Flyer Invitations: E-Mail or Snail Mail? RSVP Deadline & Follow-up Strategy"

[babywings76]

Should I mail out my flyer invitations to my Open House? Or should I e-mail them? Or should I snail mail them, and also send out my mid-month newsletter with an announcement included? Postage is going to be costly, do I just bite the bullet and mail them all and then follow up with phone calls?

Also, when should I put down that they RSVP by? How many days before my event do you think? Cause I want to hear from them first, they get an entry into my prize drawings. But I want to have time to call everyone who doesn't RSVP, which will probably be about 90% of the people.

 

[Jenni]

I am having a big open house in Nov and I plan to drop off invites to people who live close. Email everyone and pick up the phone as much as possible... to create excitement! I am also having a bring two friends that place an order and get a free holiday cookbook! (only the person who brought the friends gets the book)

 

[heather223]

I personally would do both, well all 3. I would snail mail, email, and call.

 

[tlag1986]

I agree a little of both. The most important part is to create the excitement needed to have the best possible OH.

Jenni I like your idea about bring two friends who order and get a holiday cookbook. It's the little things offered like that which seem to bring more orders in and people.

Good luck to both of you!!!!

 

[raebates]

Here's a statistic I often heard when I was a church secretary. Studies show that a person has to be exposed to information at least three times in order for it to really register. People retain it better if those three times are in at least two different ways. USPS plus email is a good idea.

 

[kaseydee]

I would say both email & regular mail.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

I agree with doing all three.

Email
Snail mail
Personal phone call

 

[ltkacz]

Here's been my experience....

1 year open house - e-mailed everyone on list twice, mailed everyone I didn't have e-mail for once. Walked flyers to all the homes in the neighborhood. I work a full time job and have a 6 year old - didn't have time to make calls. 7 people attended $400 sales. Of the people who came 1 person who received the mail invite attended. Wasn't worth the cost of postage.

2 year open house - e-mailed everyone a month in advance, e-mailed again 2 weeks out, e-mailed once more 2 days out. 14 people attended $1000 in sales. No calls, no snail mail.

I also have another PC buddy who did the same thing last year - who also has a full time job and a 7 year old - so no calls - her guest sales were $1400!

This year - it will be just like last year, however, I thought I might snail mail invites to those who spent over $100 with me who I don't have e-mail for.


Now...I will have to say this.....I have consistently for the past 3 years e-mailed out a monthly newsletter to all of my clients. It's been faithful every month within the first 5 days of the month. They have come to expect it from me, and my name is consistently in front of them.

My director recently did an open house - e-mailed, but only did so via her monthly newsletter. The invite got lost. My suggestion would be - make it a separate e-mail for the invite.

 

[PChefPEI]

For mine, I snail mailed, just because I didn't have emails for everyone I wanted to invite and then called as many people as I could before the show.

 

[redsoxgirl]

On RSVPing....
Open Houses are by definition - Open. Which means people should be able to just come and go as they please. Maybe call it a Holiday Party or something instead?

And my personal experinece with this: I emailed everyone multiple times and no one could come so I had to cancel.