How much are ups costing you?

A colleague got an email today from a competitor. This competitor was touting 11x17 tri-fold self mailers for "cheap." The price really wasn't all that cheap but you do get something free with purchase! Boy does that sound familiar :) With the market as it is it's important that the money you are spending on marketing is actually bringing in results. Some dealers are religious about collecting data about what brought people into the dealership, others go by a gut feel. The gut can be a dangerous thing. Through our recent MarketVision data we can prove that the 11x17 tri-fold is, simply, the worst direct mail product on the market (an average sale yields a .046% response)...yet so many dealers call asking for it because it's cheap. But is it? How do you find out?

• First, you have to know the true traffic count of the sale. Many dealers use the registration cards that most companies send out to do this, make sure you note if they came in from the mailer on the card though. Not every up through the door is from the mailer. If you or the sales guys struggle doing this with every person that comes in you can also utilize MarketVision to get a precise count.
• Second, do some basic math. If you need help with this--do not call me. Even with a calculator I still manage to mess up the most simple math problem! Figure out how much each up cost you on the sale. (Total sale price divided by number of ups). Once you have that number you'll know how much the mailer actually cost you.

In some markets the 11x17 tri-folds can still be effective. These are typically very rural markets with little to no aggressive direct mail marketing. In these markets the tri-fold is still a great value! In markets that have seen this product since Pat Gunning was a child, it may be time to start looking at the more sophisticated products. You'll only know what's best for you when you do the math for your store. Happy calculating!