26KB
The Direct Mail Solution — Chapter-12: Putting It All Together--the Details of Scheduling a Direct-Mail Campaign
- Source: /library/The Direct Mail Solution/source-file.pdf
- PDF pages: 224–239
- Pages without text: 239
- OCR note: OCR is supplied below for image-only pages; multi-column reading order may be imperfect, so consult the PDF for layout and visuals.
203
Putting It All
Together—the Details
of Scheduling a
Direct-Mail Campaign
HEN A GENERAL PLANS A MAJOR OPERATION, HE DRAWS UP A
big schedule of what has to happen and when. Without
that, it would be chaos in the field. Someone has to
have the big picture and make sure everything happens when it’s
supposed to.
In the same way, a successful direct-mail campaign always begins
with one very important step: strategically creating a direct-mail
plan. Skipping the planning stage and jumping right into making
decisions about the mailing will be a detriment to your campaign
and your pocket book.
In the following pages I’m going to show you the exact planning
process I use to create almost 300 direct-mail campaigns per year—
beginning with a handy method that will help you define who you
are and where you stand.
W
CHAPTER
12
204
THE DIRECT-MAIL SOLUTION
CHAPTER 12 / PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER—THE DETAILS OF SCHEDULING A DIRECT-MAIL CAMPAIGN
SWOT
A successful mail campaign has its foundation in a strong beginning.
Many direct-mail companies start at the very beginning by using a
direct-marketing analysis method called “SWOT” to create and plan a
campaign. SWOT is a useful tool that will help you scrutinize all the
critical aspects of your situation before you enter into the direct-mail
stream.
SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and
Threats. Utilizing the SWOT analysis will help you focus your direct-
mail campaign so that it’s more targeted and efficient. In this way it will
save you money, and by leading to a more effective campaign, it will add
more money to your bank account.
The first SWOT action is to identify your strengths. What is it
that you do or offer that no one else can or does? Do you have more
experience? Have you been in business longer? Is your product superior?
Do your customers give you great reviews and testimonials? Do you
have a great reputation? Have you won awards? What makes you
different and special?
Next you need to identify your weaknesses that could prevent you
from reaching your marketing objectives. What do you need to improve
on? Do you need to provide better customer service? Could you get
better at tracking your campaigns? Are you losing out by not following
up with your customers? Are you saddled with a tight budget? You can’t
deal properly with these issues until you’ve named them.
After you’ve identified some of your strengths and weaknesses,
you need to take a close look at your opportunities. What direct-
mail opportunities do you have right now? Have you just identified a
targeted universe of prospects? Do you have a new product or service to
offer? Are you able to offer special pricing? Maybe it’s time for a Holiday
Special—or perhaps an Inventory Blowout. What is going on right now
that offers a unique opportunity to expand your customer base and
build sales?
THE DIRECT-MAIL SOLUTION
205
CHAPTER 12 / PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER—THE DETAILS OF SCHEDULING A DIRECT-MAIL CAMPAIGN
The last part of SWOT that you need to look at has to do
with potential threats. What “threats” could hinder your marketing
campaign? Perhaps it’s a direct competitor in your niche/market—
perhaps a company that has a very similar offer to yours. Or perhaps it’s
a timing issue. Is this the right time to make your offer?
This SWOT exercise will help you identify the areas that you need
to focus on in your direct-mail campaigns and the limitations within
your organization that you have to learn to overcome or work within.
In essence, you want to use what you learn to:
Target your Strengths
Fix your Weaknesses
Identify your Opportunities
Reduce the Threats that could negatively impact your campaign
Once you have gone through the SWOT exercise and addressed
the issues it raises, you will know what your offer should be, who your
target audience is, and what kind of package you should mail out to
best meet your goals. Now you can start planning the rest of the details
of your direct-mail campaign.
Steps of a Direct-Mail Campaign
There are many details that go into setting up a mail campaign. The
task can sometimes seem enormous and overwhelming—especially
when it’s all new to you. However, once you get organized, you’ll see it’s
not that difficult. If you establish a set of procedures to follow for each
mailing and use a checklist to guide you, scheduling your campaign can
be much faster and easier than you suspect it will be.
There are a few things that must be taken care of before you select
your mailing date.
Write the sales copy.
Get the sales piece designed.
Select the vendors you’ll use.
