WaterFilter.com

Keeping Your Mailing List Clean and Efficient

Your mailing list retains its value best if it is kept clean and efficient. This report will first talk about why you should maintain your list in this manner. Then, the procedures you can follow to update both the mailing and database information associated with the names on you list will be discussed.

THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING A CLEAN AND EFFICIENT LIST
What makes a list clean and efficient? Lists are clean and efficient when they are: * accurate. * current (up-to-date). * as free of duplicate names as possible. * maintained with complete data. Keeping lists clean and efficient requires a constant effort. The average mailing list begins to go out of date as soon as it is compiled. Industry studies have shown that the average consumer list changes approximately 20 percent a year. Business lists change a bit more slowly: about 18 percent a year. But individual names within a business can change much more frequently. The source of the list will often determine how frequently it is updated.

At best, lists compiled from Yellow or White Pages will only be as up-to-date as three to six months prior to the publication schedule of the directory. This is usually on an annual basis but may be once every two or even three years. Mail order buyer lists could have a higher degree of accuracy because part of normal business is maintaining correct information about customers.

Don't assume that a list is clean just because you bought it from a fellow business owner. Most of the best kept lists are made up of mail order buyers, those buyer lists which are poorly maintained represent some of the worst lists. Always try to see and test a portion of the list before you mail it in total.

Because mailing lists change so quickly, it is important to commit the necessary resources to keep your own lists current and correct. Lists that aren't properly maintained can be harmful and costly to your business or organization in several ways. For example:

1. You're wasting postage and printing dollars if the mailings are incorrectly addressed or if there are duplicate names on your file or if they have moved. 2. The database information is not kept current, you may not be mailing as efficiently as you could be. 3. You may be losing out on potential business if you cannot reliably get the mailing pieces to target audiences due to out-of-date or otherwise incorrect addresses. 4. You are damaging your image with your customers. Misspellings and out-of-date information reflect poorly on the organization - if the mailing reaches its destination. 5. Duplicate names can lead you to understate the response rate. The response you actually get may be much better than the numbers show. This can have an effect on future mailing plans since you believe that the response you are getting is much lower than it actually is.

The key to keeping a list clean and efficient is to establish procedures for making daily changes to your list. Develop a carefully planned, closely followed, regular updating program. In the next sections, we will discuss ideas for setting up a daily updating system, then give steps that should be included in any regular monitoring program.

KEEPING YOUR HOUSE LIST ACCURATE AND UP-TO-DATE ON A CONTINUING BASIS
Establishing an ongoing updating system is the most effective way to stay on top of changes to the customer mailing list. Customers are your easiest, most reliable source for keeping a customer list continuously current. Enlist their cooperation by including a request for updated information with each mailing sent. Here are some possible ways to make the request:

1. If you use an order form with a label affixed, request that customers change any incorrect information. 2. If you provide a return envelope which includes space for the recipient to write in a return address, below these lines provide a "key" that indicates that address information should be updated. The key could look like this: [ ] Check here if this is a new address. Record and maintain each transaction with a customer so that you can keep the important recency, frequency, and monetary value data current for each customer.

There are other database fields that may change frequently or with each transaction. These fields should be incorporated into any system you developed for continuous updating of the mailing list/database. If the audience is made up of individuals of businesses, here are some fields you will want to monitor and update on a regular basis:
*Credit Status Code: This code is based on the customer's payment history. Each time a customer orders, information about how long he takes to pay, and how he pays is generated. This data should be used to update his account. Credit status codes should also be evaluated and updated on a monthly basis. * Items Ordered: Keeping this information current will help uncover opportunities where you may be able to sell related products or supplies to that customer. This information can be updated on a monthly basis. *Date of Last Order: This information is used for recency and monetary value calculations. It can be updated on a monthly or quarterly basis. *Name and Address: This information should be verified and updated at the time a customer orders. *Title or Name of Contact: This information should be verified and updated at the time of order. *Date of Last Contact: This field should be updated at the time of contact - either the last date this name was mailed or the last date a sales call was made. If you are maintaining this information on a microcomputer, much of this information could be automatically updated.

