Response Generation - Direct Mailer Marketing Specialists

Leading response specialist John Dyson of Response Generation Ltd has written this Check List for busy marketing professionals who are engaged in generating and dealing with response from direct marketing campaigns.

	Planning
	Check the credibility of the handling house/call centre. e.g. How long established, client list, trade associations, data protection policy, etc?
	Include the handling house/call centre in your campaign objectives and briefings.
	Set out rules for response or redemption e.g. Will you allow one response per household or several? Will you allow five coupons rather than the specified six?
	Agree realistic turnaround times with your handling house. Are these fast enough?
	Decide on a cut off point for the promotion.
	Work out a procedure for late applications. Make sure the cut off date is clearly stated on the publicity material.
	Decide what part will the telephone play in the promotion. Do you need a telephone helpline or customer careline?
	Decide what part e-mail will play in the campaign. For example with customers e-mail requests do you have an automatic e-mail acknowledgment?
	Make sure that the modus operandi and attitude of the careline team enhances your brand.
	Ensure the contact centre can easily re-route back to you if necessary.
	Consider testing.
	Estimate the response volumes as accurately as you can. Try asking the handling house for an opinion.
	Consider carefully how the design of the response mechanism can affect response rates.
	Ask the response team to comment on the proposed response form/coupon. Is there plenty of space for the customer's name, address, postcode and order requirements? Is the offer clear and unambiguous? Is the media code prominent?

	Operations
	Don't forget to provide your handling house with samples or dummies of the response packs.
	Make proof of payment or voucher checking as foolproof as possible.
	Decide on the dispatch/posting method and test it.
	Don't forget to put a return address on the packaging.
	Try upselling from the fulfillment pack. Can you include new or future offers to tempt the customer to respond further?
	Use your order acknowledgement to its full potential. Consider how an acknowledgement will help the mail order process by thanking customers, advising delivery times, advising customer service contacts and so on.
	When acknowledging by e-mail, use it to upsell or drive customers to your website.
	Make sure you have a fast acknowledgement process - with web enquiries or orders this needs to be immediate.
	If you are doing a lot of business on line, make sure your handling house has the necessary software for handling volume incoming email or SMS responses.
	Decide on a customer relations procedure for incorrect applications, fraudulent claims, complaints, returns, out-of-stock items, refunds and bouncing cheques.
	Consider printing delay cards if you suspect that items could go out of stock.

	Goods Inwards & Stock Management
	Make realistic storage forecasts because storage costs money. Check that your handling house has additional storage to meet exceptional demand.
	Check out the goods inward procedure of your handling house. Does it carry out a goods inwards heath check? Advise your suppliers of the process.
	Check that the storage facilities are appropriate for your product.
	Check that there are stock rotation routines in place.
	Agree stock management procedures with your handling house especially with regard to restock levels, returns and reporting.
	Instigate a goods return procedure.
	To stop extra storage charges at the end of the campaign immediately notify your Handling House of your goods disposal requirements.

	Database Building
	Establish before the campaign starts what you will you be using your database for. Decide the minimum data required for this?
	Think about ways of streamlining your database building. Can you save money by making input simpler and easier without compromising quality?
	In data capture, decide on the level of data capture you need. Do you need key verification i.e. duplicate keying of data by different operators to 'double check' entries? Establish your error margins at the beginning.
	Could you save money by scanning data?
	Ensure you have written guarantees as to the security of your data under the 1998 Data Protection Act.

	Reporting
	Decide what reports you want, when you want them. These may include banking reports, campaign reports, stock reports and complaint reports.
	Do you have a need for continuous status reporting?
	Set up a system whereby your agency/media buyer always tells your call centre/handling house of changes in your publicity schedule and advises them of last minute buys etc.

	Financial Considerations
	Are set up charges and/or monthly charges fixed or variable? Make sure you don't get any nasty surprises.
	Make sure that charges from your handling house are fixed for the duration of the contract. Are there likely to be administration charges after the campaign has ended?
	Examine all the implications of the various payment methods e.g. coins, cheques, credit cards, delayed payments.
	Decide at the beginning what tolerances you will allow in payment.
	Agree banking charges e.g. cheque/credit card handling charges or cheque printing charges in cash-backs.
	If you are carrying out a cash-back scheme, make sure your handling house is able to print cheques. Make sure you (or your accountant) evaluate this process.
	Establish banking routines. Decide which is best, payment into your account or a client account with the handling house. In the latter case, check that your handling house is fully aware of the regulations pertaining to prepayments.
	Check if any deposits are required, for example postage floats. Decide on a system of auditing these.

	Security & Legal Aspects
	Make sure you are satisfied with the security, confidentiality and data protection routines of your call center/handling house.
	Check also that your handling house or call centre is fully compliant with the rules laid down by the British Code of Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing (CAP Code) and also those of the Direct Marketing Association.
	Make sure you receive a written agreement regarding data processing, disclosure, erasure, damage and destruction (a legal requirement).
	Ask to see the your handling house's staff data security and protection agreement. Is this part of their employees conditions of employment?
	Check insurance requirements. Will insurance be covered by you or your handling house?

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