206
THE DIRECT-MAIL SOLUTION
CHAPTER 12 / PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER—THE DETAILS OF SCHEDULING A DIRECT-MAIL CAMPAIGN
I can’t count the number of campaigns I’ve worked on where the
client insisted that I order mailing lists and schedule the campaign
before the copy and design were finished. Nine times out of 10 the copy
wasn’t completed in time, and we had to put the mailing on hold until
the company could finish it up. Sometimes the delay put us six or eight
weeks behind schedule.
This kind of poor planning can cause you to rush your sales copy
just to meet a printing deadline or a specific mail date. This is when
costly errors in the copy and critical design flaws can creep in.
Not only that, if you order your list too soon, and your list broker
provides the names on time, but you’re not ready to use them, the
lists could sit around for a couple of months untouched. Every day
the names get older, people may move, interests may change, and the
targeted list you paid so much money for could lose a great deal of its
value before you can use it. It’s better to have the sales piece finished
and ready to go to the printer before you completely schedule your mail
campaign.
I once had a client give me the sales piece, saying everything was
“100 percent finished, double-checked, and ready to go.” After reviewing
the sales piece and double-checking it myself, I found out the client had
put in a new 800 number, but the number had not been transferred to
its phone system yet. We caught it in time, but you can imagine the
detriment that would have been to the campaign if the phone number
had not been corrected.
It is very important that you spend the time needed to make sure
your sales copy is checked and double-checked. Chapter 2 has more
details on how to write sales copy that makes the cash register ring.
Writing great copy is one thing—but making sure all the details are
accurate is also critical.
Once you have your sales copy and design finished, you need to
select the printer, mailing facility, and data-processing company you
will use. Make sure you have references from each of these companies
prior to making your final selection—and check them out!
THE DIRECT-MAIL SOLUTION
207
CHAPTER 12 / PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER—THE DETAILS OF SCHEDULING A DIRECT-MAIL CAMPAIGN
You’ll want to get quotes from three different vendors to ensure
that you are getting the best pricing. This is tough to do if you are
working under a tight deadline. Allow yourself some time so you can
negotiate the best price between a few different vendors.
Knowing in advance which vendor you are going to use for each step
of the process will give you peace of mind as your mail date approaches.
Scrambling at the last minute rarely brings the best results.
How Long Will It Take to Get a Mailing
Ready and into the Mail Stream?
It all depends on how many pieces you’re mailing, how complicated the
sales package is that you’re putting together, how big your mailing lists
are, and what type of list you’re mailing to.
The List
If you’re mailing to your own house file, names that you already have,
and it’s only a few hundred, you could get your list ready within a day. If
it’s thousands, you could get it out in a couple of days. If you’re renting
lists, you’re having to do a merge purge, and your sales pieces are being
printed in another location, it could take a couple of weeks to get it
all together. If you are printing hundreds of thousands of pieces and
renting dozens of mailing lists, it could take up to a month.
The Package
If the package is simple, like a short sales letter, you can get it into the
mail quickly. If you’re sending dimensional mail, it will take more time
to put the package together. For example, if you are mailing a message
in a bottle, then you’ll have to get the bottles, print the message, and
have it inserted into the bottle. This will obviously take a lot longer to
get into the mail.
You can start scheduling your mail campaigns once your sales piece
is finished and you know which vendors you are going to use. Normally,
208
THE DIRECT-MAIL SOLUTION
CHAPTER 12 / PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER—THE DETAILS OF SCHEDULING A DIRECT-MAIL CAMPAIGN
you can plan to mail two to four weeks from the time you place your list
orders. The length of time needed to prepare your mail campaign will
depend on the number of names being mailed and how quickly your
vendors can complete your job. If you’re only mailing to a few thousand
names, you probably can get the mail out in a week or two. But, if
you are mailing a million pieces, you’ll most likely need four weeks to
complete all the necessary preparations.
Printing for more than one campaign at a time can shorten the lead
time needed to get your sales pieces in the mail the next time (and it will
save you money!). If you have a control sales piece that you know you
are going to use in more than one mail campaign, consider printing
enough extra pieces to cover the next mailing or two. This will give you
extra pieces on hand so the next time you are ready to do a mailing,
you will not have to wait for the printer to print and bind/insert your
sales material. But, if you think you may be making a change to the
sales piece, don’t plan on printing extra sales pieces. They will just go
to waste.
