Dear Friend,

Summertime is take-it-easy time. Whether you’re vacationing - or just taking a mental holiday from time to time - I hope you’re enjoying the season. At DLT, we’re getting great feedback on our new swimming pool list and preparing for the heavy fall mailing season. Check out what’s new and remember: Longer days don’t last forever, so take advantage of them!

Edette Herron

Best of Class: DLT’s New Swimming Pool List

Do you like jumping into a crowded pool? Me neither. A pool with fewer people gives me a better swimming experience. Our swimming pool list is another example of "less is more". Fewer names mean more accuracy than any list on the market. We've taken all the ineligible names off the list of "pool owners" by removing names where more than one person is assigned to one pool address. By creating a "one pool-one name" list, you know you’re reaching homeowners with a pool, not apartment or condo dwellers who share a pool. Ready to dive in?

Address Accuracy: MFSA Conference

Thanks to everyone who took the time to meet us at the recent MFSA conference. If you’re not familiar with the MFSA, it’s the Mailing and Fulfillment Service Association. The group met to exchange info and ideas in San Diego last month. The buzz at the conference was the Postal Service’s recent rule changes. As we’ve been reporting, addresses must be more accurate than ever or mailers will be penalized with higher postage costs.

Horror Story Hall of Shame
A "Cheap" List Really Costs at Least $54,000 More per Year in Postage

The other day, we got a call from an owner of a California company looking for a resident list. When we gave him a quote, he balked at the price. “I pay $200 each year for a list on CD. It lasts me a whole year. Why should I pay that kind of money?” the prospective client asked.

Here’s how the rest of the conversation went:

DLT: How much postage do you normally pay?
Caller: 19 cents; I mail 300,000 pieces every two months.
DLT: We can offer you a walk saturation list that gives you a better postal rate.
Caller: Like what?
DLT: We don’t know the specs of what you mail, but let’s figure it would cost 16 cents a piece to mail using our list of 300,000 addresses. That would be a $9,000 savings each mailing. If it’s 14.5 cents a piece, you would save $13,500 each mailing.
Caller: How do I know I can trust you? Let me talk to my mailer.

The next day he called us back, immediately placing his order. Because our resident list is dramatically more accurate, and more aligned with USPS requirements, our list also costs more than he paid before. Ultimately, that cost translates into postage savings for the client of at least $54,000 each year.

Education Tidbit #35
Never assume your mailing list gets you the best postal rates

Buying the most inexpensive list can be an expense you really cannot afford. Always calculate the total cost of the mailing piece, including design, printing, mailing and the list. Usually the list is the least expensive cost, but it can have dramatic savings when it is the most accurate one and gets you a better postage rate.

USPS August 1st Deadline Looms

As of August 1, USPS won’t provide automation discounts for mail that lacks a "delivery point validation". Without a DPV, each mail piece will cost up to 6 cents more to send. Great news: All DLT lists already meet this requirement!

Quality Quote of the Month

“Quality is not an act; it is a habit.”
           -- Aristotle

July 2007

Your Dedicated
List Expert



Edette Herron
eherron@directlist.com
714.772.3282 x 101

Winner of a Portable DVD System
Congratulations to Tom Connolly! Enjoy your movies-on-the-go!

Refer a Friend for Summer Sweets

Thanks to everyone who referred a friend last month. We always welcome referrals and send See’s certificates in appreciation when someone you refer becomes our customer.

If you know someone who might benefit from our mailing list and data processing services, please let us know.

The Birds, The Bees & The Funnies

This month, the USPS is releasing two sets of stamps: one features plant pollination (the hummingbirds and the bees), and the other is a sheet dedicated to your favorite Marvel comics (the funnies)!