My business has remained steady over the years and I can pay my bills. Given the decline in mail volumes and the overall weak economy, staying in business is no small accomplishment.

But like every business owner, I need to find new business to replenish business lost by attrition.

The real challenge is to find great customers. I have been very fortunate over the years to have clients that respect what I do for them. That is the real joy in a small business.

After analyzing the situation, I realized that my best clients are ones who know what to expect when doing a direct mail campaign. They know how much it will cost and have a good idea of what they can expect when they do a mailing.

It’s not about price. Yes, I am low-cost and competitive. But direct mail marketing is not free.

So I created a “whitepaper”: Budgeting for a Direct Mail Postcard Campaign. I am hoping that prospects will download the flyer and actually fill it out to get a reasonable idea of how much a direct mail campaign will cost — and if it’s even profitable for them.

Direct mail marketing is not for everyone. It’s not a magic bullet. However, when used effectively, it can be a big profit producer. My goal is to find prospects who want to grow their business with direct mail marketing — especially postcards.

If you are looking to start a direct mail postcard campaign, give me a call at 919-848-4332 and let’s get started.

Mike’s background has been in creating, developing, and implementing  marketing strategies for companies such as BMW and Smith Barney. As a marketing manager in Red Hat’s services marketing group, his goal is to uncover customer insight and transform that knowledge into positioning, communication plans, tactics and messaging in order to make sure that his organization is correctly engaging with their customer. Red Hat is the first software company he has directly worked for, but he sees his challenge as no different than any other marketer: aligning marketing offerings with the needs of current and prospective Red Hat customers.

The world of open source software is always changing, but Red Hat’s services  marketing team employs a consistent thought leadership strategy to keep existing customers and attract new ones. According to Mike, the key to growing the customer base is to cultivate relationships and deliver value over time, as opposed to simply trying to gain name recognition. Among the strategies they use include webinars, white papers, and blogs, and they have a heavy social media presence.

The challenge for marketing many Red Hat Services offerings  is that the products are largely “invisible” and the service offerings aren’t always repeatable. It is a challenge to balance the highly technical aspects of the product with an emotional, resonant message, but that is the reason the marketing department spends a tremendous amount of their focus on cultivating relationships. On the Consulting side of the business, this includes existing customers and the consultants themselves, who are often called upon to help tell a story that cannot typically be seen through pictures or images.

According to Mike one of the biggest advantages to working at Red Hat is access to such an active,  “evangelical customer base.” Current customers know the value of the product and are always interested in learning more and staying up to date. It is a major point of emphasis to keep these customers engaged constantly because they will share news and discuss Red Hat within their own circles and communities. Mike said some of the most effective sales people they have are their own clients.

All the departments at Red Hat have to increasingly work together in order to ensure that they share one common voice when they speak with their end users. Red Hat provides a nurturing and supportive work environment where employees are encouraged to speak their mind and voice their opinions and ideas, regardless of their department or their time in the company. He glowingly speaks of the “culture of openness” that is evidenced throughout the company.

Red Hat is certainly a company that is only continuing to grow and gain a bigger market share. Mike, along with the rest of the marketing department at Red Hat, is at the forefront of this growth as they are tasked with the awesome responsibility of making sure customers have an optimal experience with Red Hat technologies. With Mike and his team leading the way it looks like his “evangelical customers” will have more than information to keep them excited.

Most sports fans would call it a dream to go to the biggest sporting events, but for Peter this is another day in the office and a hectic work environment.  “In order to be successful as an Event Planner you need to be a master of multi-tasking. You need to be aware of what is happening simultaneously on your left and at your right and if you’re lucky, you catch a few fragments of the game.”  His objective at the event is to make sure that his clients are enjoying themselves and that everything runs smoothly as possible. Any chance he gets to catch a sneak peek and enjoy the action is short-lived.

In addition to working as an Event Planner, Peter is also an Adjunct Professor at New York University in the Graduate Sports Management Program.  His advice for anyone interested in starting a career in the field of Sports & Entertainment is to seek out companies that are not as well known for sports and try to get experience in the field of Sports & Entertainment through those channels. Each semester,  he has the Director of the Sports Marketing department at Tiffany & Co. speak to his Sports Management class. Tiffany & Co is famous for producing high end jewelry, but what most people do not know is that they are also responsible for making the World Series, Lombardi, Wimbledon and several other trophies each year.

He said one does not need to go any further than look at a professional stadium in order for ideas about which companies have sports departments. At Yankee Stadium alone there are more than 70 different companies that have prominent ads throughout the stadium. His advice is to get experience in Sports & Entertainment at less competitive positions to get invaluable experience in the field and then go after the highly desired jobs and apply directly to the dream jobs at the NFL or the Miami Heats of the world.

