Many companies, especially non-profit organizations, utilize volunteers and interns to perform many tasks around the office, including the processing of their direct mail campaigns. They are under the assumption that since the labor is free, they are saving money; but is that true?
In rare cases, maybe, but many times they are losing money and wasting valuable manpower.
If the volunteers, or whoever is directing the direct mail production, are fully aware of all the direct mail postal rules, have the software and equipment to process efficiently, and are capable of fast-paced production speeds…then yes, they could save some costs by working their business mailing services in-house.
What we have found is that many of these companies offering direct mail services do not have the necessary equipment and are utilizing their “free” labor to do most of the many tasks by hand; i.e., folding, stuffing, sealing, applying labels, etc. This takes a great deal of time and can delay a direct mail project for days.
Do the Volunteers Have Experience With Direct Mail Services?
By not having the most up-to-date software, direct mail address lists cannot be C.A.S.S. Certified & Move Update compliant, which is required by the post office in order to receive discounted automation postage rates. Therefore, the direct mail media must go out at higher standard rates.
Small oversights due to lack of experience, e.g., accurate paper weight, being sure that any reply mail is automation compatible, wafer seal and address placement, positioning of staples, etc., can all cause the total postage amount to be much higher.
Having a mailing professional undertake your direct mail campaign helps to ensure that the postage costs are as low as possible, time frames are met due to high-speed machine production, and all the direct mail postal rules are followed, so as not to cause delays or extra costs.
Deliverability is optimized and since the address list has been “cleaned”, there is less waste due to being undeliverable (which the postal worker is authorized to throw away for standard rate mailings).
Each wasted direct mail piece is a loss in printing, postage, and labor. Since the customer is not notified of the undeliverable addresses, subsequent mailings of the same addresses will have the same issues, and any new changes that have gone undetected.
One key factor to remember when deciding on whether to use a mailing house or volunteers on your next direct mail campaign: many times a direct mailing professional can save their customers so much money in postage that the difference actually pays for the mailing houses’ labor charges.
In other words, the labor costs for a mail house could end up being the same as using volunteers – FREE! But with less headaches, faster turnaround times, more efficiency and deliverability.
Want to know how to create a winning direct mail campaign that won’t break your bank?
Click here to receive our consumer guide: 12 Ways To Avoid Paying More Than You Have To For Direct Mail. Inside you’ll learn the key mistakes to avoid when developing a direct mail campaign, the key element that can make or break your direct mail offering, plus you will be eligible to receive a special discount as a first-time customer! Get your free direct mail guide today!
Personal Touch Mailing Services is a full-service direct mail located in Orlando, Florida. Call 407-857-9090 for a quote.