PERIODIC REVIEWS OF YOUR HOUSE LIST
In addition to making ongoing changes as necessary to individual records on your list, you should periodically review the entire list or portions of it and make all changes necessary to update and correct your list. Below is a variety of methods to consider including in your regular "list-cleaning" program: 1. Again, your customers are your best source for verifying changes to your list or database. For example: * You may want to send a mailing which has the sole purpose of updating and correcting the list. The mailing could consist of a business reply card with an address label affixed to it. Below the label, insert such check boxes as: [ ] Please update my account as noted on the label. [ ] Addressee no longer here. Please remove name from the list. *You may also want to conduct a mail or phone survey (depending on the size of the list), to update the demographic information about the audience. 2.The U.S. Postal Service provides several programs that your organization can use to periodically clean the list. Contact your local postmaster for full details.

ELIMINATING DUPLICATES
In addition to keeping the mailing list correct and up-to-date, make sure that it is as free of duplicate names as possible. This involved two steps: 1. Removing duplicate names from your customer list. 2. Eliminating duplicate names between and among the customer, prospect, or suspect lists you use. The techniques used to remove duplicate names from your house list depend largely on the size of the list and how it is maintained: *If the list is small enough, you can catch many duplicates by sorting the list in zip code or alphabetical order and "eyeballing" it *If the list is stored on a microcomputer, you can sort it by one variable and then use the eyeball approach to spot the duplicates. Possible variables for ordering the list include last name, company name, address or telephone number. *For large lists of more than 10,000 names, you may want to consider hiring a computer service bureau to "de-dupe" (eliminate duplicate from) the list using one of their specifically designed software programs. If you are renting lists, and your own list is automated, ask that the service bureau perform an "own customer" elimination as part of their service. Names of service bureaus in your area can be obtained from the Direct Marketing Association. In addition to removing duplicate names within your house list, match this list against any outside lists you use. The popular term for this is "merge/purge" which means matching two or more mailing lists (usually by electronic means) to remove duplication and make sure that each name receives only one mailing.

Basically, merge/purge is accomplished through use of a match code. Match codes can take the form of many different combinations. Some match codes eliminate all the vowels in the name and address, while others pick up certain characters from certain fields. The match code is made up of the same characters for each name on the lists, and fully and uniquely identifies that name. When lists are matched against each other, duplicate match codes indicate that the same name exists on more than one list.

When you hire a firm to run a merge/purge, try to find out how they identify duplicates, and if you can, set up a test with more than one service bureau to find out whose program best fits your needs.

Another concept to consider when trying to identify duplicates is "overkill" vs. "underkill." If the match code includes too many characters, possible duplicates will not be caught. This is called underkill. On the other hand, if the match code is too loose, names which are not duplicates will be recognized as duplicates (overkill).

Finding duplicates is really an art. How do you catch a match of an individual where one list says he lives at 505 7th St., and another has him living at 505 Seventh St.? Even worse, is Jean Smith, who lives at 510 Main St. the same person as the Jane Smith living at 501 Main St.? How you answer depends on whether you prefer overkill or underkill.

It's a bigger problem when running a merge/purge for businesses. Not only do you have to worry about name and address fields, but now you may need to find matches with business names and individual titles. The key here is to determine up front how many names per firm you want to mail to.

The key to successful merge/purge is close monitoring. Watch the process from beginning to end. Have thorough written instructions, and make sure they are carried out.

Copyright 2004 by DeAnna Spencer

Note to editors:
To show my appreciation to the editors that use my articles, I offer a free solo ad. Simply send an email to me by using the form on the contact me page on my website to tell me the url the article was used on or send me a copy of the ezine it was used in.

This article may be redistributed freely on the Internet as long as the resource box remains intact.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
DeAnna is the publisher of the ezine, Prospecting and Presents.
Subscribers get one free ad per week.
Subscribe today by visiting http://www.pnewsletter.com
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

MORE ARTICLES:

Important Considerations For Restaurant Coffee Machines
Beverages including coffee are one of the biggest money makers for any restaurant. It is important for any restaurant to have reliable and efficient equipment for their beverage service. There are many brands of restaurant coffee machines on the market and most of them are quality brands in the restaurant business.