After speaking to Peter it is obvious that his knowledge and hard work are two of the biggest factors in his success. Peter is a veteran of the US Air Force and he considers his decision to enlist at the age of 18 as one of the greatest decisions he has ever made. He credits the Air Force for teaching him to work hard and the value of honoring your commitments. These attributes, “Lead, Follow, or stay out of the way” are a consistent theme throughout his professional career and it is clear after talking with him that only through hard work has he been able to land not one, but several dream jobs.

I thoroughly enjoyed speaking with Peter and being able to pick his brain. My final question to him was what would be his dream event to plan. He is a New Yorker and I assumed he would answer either a Jets Super Bowl or a Mets World Series parade, but his answer was far more ambitious. “A trip to the moon… that would be unbelievable.”

A well-designed, well-targeted mailer will leave a succinct and powerful message that voters will remember when they walk into the voting booth.

This article gives tips for making sure your mailings are delivered as fast and as cheaply as possible. This knowledge comes from over 25 years of experience in handling direct mail campaigns and dealing with the Post Office.

Political Campaign Mail and the Post Office

The Post Office is preparing for a big political mailing season in 2012. Special rules give properly marked Political Campaign Mail first class handling at bulk mail prices.

Only Political Campaign Mail is allowed to use Tag 57. This red label needs to be attached to each individual mailing tray and is a visual remainder to the Post Office that the mailing is extremely time sensitive.

According to Post Office regulations, the following organizations qualify to use Political Campaign Mail and are entitled to expedited service:

• Registered political candidates and their associated campaign committee,
• The committee of a political party,
• A political message mailing by a political action committee (PAC), SuperPAC or other organization engaging in issue advocacy or voter mobilization.

In addition to Tag 57, the Post Office has a special set of procedures to ensure Political Campaign Mail gets special treatment. This includes notifying the Bulk Mail Entry Unit (BMEU) when Political Campaign Mail is brought to the Post Office for verification.

Designing & Printing with the Post Office in Mind

MAKE SURE THAT YOUR MAILING PIECE MEETS ALL POSTAGE REGULATIONS BEFORE PRINTING!

Designing a mailer requires knowing postal regulations such as where to place the address block, mail piece dimensions, and aspect ratio. A small mistake can cause your mailing to be rejected by the Post Office.

Postal regulations change daily. Unfortunately, finding someone helpful at the Post Office can be a daunting task.

Addressing mail to take advantage of bulk mail discounts is complex and beyond the scope of this article. Postage costs depend on many factors, including the concentration of addresses in a ZIP code. Specialized software and hardware are required to get the maximum postage discounts available.

MarketPlace-Solutions.com Helps Political Candidates

Direct mail is an essential component of a winning political campaign.

MarketPlace-Solutions.com has worked with several political campaigns over 25 years. We know how to design and print a postcard, a brochure or a palm card quickly and cost-effectively. We can help find the right list to target your political base. Finally, we address the mail and take it to the post office.

We work quickly. Nobody beats our turnaround time or prices.

Call Steven Rosenberg at Marketplace-Solutions.com at (919) 848-4332 to make sure that your political campaign is one step closer to victory!

To download this article in a .pdf version click here.

It’s classic direct mail marketing. Something MarketPlace-Solutions.com has specialized in 25+ years of helping clients with their direct mail marketing.

We can be a great resource for any political candidate. We offer graphic design of palm cards and brochures that candidates hand out. We offer low cost full color printing.

And we can work fast! We know how to turn around a project from design to print within 48 hours!

And nothing beats mailing to reach potential voter’s at their homes. We have access to lists and can help clean up lists that a candidate might have.

And nobody knows postal regulations like we do. We offer “Red Tag” political mailing service to make sure a candidate’s mail is handled promptly and efficiently. We even have the ability to track the mailing to know when it reaches a potential voter’s mailbox.

We appreciate that candidates do not have the time to worry about their direct mail campaigns. They just want to make one call and have it done. At MarketPlace-Solutions.com, you will be talking to me through the entire process.

We have been known to get printed material in the morning and have it out in the afternoon. We appreciate the severe time constraints that candidates face. We also appreciate that they need to get the biggest bang for their marketing dollar.

We have experience with many different political  local and state elections.

If you are a candidate — or a political consultant helping a candidate — contact us at 919-848-4332 or fill out the form to get your campaign rolling.

I wish them luck. They are already losing billions of dollars — and if they can find the customers that can use the service to plug that deficit, go for it.

I’d certainly be interested in knowing how much they are spending on television ads and direct mail — and if it’s profitable.

But it’s a lousy deal for most businesses. MarketPlace-Solutions.com can do the same thing — but make it easier for the customer.

Bottom line, direct mail marketing is all about results

Can the average small business person design a mailer that will be attractive and gain business? That’s a specialty in of itself.

