In the mail...

Recently, I was following up with a client on a direct mail project...

"How did the auto dealer mailing turn out for you?" I asked.

"The first week we got about a quarter percent response," He said. "This week, we hit 1%."

"That's great," I said delighted that we had done such a great job.

"Yeah, but we'll still get calls for a while," he responded.

"It could take up to 2 months to see your full response," I reminded him.

"Two months? I once got a customer who called me after two years," he chuckled. "And he was a pretty big deal!"

Direct mail produces quick results. As a rule of thumb, you’ll get 25% of your total responses to a mailing after the first week, 50% within two weeks, and 75% by the end of the first month, according studies by the U.S. Postal Service. The final responses trickle in over the next month.

In our experience, a multiple postcard mailing can be a cost-effective marketing program. Each piece in the series should build on the next, telling your prospects more reasons to buy from you. I suggest a four-piece weekly mailing. It's more cost-effective since you can print all four oversized cards at once on one sheet of 11x17 stock. Because, even at bulk rate, postage is expensive this technique is best used to promote big ticket items or service relationships with a long lifetime value.

One client that I ran a mailing like this for got a response rate of 15%. Of course, his mailing list was prospects who had responded to his print ads and were aware of his company and product.

If you'll excuse me, I have a year-old postcard offer I need respond to.

- Phil Sasso