| Let's talk about how to keep your postage costs | | | | $5.00 per thousand records) and will allow you to |
| down.So far you have been following my advice | | | | keep getting your message out to as many |
| and mailing to the same list more than once. At | | | | people in your list as possible.At times you can |
| some point you find lists that will produce returns | | | | see up to a 10% undeliverable rate, and it can |
| continually, but you notice that you are receiving | | | | even be higher on older lists that you have been |
| more returns than when you started mailing to | | | | using for a while. Average is more like 5% |
| those lists.You may see things like "Undeliverable | | | | undeliverable so let's take a look at the numbers |
| as Addressed" or "Forwarding Order Expired." | | | | at that rate.If you mail 10,000 and get 5% back |
| Every time you mail to an address and that | | | | for bad addresses: 10,000 x .05 = 500 pieces.You |
| prospect has moved or cannot be found | | | | will have paid postage on 500 pieces that did not |
| for any reason, you have just paid for the | | | | reach their destination.So if you mail to your list |
| postage with no possibility of getting a | | | | again without cleaning it you have just wasted: |
| response.Obviously it is a pretty big waste of | | | | 500 x $0.23 = $115.00.If you were to NCOA that |
| money to continue to mail to this address, but | | | | list at a rate of $5.00 per thousand you would |
| what do you do about it? You could simply go | | | | have spent: 10 x $5.00 = $50.00.So you have |
| into the list of names that you have purchased | | | | three choices when faced with a list that needs |
| and delete the returns. No more bad addresses, | | | | cleaning:1. Spend hours deleting every return that |
| no more wasted postage, right? That is one | | | | you receive from your list.2. Waste $115.00 or |
| option but there is a better way to handle the | | | | more in postage every time you mail to that |
| situation.The US Postal Service has an NCOA | | | | list.or3. Have the list checked by an NCOA service |
| (National Change of Address) System that a | | | | and get back in touch with customers that may |
| limited number of companies are licensed to | | | | have moved, for around one tenth the cost.The |
| access. These companies are able to take the list | | | | NCOA service is the easiest and most effective |
| that you have purchased, or compiled yourself, | | | | way to keep your postage costs down.Joy |
| and check it against the USPS system. You will | | | | Gendusa founded PostcardMania in 1998; her only |
| receive a report that will let you know if anyone | | | | assets a computer and a phone. In 2004 the |
| on your list has moved, gone out of business, or | | | | company did close to $9 million in sales and |
| even if the zip code that contact was in was | | | | employs over 60 persons. She attributes her |
| changed by the Post Office itself. Along with the | | | | explosive growth to her ability to choose incredible |
| report you will receive a new copy of your list | | | | staff and her innate marketing savvy. Now she's |
| that has been cleaned and updated.The cost for | | | | sharing her marketing secrets with others. |
| having your list checked is very economical (about | | | | |