Secret Insider Recruiting Tool: Direct Mail

When I started recruiting physicians in 1996, my first year was about building my desk.  I called every physician office in New England.  Sure, I found a lot of empty message takers and hang ups.  But I did built up my desk and network.  I found many job leads and after a lot of work I had a functioning desk.  My office was a growing one.  We had over two dozen recruiters working single specialties.  There were six recruiters on my team, and the internal competition was tough.  Back then the phone was the only real method of candidate contact.  But there was another method our firm utilized: direct mail.

After eight years and growing into management I was given the task of managing the direct marketing campaigns for the company.  Every consultant was given a number of “free”  pieces of direct mail letters that they could send out every week to source candidates and clients.  This was a large part of our company strategy.  We advertised, we called, we met face to face, and we direct mailed.  It was successful.  Candidates and call us after receiving a mailer.  We loved it, it made our phone ring!

When I left that company and started my own business I met with many successful recruiting firm owners that I knew from over the years.  I gleamed from them what I could to make my business a success.  I realized they all advertised online and in print.  They all made calls everyday too.  They all worked hard.  But not all of them used direct mail.  But the successful ones did.  At the least it was branding their company and at the most it would generate interviews and jobs.

As an owner of a direct mail company, the family business really, my plan was to work with direct mail also as part of my recruiting new firm.  This was not going to be a sole strategy but another tool in my toolbox.  And as soon as I did it, it worked.  I sent out letters to C level executives, recruiters, and potential candidates marketing my services as well as my candidates and clients.  Presto, it worked.  My phone would ring from this not so secret sourcing strategy!  Not every letter was a success, but enough were.  I received calls from candidates and clients that were what we would call “passive” candidates as well as “hot” ones that had not been online to see my advertisement or didn’t read my print ad.  We started to create and send postcards and brochures also.  Direct mail worked.

We then started to blend the two businesses.  We started direct marketing and tied it all to our family business.  Novo Medical Careers and AMS Medical Marketing now provides low cost solutions to recruiters (internal and independent) who want to market this way.  I know, shameless plug, but hey I am a believer as well as a success story!  Last year we created direct mail postcards, letters, and brochures for over 65 hospitals and recruiting firms nationally.  They send us the job description, I send them the quote and generate the mailing list counts of potential candidates or clients. Next we design, print, and mail the piece.  Simple.  From design to mail takes about a week.  In a few months we will have an entire business model dedicated to this endeavor.  But in the meantime, we keep working to help recruiters and clients get candidates and clients directly.

A final note to address is the fear of costs involved.  Direct mailing does have postage.  And if you utilize a professional direct mailer you will pay less than a full price stamp for postage.  Much less.  That is what direct mailers do, they presort the mail for deep postage discounts.  Also, many times I will hear how firms are charging a dollar or more per piece!  While this must be a great profit center, it is completely unnecessary and too expensive.  I look at it this way:  I am branding my business, reaching new clients and candidates, and I am certain that my marketing piece was placed directly into their mailbox.

The Direct Marketing Association states that “Direct Mail Marketing yields a $25 return on every $1 invested”  and the USPS states that “98% of consumers bring in their mail the day it is delivered and 77% open it immediately”.  I like those odds versus relying on someone to see my print or online advertisement.  While now also utilize and provide emailing services as needed.  I find this method best for contacting our current networks and apprising them of new jobs or candidates.

Do you do mail?  Would you like to know more about this service?  Let us know and as always feel free to contact us directly.  [email protected]