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Business Reply Cards by Martha Retallick

The "Help This Postcarder" section of this e-zine featured the following query from Rick Hyman:

Do you have any cold, hard facts on the different response rates of a "Postage Paid Reply Card" vs. the "Place Stamp Here"?

It is not the cost of the Postage Paid card that is hanging me up, it is the administration and detail of dealing with the Post Office.

But if it's worth it, I can't afford NOT to do it. On the other hand, if they're about the same, I'd like to not have to bother.

Among the replies were these words of wisdom from Don the Idea Guy:

A quick Google for the term "business reply card response rates" netted an abundance of links.

Traymore Marketing says:

"Although we do not have specific research that indicates a higher participation rate for pre-paid postage, consider how often you intended to mail something, such as a business reply postcard, and didn't.

"The job of the marketer is to make it easy for the prospect to interact with the organization and get what they need. If they have to fold something three times, hand write their address and put postage on, we believe they will not do it. ...Keep the steps to a minimum. If they only have to check a box and drop it back in the mail, your rate of return will be higher."

ResponseMail agrees that including a "reply mechanism" will increase your response rate. They go further and say that the use of business reply cards, business reply envelopes, and a toll-free number could actually DOUBLE your response rates.

Mr. Hyman stated that it's not the cost that's holding him back from using the business reply card, but the hoops he has to jump through in order to get the proper paperwork and permit. I have two suggestions for him:

1. Try contacting the main post office in your area and asking for help from their business mail specialist. I've always found it's best to deal with the Post Office's business/marketing people. I've gotten applications processed faster and they've even sat down with me to discuss creative mailer designs to approve it for their sorting equipment prior to printing the piece -- sure beats having a finished piece rejected!

I've always found the postal workers at this level to friendly, helpful, and very knowledgable. They actually treated me as a business prospect and customer. A big change from those branch office where it takes longer to get to the front of the line than it it does for them to tell you how many ways they CAN'T help you.

Go to the source -- I'm positive your main branch will have a professional who can help streamline your application for a business reply indicia.

You can also visit USPS.com and find help from the Post Office's excellent website.

2. Check with local private mailing and sorting companies. If you use them to sort and label your mailer, you can frequently use THEIR permit numbers at little or no cost. I've used this technique to process many newsletter and postcard mailings from clients who did not have their own permit for bulk mailing.

Martha Retallick, "The Passionate Postcarder," hails from Tucson, Arizona, USA. She is the author of Postcard Marketing Secrets, a downloadable PDF manual will show you how to put postcards to work for your business—profitably. Learn more about it at: http://www.PostcardMarketingSecrets.com