How to Determine if Co-mailing is Right for You
A Co-mailing Checklist
Before you decide to co-mail, ask your printer the following questions:
- Do we keep our original mail date?
- Who is/are our co-mailing partner(s)?
- What guarantee do we have that the production of their catalog(s) will be on time?
- What guarantee do we have that they’ll be able to advance their postage check on time?
- What guarantee do we have that they’ll not drop out at the last minute?
- What does the printer charge for this service? Can the potential postage savings be cost-justified for me?
- What’s the size of the mailing and benefit to each partner?
Co-mailing with another, reputable cataloger can be a good thing to do. But evaluate your true potential savings, and consider the risks, too. As long as your printer can provide satisfactory answers to your questions, go for it. The savings from co-mailing really can add up.
Stephen R. Lett is president of Lett Direct, a catalog consulting firm specializing in circulation planning, forecasting and analysis. He spent the first 25 years of his career with leading catalog companies. He can be reached at (302) 537-0375, or by e-mail via his Web site: www.lettdirect.com.
