No matter how well-written, any pre-approach e-mail or snail mail letter is essentially a low-percentage contact, even when followed up with a call. To make these contacts more cost-effective and significantly improve the results, tailor your message to the situations and interests of the recipients, and build rapport over time.

Many producers do this with a technique called "wave mailing" or "drip marketing," which means sending a series of letters, faxes, e-mail messages and/or other information, including brochures and articles, to qualified prospects over a one-, two-, or three-month period. This increases the likelihood that prospects will pay attention to your letters and want to meet with you when you call.

It's a great way to introduce yourself to and stay in contact with people with on-profile prospects with whom you have neither leverage nor third-party influence, but whom you don't want to risk losing in a series of low-percentage cold calls.

Try this! Using many different sources, build a series of letters, which you can put into your direct mail or e-mail systems, and select brochures or articles that refer to the types of markets in which you do business. Simply adapt the letters to the recipient's situation and generational cohort, as needed.

Example: A current magazine article based on the uses of supplemental executive retirement plans (SERP) might be very interesting to incorporated businessowners or professionals. The effect is even more powerful if the article was written by you! Either way, your initial letters might read something like the ones suggested in the following pages.

Follow-up contacts might include other articles or e-mail messages on related topics, as well as information about your firm or Ohio National. If you've met the prospect, your message should refer to topics covered in your conversations.

Try this! Schedule 10-20 letters or e-mail messages a week to on-profile prospects in your target markets and follow up after the third or fourth message to each name on your wave-mailing list. The last letter or message in the series should let the prospect know you'll call to schedule a meeting. Be sure to follow-up.