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... of articles, checklists, tip sheets, sales letters, and more! Communications Marketing Customer Service Planning Finance/Accounting Risk Management Human Resources Selling Legal and E&O Technology Life/Financial Services Glossaries Management Resources & Links Categories Popular Recent All Back A Direct Mail Horror Story 4/30/2013 12:00:00 AM by CompleteMarkets Editor This content has not been rated yet. Getting your company's message out to the buying public doesn't have to be complex or expensive. Direct mail is perhaps the most targeted and cost-effective vehicle for communicating to an audience. But direct mail can only produce results if it delivers a gripping message or offer, is produced and printed professionally, and is used in conjunction with an up-to-date mailing list complete with an individual's name. Before you have the piece typeset or order mailing labels, take into consideration several factors which could affect the bottom line. From proofreading to printing to proper postage, producing a direct mailer properly is no small feat. Planning the entire process is the key to successful implementation and results. Here is a real-life example of a direct-mail project gone awry, rampant with mistakes from which we all can learn. A division of a major international corporation needed to produce 7,000 newsletters for a client firm and hired a small, independent consultant to coordinate production of the direct mailing. The design firm hired by the consultant designed the piece oversized by one-eighth inch, resulting in an extra 10 cents postage to mail each piece. Multiply this by 7,000 quantity, and the total extra cost (i.e., not in ...

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... x No Thanks Loading.. Creative Direct Mail 4/30/2013 by CompleteMarkets Editor , Alan Shulman This content has not been rated yet. CREATIVE DIRECT MAIL by Alan L. Shulman, CPCU Use your agency management system to create effective direct mail marketing packages. It's a virtual certainty that you've used your agency management system to generate some sort of mailing to business prospects. Did you realize that there are more methods at your disposal than generating computerized form letters or mailing boilerplate newsletters? You can distinguish your marketing efforts and improve your marketing results by using a little creativity and some specialized software. FORMS SOFTWARE Use these programs to generate surveys and other marketing forms of typeset quality directly from your PC and laser printer. What makes electronic forms software so powerful is its ability to create the actual form, merge into it data from your prospect database, and print the result. This process is similar to merging names and addresses in a standard form letter, but creates a far more professional and effective marketing presentation. LEARN FROM THE PROS Have you ever opened your mail to find an Auto insurance solicitation from a direct marketer such as GEICO? They send a brochure and/or cover letter, together with: a simplified Auto app that's to be completed and returned. Your agency can follow these highly successful direct mail examples. The basic rule of direct mail is to tell your prospects the benefits that they'll receive from doing business with your agency then tell them again — and again — and finally, tell them what you just told them! THE CAMPAIGN Select your market and prospects ...