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Hints and Tips

InTime Direct Mail’s tips to achieve a higher response rate to your mailing

Our research has shown that the less a respondent has to do the more likely they are to do it.  Here are some tips to help in this area.

• Keep your mailing simple, giving the recipient as little to do as possible.
• Think carefully about the point of your mailing. Is it to:
  • Inform?
  • Gain Access?
  • Gain Information?
  • All or some of these things?
• As far as possible give the respondent choices in the form of tick boxes (This will also make the collection of the data quicker, easier and less expensive).

Any more than 4 boxes and the likelihood of them being filled in drops dramatically. The response rate seems to be unaffected but the compliance with filling in the requested information falls. Better to have less, complete information than none at all.

Note: Free text boxes on reply cards and questionnaires take more time to data capture, therefore this is more expensive.

• Reply-paid cards should be separate, not tear off, so the recipient is not put off by having to cut or tear the reply-paid card off.
• Offering an incentive is the most obvious way to increase the response rate.
• Our experience suggests that gadgets such as laser pens, clocks etc. attract the highest response rate, although medical books can also be popular. Remember all incentives need to fall within the PMCPA guidelines.
• Brand your mailing in a brightly coloured or shiny envelope, so your customers will recognise your brand. This is particularly useful in serial mailings.
• Addressing the recipient by name rather that 'Dear Doctor' increases the likelihood of the mailing reaching the intended recipient.
• Using a window envelope helps to achieve a higher response rate, as this looks more official, as well as saving money on printing.
• Aim for your mailing to hit the recipient’s desk mid week. So your mailing doesn’t get lost in all that Monday morning post!
• Think about mailing when no one else does i.e. over Christmas or the summer months. Those doctors who are working (and there are many) will have a lot less mail to deal with and the chances of having yours noticed will increase.

Note: One of ITD's own clinic collection mailings soared from 35% response to 72% when we sent it out over Christmas!

If you have any queries or questions, feel free to contact us for more information.