Reduce Your Direct Selling Expenses
4. Decrease paper weight to lower postage costs. Test lighter-weight papers, and self-covers vs. heavier separate covers. Following are the actual results from a recent test using 34-lb vs. 32-lb paper:
Both the response rate and the average order size for this test to the 0- to 12-month buyer file were not negatively affected. The revenue per catalog mailed in both cases came out about the same—$3.62 vs. $3.60 per book. Consider a reduction. Paper is sold by the pound. If you use fewer pounds, you may save money.
Steve Lett graduated from Indiana University in 1970 and immediately began his 50-year career in Direct Marketing; mainly catalogs.
Steve spent the first 25 years of his career in executive level positions at both consumer and business-to-business companies. The next 25 years have been with Lett Direct, Inc., the company Steve founded in early 1995. Lett Direct, Inc., is a catalog and internet consulting firm specializing in circulation planning, plan execution, analysis and digital marketing (Google Premier Partner).
Steve has served on the Ethics Committee of the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) and on a number of company boards, both public and private. He served on the Board of the ACMA. He has been the subject of two Harvard Business School case studies. He is the author of a book, Strategic Catalog Marketing. Steve is a past Chairman of both the Catalog Council and Business Mail Council of the DMA. He spent a few years teaching Direct Marketing at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.
You can contact Steve at stevelett@lettdirect.com.