What about printing? What the average person doesn’t know about how to print cheaply and effectively can fill a book.

And then there are the post office regulations. With Every Door Direct Mail you don’t need to put an address on the mailer. Big deal….you have to wrap them in bundles of 50 with a form on each bundle. Much easier for me to address them with my specialized addressing machines than count out 50 mailers for each bundle.

And without an address, how can you make sure you know where you are going? Do most people even know what a carrier route is?
And let’s talk about the list — or the lack of a list. I have visited the Every Door Direct Mail site and I don’t see any demographic information I use for my clients.

What is the average home value and/or income of a certain carrier route? That’s routine information I give my clients, along with other details. I can even split my lists between homes and apartments. I don’t see that option in the Every Door Direct Marketing program.

Postage costs? Well, the cost is actually higher than the 6″ x 9″ postcards I use because the mailer is required to be a flat. Good luck telling the small business owner the dimensions of a flat as opposed to a postcard.

Then you have to take it to the individual post office. Guess what, I can do a two-mile radius from here and hit three different ZIP codes. That means three different post offices….

So what are the advantages?

Well, you don’t need a bulk mail permit. But neither do my clients since I use my bulk mail permit.
Every Door Direct Mail only can work for someone who has too much time on their hands — and doesn’t have any budget to mail.

The unemployed student who wants to start a pet sitting business is one prospect.

There are costs to design, print and mail. Direct mail is not cheap. I have minimums because I know from 25+ experience how much time it will take me to do a job. Same time to design something for 10 people or 10,000. Setting up the mailing machine. Often, I can do 5,000 in less time than 500 — and the trip to the BMEU is the same time.

I applaud the Post Office for promoting direct mail to businesses that may not have considered using it. I give the Post Office credit for trying to drum up business.

On the other hand, they are stealing my customers and offering an inferior product.

If you are interested in doing a targeted marketing, give us a call at 919-848-4332 and let us explain the options. Then call the Post Office and try to find someone who can help you. I absolutely, positively guarantee that it will be so much easier to deal with me because I care about my clients. See if the Post Office cares about your marketing efforts!

This speech in my Raleigh Talkmasters Toastmasters Club by Dave Baldwin got me to thinking about how fortunate I have been to have had my own business for over 25 years.

I think the number #1 key for business success is consistency. Just showing up for work and making adjustments as you go along. Dave’s points about lack of planning and focus are right on — and he makes some very serious points about his failures and how it has cost him.

I have had my shares of ups and downs. I have tried new things and been burned a few times — but that’s all part of having a business. At this point in my life, I feel very good that I am able to pay my bills — and I appreciate it’s all about serving my clients.

I have stayed in business by telling my customers what I can do for them — and then delivering. Under promise & over deliver has been my motto.

Why can’t other business understand this fundamental concept?

I have been looking for some public relations help as I try to sell the booklet “6 Easy Steps to Take Charge of Medical Bills.” I decided to ask for advice on LinkedIn.

Got a reference. Checked the website — it was absolutely horrible. In addition to being impossible to read (grey type on a black background!), it showed an absolute ignorance of anything about search engine optimization. For instance, the title tags are “Home,” “Team,” & “Contact.” And these are marketing professionals?

However, they were close by and the might have the skills I was looking for, so I sent an e-mail. I sent the e-mail on a Sunday, and waited until late on Monday to follow up with a phone call.

The phone system just kept putting me in a loop, so I hung up and wrote a note to the person who had recommended them on LinkedIn. What kind of organization is this?

She responded instantly that “I know they are great people” and promptly forwarded my comments to the firm’s owner. He called up and we had a nice conversation.

We know people in common and have several common interests. And he lives within walking distance! So I decided to walk over to his house and give him the booklets so he could understand what I wanted to do.

He had some good suggestions. I said give me a price for your services. I  have been in business for a long time and appreciate you can’t make any money do freebies.

Time is money. Also, no investment, no commitment. I’m willing to pay — but I want to know for what and how much. Simple stuff like that.

Haven’t heard a word back — not even a simple e-mail saying that he doesn’t want to work with me.

This guy comes out of a big Public Relations agency background. Sounds like the company he worked for imploded and it was time to get out.

Probably doesn’t know anything about running a business.

Almost every day I get a call or e-mail asking about my mailing services. Many I can’t help because their budget is too small. I just had a phone call this weekend when I asked the budget — “Oh, about $200/month for a monthly newsletter.” Good luck… I can’t do it, I told her.

On the other hand, I also pick up clients on a regular basis. My phone number is listed on the top of every page — and I try to answer the phone or get back as soon as possible. In today’s economy, it’s all about speed.

And I am fortunate that my clients keep coming back. Customer service is absolutely key to survival today.

