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“I am not overlooking any mail. I'm looking at all of it. I even wrote back to the Viagra people. " – Randy Newman
Email has indeed affected traditional mail, perhaps not as badly as some predicted. I know I still get a lot of mail, mostly bills, catalogs, invitations, cards – everything but personal letters which is why I always check my email!
There are still great uses for mail, but with the growing cost of postage (due possibly to the reduced number of letters...) mailings must be handled efficiently. Whole books have been written about mail marketing so you can read those if you want, but I'll summarize it for you.
1. Design an attractive mail package (even a postcard counts!)
2. Include an attractive offer or incentive (a party is an incentive right?)
3. Select an appropriate mail list for your offer. Consider things like location, income level, occupation, etc. Be sure your list is "cleaned" deleting bad and duplicate addresses before you use it.
4. Time your mailing appropriately. (snow shovel sale in June?)
5. Track your results.
This all seems simple, but it is surprising how many businesses can't seem to get it right. They spend money on design, production but use the wrong list. For instance, one of my clients was sending a mailer aimed towards new sales of their non-perishable product but used a list of customers who had bought this same product within the past year. They got zero responses and decided maybe a different headline might make a difference. Not likely! They needed a whole different list.
Another recent true story is a bank branch decided to mail out 4,000 packages of enclosing envelope, a letter and a brochure. Instead of hiring a mail house to automatically collate, fold, stuff, label and stamp these, they had their already short-staffed employees do them by hand. What might have taken a day or two will now take a month or two...
There are many pitfalls to the mailing game. At today's cost of delivery it is too expensive to be tinkering with it.
Let's do your next mailing the right way. Contact me for more information. |
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We have tremendous respect for Jim's abilities and he is always prepared to deliver highly professional work. Our publication artwork done by Jim is highly creative and helps set Strem Chemicals apart in our field. Each publication is very different from the last, and needs to stand out on its own. Jim is tops at interpreting complex abstract ideas into stunning graphics. Jim's our guy.
Mike Strem, Founder, President and CEO, Strem Chemicals, Inc.
Jim's NOT your average, everyday creative type. He is a mentor and teacher. He not only practices his trade exceptionally well, he is always ready to answer the questions 'why' and 'how' with a high degree of detail that is articulated in a way that makes me feel like an expert at the end of the day. Jim's been my go-to-person since the first conversation we had more than 10 years ago. He's a true partner and has been there to help me navigate the toughest client requests. I recommend working with Jim to junior and senior-level marketers alike.
Michelle Tempesta, Marketing Director, Paytronix
I knew Jim by reputation, and knew that he would provide top notch creative work. Now having worked with him, I appreciate how much Jim works to ensure the success of every assignment. If we ask Jim for an ad, he gives us a campaign. If we ask for a direct mail piece, he gives us the piece, and suggestions for the best list. If we ask for a website, he gives us the site and the best way to evaluate the metrics. Jim consistently outperforms our expectations.
Linda Riley, Linda Riley Media Services
Jim charges a better than fair price. Certainly there may be designers who might work for less, but none can compare with the value Jim provides. ...quality across the board. He understands my business and has offered valuable insight to help make it better. Web site, product sheets, show graphics, POP and packaging ...great stuff.
Len Lamanuzzi, CEO, Polar Seafood Co.
Over the past eight years, my firm has worked in partnership with Jim Grenier to fulfill many of our clients' demand for sophisticated logos, graphic design and high-end flash animations. His work is always extremely creative, out-of-the-box and delivered on-time. Jim is very dependable and easy to work with; we highly recommend his services.
Laura Schweizer, President, Royal Web Design
From logos to labels and from Web site to onsite signage, Jim is our guy. He seems to just KNOW what we want and need and gets it done right the first time. He has the uncanny ability to zero in on a quick and simple solution. If he had a fan club I'd have to be its president.