Figure 12–1 is a basic schedule I’ve used thousands of times to put
together mail campaigns with the aim of acquiring new customers or
leads. (Note: This schedule is based on a four-week schedule.)
You can download a sample of this schedule at www.TheDirect
MailSolution.com.
Here are the details for each item in the mailing checklist.
Note: Most of these areas have been covered in detail in other
sections of this book.
Write Sales Copy and Sales Copy Design
Don’t get caught in scheduling problems. Make sure your piece is
written and laid out before scheduling the rest of your mail campaign.
Give List Broker the Mail Schedule
Plan ahead with your list broker, and make sure your broker is aware
of your mailing schedule. You’ll want your broker to make several list
THE DIRECT-MAIL SOLUTION
209
CHAPTER 12 / PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER—THE DETAILS OF SCHEDULING A DIRECT-MAIL CAMPAIGN
recommendations, and the more time you allow for the process, the
more research he or she will be able to do. Provide your broker with a
copy of the sales piece you are mailing and, if possible, a copy of the
product you are selling. By doing these things you will help your broker
FIGURE 12–1 Direct Mail Schedule and Checklist
210
THE DIRECT-MAIL SOLUTION
CHAPTER 12 / PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER—THE DETAILS OF SCHEDULING A DIRECT-MAIL CAMPAIGN
recommend the best lists for you. Normally, I like to give the broker at
least four days’ notice if it’s a product or service I’ve mailed before. If
it’s a new product or service, I like to give the broker at least two weeks.
Request Printing Quote for Sales Piece
Get price quotes from several different printers. Select the printer who
offers the best combination of price and service.
Place List Orders with Broker
After you’ve selected the lists you want to mail, it’s time to place an
order with your list broker. Tell your broker what the list due date is
and where you want the lists to go. You have several options for where
to have the mailing lists sent.
- You can send directly to your printer or mailing facility. Make sure it has the software to perform the merge purge, data hygiene, and NCOA.
- Larger mailings require a data-processing company that can better handle jobs that are more complicated (more lists, more variables to consider).
- Many list brokers offer a data-processing service. When placing your list orders, assign each list an order number, or you can use the broker’s order number. This will help the data processing company know what the lists are when they receive the files. Also ask your list broker to send back an order confirmation—it’s always good to document everything. Give Mailing Schedule to Data-Processing Company The company that is going to handle your merge purge and data hygiene will need to know when the list due date is—i.e., the date that all the rented lists should be in. It will also need to know what lists you ordered and their order numbers. This will help it identify which lists it’s received and whether any are missing. You’ll want the
THE DIRECT-MAIL SOLUTION
211
CHAPTER 12 / PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER—THE DETAILS OF SCHEDULING A DIRECT-MAIL CAMPAIGN
data-processing company to give you an update every day so that you
and your broker can keep an eye on which lists have come in.
You’ll also want to give the data processor instructions concerning
what type of data hygiene you want to use. That way, once all the lists
are in, it knows exactly what’s needed to clean up your lists.
Artwork Due at Printer
This is the date on which you need to have the file containing your sales
piece at the print shop. Have the print shop tell you how much lead
time it needs in order to get your job done on time, and make sure you
send the file in a format the printer can read. Each printer works off a
different schedule and uses different computer programs. Confirming
this information in advance will save you time and money.
Approve Bluelines and Color Proof from Printer
After the print shop receives your file, it will output a blueline and
color proof—or email a PDF. The blueline is taken directly from the
film that will be used to create printing plates. On the blueline, you
need to check the copy, line breaks, page breaks, borders, cropping—in
other words, everything. This is your last chance to make changes. But
be aware the printer may charge you for every change, so make sure
you do a very good proof on the piece before you get to this stage. And
for the color proof, check the colors on the proof to make sure they
are exactly what you want to use in your sales piece. Make sure there
are no errors. Any errors found on the blueline will end up on your
printed material unless you make the correction. Again, most printers
will charge you for changes that are not their fault, since they have to
make the change and then output new film and a new set of proofs
for you to review.
It’s becoming more and more common for printers to just send
a PDF proof via email. This method is adequate for small jobs, but I
would suggest using the blueline and color proof for all large printing
jobs.
212
THE DIRECT-MAIL SOLUTION
CHAPTER 12 / PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER—THE DETAILS OF SCHEDULING A DIRECT-MAIL CAMPAIGN
Send Data Processor Suppression Files and Seed List
The suppression files are names you want to omit from the mailing.
