Page 222 - Duct Tape Marketing

206 Part IV: Getting the Word Out without Advertising

Sending a second mailing to nonrespondents

Within 30 days of your first mailing, contact all recipients who have not yet
responded. (If you are using an outside list, rent the list for two-time usage
and obtain a duplicate set of labels for this purpose.)

Research proves that follow-up with nonrespondents increases your overall
response rate dramatically. It also gives you much more value for the cost of
the list rental, because the second-time usage is usually at a fraction of the
cost of the initial usage.

Scouring your list

Every time you receive word of an address change, update your list immedi-
ately. And from time to time poll the individuals on your list to be sure that
they are still in the market for your offering. The following sections tell
you how.

Keeping addresses current

Address lists go bad at a rate of almost 2 percent a month. To keep your list
current, follow these steps:

ߜ Request address correction information from the post office. Make the
request by including an endorsement on your mailer (see “Specifying
Postal Service instructions” earlier in this chapter).

ߜ Take advantage of the National Change of Address (NCOA) file, a compila-
tion of change-of-address records. When renting mailing lists or using
mailing services, ask if the lists provided have been updated against this
file, which is licensed by the U.S. Postal Service.

Confirming prospect interest

On either a 12- or 18-month basis, send a mailer that includes the opportunity
for prospects in your database to opt out of their relationship with you. It
may sound crass, but the fact is that disinterested prospects aren’t prospects
at all — they’re simply a marketing expense.

To determine the validity of the names on your list, you can occasionally add
an opt-out option as one of the choices on your reply cards. For example:

ߜ Yes, send me whatever great offer you are making in this mailing.
ߜ I’m not interested at the moment, but please keep my name on your list for

future invitations.

ߜ No, I’m not in the market right now. Please remove my name from your list
with the promise that you’ll welcome me back in the future if my needs
change.