Doing Your Own Direct Mail

lgreen

Guru
100+ Post Club
287
I am looking into doing my own direct mail, getting a printer, envelope stuffer, etc. Just wondering if anybody had any suggestions on the do's and don'ts. Mailing 10,000 pieces a month worth it?
 
I sure hope you're not doing it to save money, margins on that are pretty lean.

Make sure you get set up to do NCOA so you can get a better deal on the postage.

What is your primary reason for wanting to do it yourself vs using a print shop?
 
I sure hope you're not doing it to save money, margins on that are pretty lean.

Make sure you get set up to do NCOA so you can get a better deal on the postage.

What is your primary reason for wanting to do it yourself vs using a print shop?

Main reason is control over the data. I get my returns and they are mine. I know they will not get resold. If I save money great, if not oh well. I would also pay a little more just to know what I mail out and get back is mine.

Another reason is with the major dm shops is that they lock down zip codes for agents for a time and if that agent keeps on mailing then you cant mail them with that shop. If I do my own, I can mail where ever, when ever.

I got behind on working my leads this last month and am not ready to mail so I am going to lose my zip codes I was mailing with this shop.

I have mailed with a couple of shops and I find it surprising that considering the amount of money that agents are spending on direct mail that you don't get a contract with the shops specifying exactly what the terms are for everything.

I suppose a lot of it has to do with what I would say is the most popular DM vendor on here. I was referred to a vendor they had been referring agents to for apt. setting for 20 years and they flat out stole my money. That just makes me leery of anybody given the amount of money I am paying a company for direct mail given the amount of trust that you are putting in them.
 
To the issue of being sure you get your returns, you could get it setup so the returns go straight back to you and still take advantage of using a print shop.

I know there are some guys on here that do their own print and hopefully they'll chime in. That said, you might be better off finding another print shop that will handle the print/mail and then just have the returns sent directly back to you. They would care what zips you were mailing.

If you do go the route of running your own print and feel like sharing the printer you end up getting I'd be very interested to see it. It's not anywhere near as expensive as it used to be.
 
You are confusing a print shop with a DM Lead Vendor.

There are plenty of print shops that all they do is custom pieces for various businesses. They have no interest in insurance leads/info/etc. All they care about is getting the design, printing it, and mailing it out for you. Of course with this method the replies go right to you.

Some printshops will do a full DM campaign for you, others will not. But many will print the mailers, stuff them, and even print addresses on your envelopes. So all you would have to do is put postage on them.

You are going to waste a huge amount of time and money doing what your planning to do. Just find a local printshop and have them print it up for you. They can probably do the envelope stuffing for you too.

A quick google search for "postcards" will give you about 6 or 7 different online sites that are not "insurance leads" which will print mailers and send them to you. Most of them will also do a DM campaign for you.

Depending on your reply method the most you would need on your end would be a business reply box at the post office.... or if you just use email and phone for a reply then you already have all you need....

But there is a big difference between a Print Shop and a DM Lead Vendor (which you are mistakenly calling a print shop)
 
You are confusing a print shop with a DM Lead Vendor.

There are plenty of print shops that all they do is custom pieces for various businesses. They have no interest in insurance leads/info/etc. All they care about is getting the design, printing it, and mailing it out for you. Of course with this method the replies go right to you.

Some printshops will do a full DM campaign for you, others will not. But many will print the mailers, stuff them, and even print addresses on your envelopes. So all you would have to do is put postage on them.

You are going to waste a huge amount of time and money doing what your planning to do. Just find a local printshop and have them print it up for you. They can probably do the envelope stuffing for you too.

A quick google search for "postcards" will give you about 6 or 7 different online sites that are not "insurance leads" which will print mailers and send them to you. Most of them will also do a DM campaign for you.

Depending on your reply method the most you would need on your end would be a business reply box at the post office.... or if you just use email and phone for a reply then you already have all you need....

But there is a big difference between a Print Shop and a DM Lead Vendor (which you are mistakenly calling a print shop)

Oh I know the difference, sorry if I didn't make that clear. The couple of local print shops that I have checked with have been more than the DM vendors. The only way they are cheaper is if you get into ordering large quantity's at 1 time.
 
Main reason is control over the data. I get my returns and they are mine. I know they will not get resold. If I save money great, if not oh well. I would also pay a little more just to know what I mail out and get back is mine.

I think for this reason it makes a lot of sense to try it.

Another reason is with the major dm shops is that they lock down zip codes for agents for a time and if that agent keeps on mailing then you cant mail them with that shop. If I do my own, I can mail where ever, when ever.

Another good reason to try it, IMO.


I have mailed with a couple of shops and I find it surprising that considering the amount of money that agents are spending on direct mail that you don't get a contract with the shops specifying exactly what the terms are for everything.

What "terms" are you talking about ?

I suppose a lot of it has to do with what I would say is the most popular DM vendor on here. I was referred to a vendor they had been referring agents to for apt. setting for 20 years and they flat out stole my money.

Can you help other agents by telling us who this is and what they did ?

That just makes me leery of anybody given the amount of money I am paying a company for direct mail given the amount of trust that you are putting in them.

I agree with the amount of trust. I have always advocated getting proof from the USPS form 3602 that all of your mail went out. Seems that is not something that agents do as the companies just won't provide it without a big hassle.

It is amazing to me the amount of money spent going only on the trust factor. Have I been burned for thousands, I sure have and can't prove a thing.
 
Back
Top