I am starting to request recommendations on my Google Place site and have got a few. Unfortunately, today my site on Google Places is down because I asked to make a change on the “At a Glance” section. Good luck trying to find customer service with Google! I guess if you are as big as Google, you don’t have to care what anybody thinks….

If you are looking for top customer service on your next mail marketing,  design, or printing project, call me at 919-848-4332 and let me prove that I can handle your business.

Blue is a popular color in advertising. On ABC’s new daytime show “The
Revolution” they revealed “Throughout the world blue is the number one choice
when people are asked what their favorite color is.”

Some companies who chose blue as their corporate color include Ford, IBM, GE and Facebook.

The effectiveness of your marketing dollar can increase when customers view your
logo and colors as a symbol of quality and value. Blue is associated with
wisdom, trust and loyalty, and thought to have a calming effect.

Careful use of color in your marketing pieces attracts customers to your brand
or product. Affordable 4-color process printing makes the choice of a color
print project an easy choice.

Contact us at 919-848-4332 to get your next design project handled professionally and on time & on budget!

Richland Creek Community Church in Wake Forest has been a great client for a number of years. I have an Easter mailing ready to go to potential church goers within a 4-mile radius.

In addition to their mailings, I do some extra printing for them — mainly contact cards and business cards.

They are very easy to work with and incredibly friendly. Having clients like Richland Creek — where I am greeted by name and asked about my son – is one of the benefits of owning my own business.

I just did a mailing for Western Boulevard Presbyterian Church. Like many churches that call me, they want to reach out to their neighbors with direct mail, but just don’t know how.

After several calls and e-mails, I answered their questions and handled their project. I answered questions about nonprofit mail and even saved them $190 since they didn’t have to renew their bulk mail permit.

I sent them extras and they have been very pleased with my services.

Wakefield Baptist Church called me up a few weeks ago to do a mailing for Easter. I just finished printing the postcard they designed and will mail it to a list of potential church members with young families in the area.

Shandon United Methodist Church of Columbia, SC, sent an e-mail last week. We did a mailing for them last year — and they were obviously happy enough to call us again. Getting ready for another mailing soon.

Christ Baptist Church did two mailings with me last year — including a last minute one to “Celebrate Christmas.” I hope they do a big mailing when they finish building their new sanctuary.

I also do mailing for the Alliance of Baptists, who mail all over the country.

And in the local Jewish community, I am now handling Beth Meyer Sisterhood mailings. They simply got fed up with dealing the Post Office. I have done the mailings for Congregation Sha’arei Israel for years, including the yearly calendar around Rosh Hashanah.

Used to mail out the Raleigh Cary Jewish Federation newspaper when it was printed..

I am blessed to have such good clients and appreciate the work I do for the various churches. It’s easy to forget that churches and synagogues are business that constantly require new members to pay the bills — and that direct mail  is still one of the most cost-effective ways to reach out.

If you are a church or a business that is looking for prospects, contact me at 919-848-4332 and let’s see what I can do for you!

As an entrepreneur, my first response is always to say “Yes.” But I just wasn’t sure I could handle it. It’s already 10 a.m. and the Raleigh Post Office Bulk Mail Center closes at 4 p.m.

I called the prospect and he explained that it was a legal matter that needed to be sent out in a few hours to have any chance of reaching people all over the country.

I don’t have the mailing files, there is close to a 1,000 3-page letters that need to be inserted into an addressed envelope.

Okay, I’ll try, I said.

The prospect sent the mailing files… the Excel spreadsheet he sent could not be used. It was set up to print labels — not to be imported into a mailing database. Can’t do it, I said….

He said he would get the file corrected quickly. Okay…but no guarantees.

The file comes in around noon….I had already had the letter printed, but needed to pick it up.

Did National Change of Address processing, addressed the envelopes, inserted the letter and mailed them out first class. (I had to renew my first class permit since it has been awhile since I did a first class mailing.)

I have done “miracles” in the past, (65,000 postcards printed and mailed within 24 hours) but I can’t remember doing a mailing from a cold start to finish in a few hours.

Bottom line, we did it. The client wrote back

Hi Steve,

What an outstanding job!

 We can’t thank you enough for all your heard work in this very pressing situation for us. I will be sending a note to our committee chairman to send a note to you.

I am not sure other mailing houses could have or would have taken on this job. The now satisfied client said they researched places and couldn’t believe my competitive pricing and ability to do it. (I even take credit cards so I can pay for postage!)

I may not be the biggest mailer in the world, but I pride myself on giving my customers outstanding service. That’s how I have survived 25+ in a very tough business.Under promise and over deliver is my motto.

If you need to get a mailing done in a hurry, give me a call at 919-848-4332 or steven@marketplace-solutions.com. If I agree to do it, I’ll do my best to make it happen. No excuses!