Mailing Lists - Part 3 of 5 - Test Mailing

I know what you're thinking, you have a great offer on a spectacular looking mail piece and you are sooooooo excited to send it out; you're like a kid on Christmas Eve and you can't wait to put that bad boy in the mail - but DON'T.  Just sit back and take a deep breath.  I have been there too, all excited about a direct mail piece that I think will set the world on fire - ready to reap the rewards of all the revenue that the mailer will generate.  But before you send out that mailer consider a few things, because once it is entered at the Post Office it is too late to change your mind.

The first thing that you want to consider is that, while you have spent a lot of money on designing and printing your mailer, you have yet to spend 60% to 75% of the cost of doing Direct Mail - your postage.  Hopefully you have proofed your card carefully and there are no printing issues, but double check because mistakes happen.  Read over your piece to make sure it is as exactly as you approved.  Also, have someone else look the card over, you have seen the card so many times you are no longer objective about the contents of the card.  A fresh pair of eyes might see something that you have missed.

Now if you are mailing 1000 pieces or less, then go ahead and mail out the entire mailing.  It is a small enough mailing that you should be able to handle the results of the mailing - just make sure to follow step one so that you don't get any nasty surprises such as the retailer who wanted to give 10% Off but instead mailed out cards for 100% Off - Oops!

The second thing you should do is to send out a test mailing.  If you have the time send out a mailing that is 10% to 20% of your total mailing. If you do, you may find the results to be very enlightening.  It will give you a fairly accurate indication of how your event will turn out.  You may find out that the reaction is much higher than expected and you need to bring on extra staff or supplies.  You may also find out that the response will be much lower than you thought and you can prepare accordingly for that eventuality as well.  If the lower than expected turnout occurs on your test run, you might consider retooling you offer and doing a reprint OR seeing if the list that you bought was reaching the correct audience.  It is a LOT cheaper to reprint mailers than it is to mail them out knowing the response will be low.  Try to get some feedback as to why the offer didn't connect with your audience.  Some events are dated and if time is not a luxury you enjoy you will just have to send out all the cards at once, just be prepared for how your event may turn out.  It is better to be over staffed than under staffed.

Third, get feedback from people who take you up on your offer.  Find out what enticed them to purchase from you and use that information on your next mailer.  This is also a good time to judge the effectiveness of your mail list.  Always build upon what you have learned from previous mailings.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at www.gagepress.com.