How To Get Slim With Healthy Eating Habits
Many women want to be slim. Maybe you're one of them.

Why To Replace Old Window With New Replacement Windows
You can really tell much about a home by its windows. Windows are your homes eyes to the world outside.

10 Facts You Never Knew About Coffee
The next time you are at your favorite coffee shop and someone catches your eye, here are ten interesting coffee facts that you can use to break the ice:

Home Chef Cooking Tools
The brand name tools used by home chefs across America create exquisite textures in food substances while some allow the full flavors to come from food The cooking environments for some of these tools will be the kitchen counter-top, but most chefs will rely on basic home cooking appliances such as stoves and range tops to produce meals most of the time

Cooking Up A Storm - Finding Kitchen Sinks
?Everything, but the kitchen sink?? does not come into play in the kitchen. Having exactly the right kitchen sinks are extremely important, no matter what your budget or personal tastes. Firstly, will your new sink fit into your kitchen?s complete design? What about the style of the room ? will it complement it? Will it be practical, easy to use and install? You should consider the features and possible accessories that you want, and the quality you desire. Check online for all the ideas that may help you.

Water Filtration - How Your Drinking Water Is Kept Fresh
Water Filtration:We should also be talking about the filtration systems that lead into the fresh water supply for cities. They are generally not all that substantial, but rather rely on the enormous volumes of water to help make things safe.

Hair Replacement Surgeon Announces New Surgical Blade and Transplant Technique
Dr. Lawrence Shapiro has developed a new surgical blade and a related new surgical technique for performing permanent hair transplants, which allows micro/mini grafts (follicular units of hair) to be placed closer together during a transplant procedure, resulting in a more natural hairline.

Aluminium and Bottled Water
Since 8% of the earth's crust is made up of aluminium, it is no wonder that there is a small amount of it in our normal tap water. While none is added to bottled water it is actually used as a clarifying agent in town water supplies. While the National Health and Medical Research Council recommends that the amount in our drinking water should not exceed 0.01-0.02 parts per million, this is not intended as a health guideline, but is "based on aesthetic problems caused by post flocculation" - or clarification - of the water.

Green Movement Gains Tangible Momentum Against Plastic Waste with Earth Day Introduction of reusable "Back To The Tap" carbon filtered sports water bo
The movement to stem the tide of global plastic waste has gained a boost from a North County San Diego company now marketing a carbon filtered personal water bottle line that delivers big dividends for the environment while saving money for the consuming public. Each Back To The Tap Sports Bottle's patented carbon filter component "filters as you drink" and has a 3-month daily use life span that will effectively eliminate an average of 300 bottles from ending up in land fills. A typical consumer will save over $300 during that period.

White Dog Tear Stain Remover ? The Easy Way To Clean Maltese Eye Stain That Really Works
If you own a Maltese dog then you may have noticed that your dog has some leaking around the eye area and maybe some reddish brown eye staining that is occurring I have 5 Maltese dogs and I have a lot of experience with Maltese eye stain and maybe I can help you with some solutions

Gina Quartermaine Serves up Multiple Wins in National Cooking Contests
Gina Quartermaine has been awarded Second Prize in the Robert Mondavi "Art of the Skewer Recipe Contest" as well as finalist in the Faygo Centennial Recipe Contest and finalist in the Chefclub.net December contest.

New Regional Recreation and Healthy-Living Magazine Launched
SBQ - Sports Backers Quarterly- is a new magazine launched in Richmond, VA through a partnership between Metropolitan Richmond Sports Backers, Palari Publishing LLP, and the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Old Town Key West Coffee Roasters Gains International Recognition
From a gas station to worldwide distribution -- Island Joe's is on the move. With world class gourmet coffee reviews, gourmet coffee lovers all over the world are now enjoying the fresh roasted gourmet coffee from old town Key West, Florida.