When I ran sales meetings, I put this list together and have found it useful.
Posted at 03:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
The U.S. Postal Service is implementing new Move Update Standards, effective November 23, 2008, with new regulations concerning Standard Mail and presort-rate First-Class Mail. The goal of these new standards is to reduce the number of Undeliverable as Addressed (UAA) mail pieces, which may require forwarding or return service.
Why the updates and the new focus on Standard Mail now?
How to stem the tide of UAA
Poor address quality often lurks as the culprit behind UAA. In order to improve address quality, a Move Update Option approved by the USPS is required for compliance with the new regulations.
Example:
Old Regulations:
First-Class mailings on September 7 must have been updated no earlier than March 7 of the same year (185 days).
New Regulations:
First-Class and Standard-Class mailings on September 7 must have been updated no earlier than June 5 of the same year (95 days).
USPS Approved Move Update Options
There are five options available for compliance with the new Move Update standards.
Protocol is ready for the upcoming change and committed to making this new Post Office requirement as seamless as possible. To meet the November effective date, we have become NCOALink approved.
NCOALink processing
This certification allows us to process data directly in-house, meeting all Post Office Move Update requirements. Protocol will also request, review, and maintain all needed NCOA documentation, as well as track all cycle times for mailing, ensuring Move Update compliance.
These new Move Update Standards will increase the quality of the mail stream by decreasing the amount of UAA mail. Increased quality and decreased cost will not only make life easier for the USPS, but will add to return on marketing investment and ensure resources are properly utilized for direct marketers and their clients.
Posted at 11:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
There are many postage “evils” in the direct mail world, I always advise clients to minimize the “evils” when designing a mailer.
In order to cut through the clutter in a prospects mailbox, marketers have to be innovative with their mail designs. Unfortunately a lot of innovative designs are costly, not only from a print and production standpoint, but also from a postage perspective. Great direct mail should be eye-catching and cost effective, so that ROI is maximized.
How to avoid large postal surcharges:
Posted at 04:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Targeted mail lists— you must mail to the proper audience.
Please note that all of these ideas can be executed by a team of creative and strategic leaders.
Posted at 04:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
written by Lisa Cole-Paquin, SVP Principal Marketing Strategist
In the face of increasing competition, marketers need to identify target markets that provide the greatest Return on Marketing Investment (ROMI). This article provides an introduction to processes that can help identify the most profitable customer segments. Through database profiling, targeting, and segmentation, you can develop strong competitive positioning and precisely target your scarce marketing resources.
Profiling
Profiling entails an analysis of your current customer and prospect data to determine and identify the best industry segments to pursue. Profiling confirms what you know about your market, as well as providing insights into where you have had successes you might not have known about.
What is the profiling process? Profiling matches your customer or prospect records to public information from data compilers and then enhances your records with the selected information (industry type, company size, etc).
§ Tips:
o DO profile your customers first because past success is generally a predictor of future success.
o DO start with basic demographic profiling (industry type & company size) as these data descriptions serve as “data bridges” to outside databases from business information compilers.
o DO commit to regular data updates (CASS, NCOA, external data providers) regularly — at least every 6 months.
o DO profile your prospects since there are more prospects than customers, resulting in better statistics. Prospects reflect your current market interests and provide additional insights that your customer base can not offer.
o DON’T make assumptions based on anecdotal sales feedback about where the best marketing opportunities exist.
o DON’T develop a customer profile on information that is not accessible through readily available data sources.
Targeting
Targeting is the process of segmenting an industry or market so you can concentrate your marketing efforts on key segments. Targeting makes the selling and distribution of your products/services more effective because it provides a focus to your marketing activities.
What are the standard targeting approaches?
o Current markets for current products
o New markets for current products
o New products for current markets
o New products for new markets
o Competitive opportunities
Segmentation
Segmentation is grouping together individuals/companies into clusters that share common characteristics relevant to the sales of your product or your selling process to find the differences that will give your marketing an edge. Marketing opportunities increase when segmented groups of customers with varying needs/wants are recognized.
§ Benefits:
o Leads to relevancy of communications and offers
o Saves marketing dollars
o Establishes important data elements for marketing databases
o Can be used to qualify leads
§ What are possible segmentation approaches?
o Demographic
o Relational demographic
o Sales cycle
o Behavioral
o Competitive
o Analytical
o Job title/job function
Customers segment themselves naturally. To be successful, a company must ensure that their offers
meet the prospects’ needs because the offer is perceived to have true value. Knowing how customers
behave —profiling, targeting, and segmentation — is the secret to growing your business profitably.
Posted at 09:16 PM in Database Marketing Strategies | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)