tickets were a fun touch. She ended up giving them to her friends.

One of the most creative gifts he gave her was sheet music. Libby plays the piano and happened to mention a few months ago that she would love to learn to play “Rhapsody in Blue” and “Moonlight Sonata.”

Voila! The kid remembered what she wanted and now she has something to do to help pass the time more quickly.

Five weeks into his ten-week commitment, Kevin’s letters keep Libby going. It’s his way of encouraging her and keeping her creatively occupied.

They had a good relationship before he left for OCS but this carefully planned scavenger hunt has strengthened that bond and has helped Libby get through times of loneliness.

Who knows what other surprises have been squirreled away for the next five weeks? Time will tell, but in the meantime, Libby’s curiosity has been piqued.

What we can learn

So what does a scavenger hunt, with letters, gifts and surprises have to do with your business?

Careful planning. Personal communication repeated on a regular basis. Creating a heightened sense of anticipation. Forming a bond and a strong relationship.

All of these concepts are utilized in Kevin’s little scavenger hunt.

Each one, by itself, has the potential to build a strong relationship, but string them all together and apply them in a business context and you have the makings of a very strong marketing program. I think the kid’s really on to something. Perhaps Kevin should build businesses instead of serving his country in the armed forces.

Marketing guru Dan Kennedy points out that one of the biggest mistakes most business owners make is doing “one-shot mailings.”

If you want to make an impact it takes repetition.

Of course, we’ve all heard that. But he suggests that in order to quickly create message recognition as well as a heightened rate of response the sequence must be tightly timed over a period of 45 to 60 days.

In Kevin’s case, the sequence is even tighter… seven days exactly and repeated 10 times.

At present, he’s on track to accomplish what he intended at the outset — to encourage and uplift through sequenced, timely, personal contact.

If you’re familiar with direct mail, you’ve probably heard of the now famous sequence of letters that Dan Kennedy wrote for Giorgio’s Italian Grotto.

The idea was “borrowed” from the collection industry and was closely modeled after a basic sequence of dunning letters… first notice, second notice, third notice.

Collection letters work, but very few marketers or business owners know how to use this tactic or have the discipline to use it effectively. (By the way, if you’d like a copy of the Giorgio’s Italian Grotto letter series, please request by e-mail and I will be happy to send them to you).

Sequence mailings can be used after a first-time visitor or route customer enters your retail plant or uses your service, especially if that visitor shows big spending potential and currently uses your competitor.

A series of letters can be effective in reaching new prospects, reactivating old or inactive customers or when trying to introduce a new service to your present customers. In every case, results improve with a sequence as opposed to mailing just one single letter.

Now go out and write some letters then do it again… and again. Good luck!