Getting the mailing list right is vital. Basic mailing lists simply include names, addresses, job titles, and telephone numbers of customers and prospects. The basic list can be refined by adding information about buying patterns, lifestyle, and many other factors. This will provide a comprehensive picture of customers and prospects.  

 

Verify All Internal Sources of Information  

 

Your customer records are probably your most valuable asset as they invariably generate the highest response rates when they are mailed with relevant information.  

 

The most important sources are:

• Customer records;
  
• Customer correspondence, including records of complaints;
  
• Warranty records;
  
• Service records;
  
• Sales prospect files;
  
• Sales force reports;
  
• Records of lapsed customers.  

Simple segmentation of your internal lists might give you categories such as:

• Customers who have bought in the last six months;
  
• Lapsed customers;
  
• Customers who spend over $X a year.  

Add External Sources of Information  

 

Your internal lists are likely to yield high response rates. However, if you are moving into new market sectors, internal lists may not provide the information that you need. External lists are available from a number of different sources, including list brokers, magazine publishers, directory publishers, trade associations or professional institutes, commercial organizations, and retailers. To achieve a high response rate, check how closely the list matches your customer profile.  

 

Contract a Special List  

 

Standard lists may not give you the degree of match that you need. The successful preparation of a tailored list is directly related to the quality of the brief, and you should provide the supplier with a detailed description of your target audience.  

 

Keep Refining Your Lists  

• Make sure that the list is kept up to date with new customer and prospect data.
  
• Include coupons and other reply mechanisms with every form of communication, and add the responses to your lists.
  
• Encourage the sales force to provide up-to-date customer and prospect information.
  
• Maintain an active search program in appropriate Web sites, magazines, and newspapers to identify new prospects for your list.  

 

To improve response and reduce waste in your mailing campaigns, it is important that your lists are regularly checked for accuracy.   

 

The two main problems are:

• Duplication, where the same individual appears several times on the same list, possibly in different guises;
  
• Out-of-date information, where the original recipient has move, or, for business mailings, changed jobs.  

Use Personalized Letters  

 

Personalized one-to-one mailings are an ideal form of communication for companies with detailed information about their prospects. The letter reflects the individual’s main interests and concerns with the offer tailored to that person’s prospects. Subsequent mailings can build an individual relationship with the prospect.  

 

If the database or mailing list holds complete names and other information, direct mail letters can be personalized in a number of ways – name in the address and greeting or throughout the text.  

 

Use Telemarketing  

 

Direct mail response levels can increase significantly when telemarketing is used. It offers a wide rang of benefits, being:

• Selective: contact can be initiated and maintained with a selected group of customers and prospects;
  
• Precise: the calls can be targeted;
  
• Flexible: the offer and message can be varied;
  
• Fast: calls can be made immediately, provided that the contact is available;
  
• Responsive: telemarketing is interactive; therefore, it encourages response;
  
• Measurable: the effectiveness of a telemarketing campaign can be measured precisely.