OK, I'm not embarrassed to admit that there are aspects of the postal world that are less than enthralling. Some, in fact, are downright mind-numbing. Talking “postal” to certain industry CEOs can be enough to bring a person to tears.
That may be the case, but it's no excuse for ignoring what for most direct marketing companies is a key part of their operations, let alone their expense. Many simply would prefer to delegate this particular responsibility to those that offer DM-related production services, such as lettershops, printers, computer services providers — anyone, for that matter, as long as they don't have to tend to it themselves.
For many catalog and similar direct mail firms, postal (which includes marketing- and fulfillment-related sides) constitutes anywhere from 30% to 40% of their operating costs. If that holds true for you, then whether you like it or not, you and your company are in the postal business.
There are any number of DM executives who can't tell you much about the postal dynamics of their firm, let alone inform you about what's going on in the area of postal legislation and regulation that can significantly affect the manner in, and cost by which, they do business.
There's an old saying, “There are three kinds of people in this world: Those who make things happen, those who watch things happen and those who wonder what happened.” When so much of your company's vitality can depend on what's going on in Washington these days, you'd better not be one of those who merely watches or wonders.
This year, postal legislative reform will be among the key items on Congress' and the Bush administration's agendas. Some time before midyear, the U.S. Postal Service will be filing a request before the Postal Rate Commission for new, higher rates. Washington decision-makers are begging to hear from those who “actually pay postage” to help them understand how these developments can affect their firms and the people they employ.
Are you going to be among those who will be at the ready to better inform Washington's postal policymakers on the wisdom of what they may be considering? Or are you going to “delegate” this responsibility (that is, hand it off) to someone else?
If you'd rather watch or wonder, buy a television set. But if you want to help make things happen, now's the time to get involved.
GENE A. DEL POLITO is president of the Association for Postal Commerce (PostCom) in Arlington, VA.