For example, if you are mailing an offer to sell a limited edition watch,
you will want to omit all prior buyers of that watch. You wouldn’t want
to mail to someone who has already purchased the product you are
offering. This “suppression file” may also be called a “customer file,”
“customer-suppression file,” or “house file.”
The decoy or seed list is the group of names and addresses you
use to track delivery of the mailing. If the mailing is going out from
the Los Angeles post office, you will want to know when your mail is
delivered in different places across the nation. The “seed list” would
have the names of individuals in different regions of the country who
will inform you when they receive the sales piece and let you know what
condition the piece is in when it arrives. You can subscribe to a service
that provides seed names and addresses. I recommend US Monitor or
TrackMyMail.com.
Mailing List Due Date
This is the date all the lists are due at the data processor. Normally
the lists come in before the due date, but if a list is not in by this date,
you’ll need to cancel it. You don’t want to hold up the merge purge
and possibly risk changing the mail date over one list not arriving on
time.
Prior to the list due date, keep track of the lists as they arrive at
the data-processing company. Check the number of names the list
owner sent and compare it with the number of names you ordered.
If you ordered 10,000 names and the list owner shipped 20,000—find
out why. The list owner may have pulled the wrong file or made a
mistake in your order. Maybe you specified that you want to mail
only to men over 50, and the list owner accidentally sent the entire
file. You’ll obviously want them to resend the file if they made a
mistake.
THE DIRECT-MAIL SOLUTION
213
CHAPTER 12 / PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER—THE DETAILS OF SCHEDULING A DIRECT-MAIL CAMPAIGN
Issue Merge Purge Instructions and
Approve Merge Purge
These are the instructions you give to the data processor indicating
what criteria you want to use for running the merge. After the merge
purge is completed, check over the results to see if there are any red
flags. For example, if after the merge purge one of your 10,000-name
lists is reduced to 2,000 names, you should probably investigate why.
Issue Key Codes and Splits
The key codes are used to track the effectiveness of different elements of
your campaign, such as lists, copy variations, sales package, etc. These
codes will help you know what the response rate is for each list, and
they’ll tell you how well your test pieces are doing.
Issue Lettershop Instructions
These instructions tell the lettershop—the company assembling your
mail pieces and preparing the mailing for the post office—how to
process your job. I like to give these instructions before the mail file
even arrives. That way it can be prepared, and it’ll know exactly what to
do once your file comes in.
Tell them:
Where the address label should appear on your sales piece
What type of font you want for imprinting the address infor-
mation
What class of mail you want to use—first class or standard/bulk
If you are mailing a letter package, specify the insertion order for
each component and in what direction you want everything to
face
Ask the lettershop to presort the mail file. Presorting your mail file
into mail groups by ZIP codes will save the Postal Service time, and it
will give you a discount for doing some of the work. If your mailing is
214
THE DIRECT-MAIL SOLUTION
CHAPTER 12 / PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER—THE DETAILS OF SCHEDULING A DIRECT-MAIL CAMPAIGN
large enough, you can ship it directly to the Postal Service bulk mail
centers and save even more on postage costs.
Bulk mailing isn’t the only way to save money. You can also presort
first-class mail and receive discounts from the Postal Service.
Some printers have a mailing facility or lettershop in-house. This
will save on the time it would take to ship the printed material to an
off-site lettershop.
Keep in mind that the lettershop is the last contact you will have
with your mail campaign. After your mail is dropped off at the post
office, it’s completely out of your hands.
Approve Key Codes and Splits
After you’ve given the data processor your key codes and splits, it
should send back a confirmation and sample. The data processor needs
to apply the instructions you gave it and then let you approve. If you are
mailing 50 lists, and each list is broken up into three splits (tests), that’s
150 different key codes. These key codes are vital to effectively tracking
your mail campaign. There is no room for error here. This step is very
important. First, assign key codes for tracking, and then make sure to
double-check and approve them!
Mail File Due at Lettershop
This is the date the data processor needs the final mail file at the
lettershop.
Printing Due at Lettershop
Your sales material is due at the lettershop on the same day that the
mail file is due. The lettershop will then have everything needed to start
processing your job.
