Thanks to rising costs, e-mail has become a popular alternative to direct mail.
Let’s talk about some of the important things that must be considered when adding e-mail addresses to your customer or inquiry list. If you’re convinced e-mail is here to stay (and it sure is) and you’re convinced that in 2014 over two billion dollars will be spent on this medium, you’d better get started now. And it’s as easy as pie. Just follow a few ground rules to success and you can build your sales with less expense and aggravation. Here’s how.
First, your list of customers, inquirers and perhaps prospects must be large enough so a substantial portion can be matched to a large database of e-mail addresses. Let’s say you have 5,000 to 10,000 names of buyers and prospects.
The most important part is to get the list cleaned up. Get first names first and surnames second. Get the address in the proper layout and make sure the abbreviations are consistent — the apartment numbers following the street, the city spelled correctly, the state abbreviation is correct and the correct Zip code or Zip plus four on each record. No other coding is needed. Purchased information such as dates, amount, etc. can be re-appended later.
If an appending company must clean up your file it will charge for it. Nothing is free.
The second step is to subject the list to a hygiene process that updates the address data, deletes the deceased, spells the name correctly and verifies the address as correct or adds the new address as per the U.S. Postal Service National Change of Address (NCOA) service. The idea is to get it right, as perfect as possible, before adding e-mail addresses. Just do everything possible to guarantee the highest match rate possible.
The third step is to append the e-mail address. Some records may yield two or three matching e-mail addresses. If you’ll take all of them tell the appending service. If you want only one address then say so. It’s a simple matter to de-duplicate the file. When your file is matched, the append service will match the entire record, full name and full address. If your file says John Jones and the append can’t match it, will you accept J. Jones at the same address? Of course, you will but tell the service. If the first names don’t match will you accept last name match at the same address? If the names are the same but one of the files has a box number is it acceptable? Get all the possibilities on paper and make your decisions.
The fourth step: if your list has some e-mail addresses and they match the appending file there is no charge. But perhaps you have an incorrect e-mail address. Do you want your records appended with the new e-mail address or not? Do you want your postal address changed? Sure you do.
Once the append is complete the service bureau will conduct a permission pass that will provide undeliverables or opt-outs to be deleted. You may create our own permission copy with guidelines that will abide by certain rules in regard to advertising your services as well as using the correct language that permits the addresses to opt-out of receiving future e-mails from you. These opt-out provisions must be followed very strictly since there are federal rules and guidelines that protect consumers or businesses from your solicitations. Even customers must give their permission. Don’t take it for granted that permission is allowed.
Nonetheless, the opt-outs are deleted and the finished file is returned to the owner. The owner then should re-e-mail to his list within two weeks and any additional opt-outs must be purged from the file. You will not be charged for any opt-outs or “hard bounces” that are removed from either the permission pass or your own e-mail transmission.
Regarding the pricing the client must submit his entire file for review prior to pricing. There are many variables as described above. The rates for NCOA are low, the rates for appending are low, and the permission pass transmission rates are low. And, best of all the rates are based on quantity with unbelievable low rates for high volume files. Some prices are minimum flat rates but most are based on a per-thousand rate.
In any event, you’ll now be in command of a vital new channel of communication that’s worth every penny you invest. Your clients will really appreciate getting your offers and newsletters and you’ll be rewarded with the ongoing and binding relationships that you’ll develop. It’s as good as it gets.
Robert Dunhill is president of Dunhill International List Co., Boca Raton, FL.
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