Smart Arts - Creative New Zealand

Dear Paul Brown,We hope you enjoyed our show last year.You will be pleased to hear that we havecreated a brand new work … (a sentenceor two here about show).Because you are a supporter andenthusiast of our work, we would like toencourage you to introduce a friend byoffering you one free ticket when youpurchase a ticket in the first week of theseason.Bookings are already coming in so to takeadvantage of the “buy one get one free”offer, you must book by (date).Fax back the booking form below to … orsend at no charge to freepost … or emailus on …Let them know why they have been approached.It engenders a feeling of exclusivity.Write a brief introduction and description of thework or enclose a flyer to sell the show. The lettershould sell “the deal” on offer.Offer an incentive that benefits them (a freeticket) and benefits you (build sales in your firstweek when you need word–of–mouth to get yoursupporters in early).Create tension by warning they may miss the offerif they don’t act now.Clarity of what the offer is: the language is simpleand direct.Put a deadline on the offer so they must act nowbefore they forget. It also means you obtain advancebookings.Make the response mechanism straightforwardand clear about how to action it.4Direct mailSmart arts | Toi huatau46Direct mail may be making way for electronic communication but many people still prefer aphysical item in their hands. Above is an example of a piece of direct mail. You may mailthis or just as easily e-mail or post it on your website in a secured “members” section.The letter is sent out to recipients on your supporters’ database. Its aim is to ensure theyattend – and at a preferred time for you. The amount of information included in theletter depends on how much they already know about your show. If you can personaliseeach letter by doing a mail merge then all the better.Including a booking form with the letter is a straightforward way for recipients to respond.It should include:• their contact details• details of which performance they are booking for• the cost of the ticket and the saving they make