Postage Request from Lettershop
The lettershop will take your mail file and calculate the total postage
for your mailing. Then, it’ll send you a request for postage. You’ll need
THE DIRECT-MAIL SOLUTION
215
CHAPTER 12 / PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER—THE DETAILS OF SCHEDULING A DIRECT-MAIL CAMPAIGN
to get a check to the lettershop ASAP. The Postal Service will not accept
your mailing unless the postage is paid in advance.
Some companies set up a mailing permit with the Postal Service. By
doing this, you can keep a running account with money in it so you’ll
always be ready for your next mail campaign. That would save you from
having to overnight a check to the lettershop.
Approve Address Panel(s)
When the mail file is ready to be ink-jetted on your sales piece or printed
on a label, ask the mailing facility to fax or email you a sample of how
the name and address will appear. Check to see that everything looks
exactly the way you want it to, and that it appears in the correct place
on the sales material. If it’s printed in the wrong place or the font is
hard to read, your mailing response rate could be lowered. It’s easy for
the lettershop to get the sample to you, and it will help ensure that no
mistakes are made.
Reports Due from Data Processor
After the merge purge is complete, the data processor will send you
reports from the merge purge process. You’ll want to review these
reports and then, if necessary, send portions of them to your list broker
so you can get the deductions you deserve on your list rental.
A mail campaign is not complete without submitting verification
for discounts. You always want to get as many discounts as possible
because it affects your profit potential on the mailing. If you are using
a data-processing company, ask it for an “interaction report” or “match
analysis report” and “broker report” (it may call it something different).
An interaction report will show you how lists duplicated with one
another, how your suppression file duplicated with the rented lists, and
how other suppression files (like a prison suppression file or deceased
file) impacted the merge.
A broker report is basically a report for the list broker that shows
how many names you should be billed for on each list. This report will
216
THE DIRECT-MAIL SOLUTION
CHAPTER 12 / PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER—THE DETAILS OF SCHEDULING A DIRECT-MAIL CAMPAIGN
show how many names had bad ZIP codes, intra duplicates (duplicate
names within a list), deceased names, DMA pander names, etc.
The broker report and interaction report will reveal all the discounts
available. These discounts will add up. You’ll need to work with your list
broker and data processor to create reports that work for everyone.
Postage Due Date
It is necessary that you have the postage due to the lettershop the day
before the mailing. You don’t want to miss your mail date because you
didn’t get your postage in on time.
After your mailing has been dropped off at the post office, get a
verification form confirming the number of pieces it received from you,
the class of mail, and the total cost. The copy of the Postal Service form
should be signed by a Postal Service employee. If possible, you also
Reminder
The DMA pander file is a list from the Direct Mail
Association of people who have asked NOT to receive
sales information in the mail. It is essential to suppress these
names out of all prospect mailings. It will most likely make
these people mad if they get mail from you. They may even
call and complain.
I once had a client who included a business reply envelope
with its sales letter. One prospect taped the envelope to a
red brick and mailed it back. The USPS actually delivered it
back to my client. The USPS ended up not charging the client
for return postage, but you would think it would have tossed
it out or not accepted it in the first place. In any event, it was
a good lesson learned.
THE DIRECT-MAIL SOLUTION
217
CHAPTER 12 / PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER—THE DETAILS OF SCHEDULING A DIRECT-MAIL CAMPAIGN
want the form to have the Postal Service “date stamp” for the day your
mail entered the mail stream. This verification will inform you whether
or not the lettershop mailed the correct number of pieces and on the
correct day.
Now You Have All the Facts You Need to Start
Planning a Direct-Mail Campaign
This book has given you all the information you need to plan and
direct a successful direct-mail campaign. This means you are ready to
use proven, time-tested methods to build your customer base. I hope
you will use this knowledge to multiply your business many times over!
We’ve covered a great deal of material. Use this book as a reference
that you return to as you go through the planning stages of your future
campaigns. I’ve also put together a website that has sample sales pieces,
a downloadable mailing schedule, sample spreadsheets, and much
more! Go to www.TheDirectMailSolution.com.
People have made millions of dollars using direct-mail marketing. I
know that for a fact, because I’ve directed their campaigns and I’ve seen
it happen over and over.
Now you have everything you can use to make direct mail a success
for your business too!
[OCR from image-only PDF page; verify layout and illustrations in the PDF.]
[Image-only page; OCR found no readable text. Consult the PDF for visual content.]