Karen Cook, Owner, Cider Hill Farm
Jim is an exacting artist in all aspects of his life. In his free time, for fun, he made a Weissenborn-style hollowneck slide guitar out of koa wood. Most recently, he restored an award-winning 1965 gaff-rigged, 21' wooden Cape Cod catboat named "Rosebud." With Jim at the helm in his studio, he painstakingly measures twice -- cuts once, and renders beautifully handcrafted graphic arts.
Chris Velletri, President, Market Street Lists
All of us get ideas we think might work, but Jim can take those ideas, tweak them, twist them or edit them until something really good actually comes out of them. He's valuable in our brainstorm sessions. He never discourages any ideas and always finds a way to improve upon them. Very reliable, very skilled and very easy to work with.
Cathleen Alaimo, Marketing Director, ONI Division, GE Healthcare MR
Jim's "Can Do" approach on all sizes and types of projects has been invaluable to ONI. He makes himself available during the most unbelievable time crunches and repeatedly produces high quality creative materials.
Barbara J. Cross, ONI International Business Manager
I'm retired now, but my relationship with (Jim and company) over about 15 years was the best professional relationship I've ever had over my long career in marketing. I could trust them for everything including creative ideas, perfect execution, fair pricing and flexibility when I needed it.
Mead Sommers, former President, Sommers Marketing
Our organization, Journeyman Basketball is all about teaching teamwork, skills, responsibility and work ethic. All of which sum up Jim. When we needed a fitting web site Jim figured it all out, then built it. It has more features than many pro and college basketball sites and it is extremely popular with the athletes and the parents. Most importantly we can edit it ourselves, add game stats, post community announcements and more. I doubt Journeyman would be half as successful without Jim's contributions.
J P Sanborn Founder and President, Journeyman Basketball
After disasters with two other so-called Web developers, Jim approached my eCommerce problem in a fresh way, then he delivered a custom eCommerce solution exactly the way I had envisioned it. And at a reasonable cost. He was always helpful, detailed and professional.
Robert Marshall, Owner Autumnlight; Owner, Kidquest
I consider Jim to be the oracle of knowledge when it comes to anything relating to computer graphics. My "go to" resource for anything technical. Jim, through his patience and instruction, brought me to a comfortable level with computer graphics software. He designed two websites for me, which bring a stream of compliments. Then to top it off, he provided me with the confidence to explore the world of Internet commerce for my artwork.
Rob Brun, Fine Artist
Smart, resourceful and creative, three words that only begin to describe Jim Grenier. Not only is he highly skilled in print and web design, but he has also been a tremendous resource for marketing, illustration and software applications. We consider him to be the secret weapon in our agency.
Ray Shaw, President, Shaw Advertising
Jim's the real deal. I trust his judgement and his creativity. He helped my company re-brand and reposition itself. And he is a great advocate for my company and myself. Quick with ideas and quicker in getting them done. Great follow-through and he's never missed a deadline. An asset in every situation.
Peter Pellerito, CEO, Imacor, Inc.
A completely unique designer. Whether your business is big or small, your needs complex or simple, you will not find a more attentive concept and design person. In the 25 years I've worked with Jim, I've found him providing me with the same level of top-rate work as he does his much larger customers. I have sent Jim some rather crude ideas and received back polished and shining: headlines, copy and art. Jim has the ability to know what I want and need better than I do myself.
Paul Sanderson, CEO, Inventronics Incorporated
We're farmers. So we work on slim budgets. But we also need to look professional. Jim helps us balance these two things. Recently we needed a lot of exterior signage so Jim walked the site with us, made great suggestions then designed and resourced a system of signs. Traffic flow improved, customers found things more easily and crop damage was lessened. He is at once both creative and practical, right-brained and left-brained.
Glen Cook, Owner, Cider Hill Farm
You've read what some of my customers have said about working with me. Now let me show you how much I can do for you. I'm sure you'll be as wildly happy as all the others. It doesn't matter if you are a large corporation or a small start-up, you'll find me easy to work with, responsive, innovative and knowledgeable; plus I have a great sense of humor. Contact me now and let's get started
Jim Grenier dba Renegade Studios
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