The drycleaners I talk with on a daily basis are constantly looking for programs that will bring them the greatest return possible on their investment. They want the best bang for their buck and will generally try ideas that have been successful for other entrepreneurs.

While traveling in the Orient some years ago, my friend, John, walked into a shop and immediately noticed a beautiful hand-carved jade chess set. It was very expensive. But, it was exactly what he had been looking for so he bought it, as well as a dozen more.

Upon returning to the States, John decided that he would send one of the chess sets to the president of a particular company he hoped to make inroads with. As John carefully gift-wrapped the set, he strategically removed one of the two kings. The handwritten note enclosed within the package explained that the jade chess set was a gift from John. It was free. He also mentioned that the set was not entirely intact but it very easily could be with just a simple phone call. In so many words, it stated, “If you want to collect your missing king, make an appointment with me.”

The idea worked. John got his appointment, the president got his king and a great idea was born.

John sells consulting services to key businesses and sometimes it’s very difficult to get in the door. During the next year,  he sent the remaining chess sets out to select individuals from a list of target businesses. He always used the same approach… he would hold back the king when sending the set to a man and he would hold back the queen when he was trying to secure an appointment with a female executive.

His success rate was an astounding 100 percent! Every missing king and queen was ransomed and in each case, a handsome reward was happily paid.

Sometimes it pays to think “inside” the box. If you really want to make an impact and be certain your mail gets opened… make the package a 3-D mailer… something with dimension.

I’ve been on Ted’s mailing list for over ten years. Ted is a marketing guru in Florida. We met while we were attending a seminar together and ever since then I have enjoyed his continuous stream of very cleverly packaged direct mail offers. I say, “enjoyed,” because it’s both entertaining and instructive to see how he gets his message across.

First of all, he mails often… very often, in fact. And he almost always uses 3-D packages. The packages are usually big, colorful, awkward and sometimes even lumpy. Lumps in your gravy are not good but when it comes to direct mail, lumps are just the ticket. You can’t ignore a piece of lumpy mail. You just have to find out what’s making it lumpy. Over the years, Ted has sent me tubes of every size, boxes, sheets of cardboard, plastic bags, tin cans, brightly colored metallic paper envelopes, see-through plastic bags and once, he even sent me a pitch in an honest to goodness paper lunch bag. I think that one was the best ever.

Dimensional mail is, without a doubt, the most expensive type of direct marketing you can do. It’s generally used in business-to-business applications such as a $1,200 jade chess set used to secure a $30,000 consulting job. But 3-D can also be used by anyone who wants a great return and is not afraid to spend the money.

Why would you want to produce a dimensional mailer for your drycleaning business?

A recent study at Baylor University found that dimensional mail can increase response rates by as much as 75%. It has 20 times the penetrating power of flat direct mail and scores 80% or better in generating positive opinions among recipients. Plus, mail that’s sent in a package is generally left unopened for the addressee. In other words, the gatekeeper, or secretary, is not going to open it or dump it but instead will pass it along to the intended target. In short, it grabs the recipient’s attention and almost always gets opened and read.

Can a drycleaner use dimensional marketing profitably?

Yes! Bill and Ted are good examples of drycleaners who not afraid to try new ideas. Two years ago they embarked on a most excellent adventure and the results they’ve received have exceeded their expectations. One of the things they’ve learned on their adventure so far is that when they spend money promoting their business… it comes back many times over.

Just recently, Bill and Ted placed an order for custom-made boxes… thousands of them. These are top quality, high gloss, full color boxes with their logo emblazoned on top. They look very, very sharp. The plan is to pack interesting information as well as useful items into the boxes and then address them personally to customers. As this article is being written, Bill and Ted are putting the finishing touches on the first phase of this project and even though none of the 3-D packages have yet been mailed, I predict this will be their biggest success to date!

A cleaner in my hometown did a similar mailing eight years ago. Shortly after his grand opening, we helped him put together and send out a box to some 500 prospects around his store. He called it his Drycleaner’s Survival Kit. Among other things, the contents included a lint roller, a compact sewing kit, several garment care brochures and an express bag to get them started on his new VIP service. At just over $6 apiece, it was the most costly mailing he had ever done… but with a return of just about 40% he was on cloud nine.

If you want EXTRAORDINARY RESPONSE RATES, do something “extraordinary” - add a lump to get a big bump using LUMPY MAIL.

If you want fresh faces at your counter and you’re confident that your work is as good, if not better than any cleaner in your area, and if you’re looking for a good way to get this message out… why not try a 3-D mailing. Sometimes it pays to think inside the box.

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