In Step With Your Account Manager
AN INTERVIEW WITH OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS ACCOUNT MANAGER ANGELA PARISI
By Julie Escobar
We’re always excited to talk to customers about their marketing, how to grow their business and, of course, how we can offer them the best service possible. To that end, I noticed a common thread of questions that seem to get fielded quite a bit in the office and I thought, “who better to share the answers and ideas than our very own Account Manager Angela Parisi!”
Angela’s a delight to work with and always up for a fun Q&A so let’s take a look at the top five questions she hears customers asking and see if we can answer any questions you might have in the process!
What is the best day of the week for my advertisement to arrive in mailboxes to get the best response?
The conventional wisdom is that on Mondays folks are busy catching up, and “getting into the grind” of the work week. On Fridays, they are thinking about the weekend. However, like all things, a lot depends on the package or offer you’re presenting. Truly, a good offer, eye-catching headline, and having best practices in place will ensure your postcard advertising is read and responded to.
More important than the day to mail is how you mail. You can save money with bulk mail (now called standard mail) but it is delivered at the discretion of the carrier. In other words, slack day, slack bag, they’ll deliver it. So in terms of timeliness, this is the “slow boat” (if it gets there at all) method. When you hear those stories in the news about unopened mail being found in dumpsters, alleyways or abandoned buildings, it is almost always referring to bulk mail.
Now the United States Postal Service has First Class mail affixed with special tracking barcodes, so while it’s a little more costly on the front end, your expectations of actual deliverability are top notch! When you consider it in those terms, bulk mail is a gamble most businesses aren’t willing to take.
Does having the name in the headline increase response rates?
The best way that I can explain this is: If you are walking down the road and someone yells out “Hey You” there is a 50% chance that you will turn around and pay attention. If they yell out “Hey Julie” you will definitely turn around. This works the same in direct mail. If you start the headline with their name you capture their attention and encourage them to read on.
How often should I send to the same list?
We recommend a minimum of three contacts and notifying the customer that they will only be receiving these three contacts through text such as Limited Time Offer, Time is Running Out and Last Chance for Savings. This encourages them to act now instead of putting your card aside for later.
How often should I update my list?
As quickly as the economy is changing right now, we recommend a maximum of six months before you should buy a new list.
Should I send a jumbo or standard size card?
The jumbo size will definitely stand out more, however all of our cards are printed on heavy, quality stock and won’t be missed while flipping through the mail. If you are sending a one-time notice of a big event or something that needs immediate attention, send the jumbo size card. If you are sending more than one contact with a similar look, you’re usually just fine sending the standard size cards to save some money.
Thanks Angela for your time and for all of your tremendous customer service! Any last words of wisdom?
I always suggest diversity to new customers. I think the more times and ways you can reach your clients the better. I usually will also suggest that customers start with direct mail marketing in an area that they may have worked in recently or that they are known in and that they send every 2-4 weeks for a minimum of 3 mailings. I work with their budget to get the most targeted clients who have the highest probability to use their services.
Got a question for Angela and our team of support specialists or maybe you’d like to leanr more about the products and services we offer? Visit our website or call us at 1-866-319-7209.