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What did Gary Halbert say about direct mail?

by joe golfer
10 replies
Didn't Gary say postal employees will throw out junk mail if they get tired or something like that?

Or hoard it.

Brooklyn Postal Worker Hoarded 40,000 Pieces of Undelivered Mail






Edit:

Found the quote:
http://www.thegaryhalbertletter.com/...r_brethren.htm
#direct #gary #halbert #mail
  • Profile picture of the author IDoTheLegWork
    Gary Halbert said mail dumping is a rampant problem. He
    references it several times in his newsletter, saying it happens
    two places, at the mailing house and at the post office. If I
    remember right there was one incident where they found
    600,000 pieces of bulk mail in the dumpster of a post office.
    He suggested you use first class, or at least try to make your
    pieces look first class, and to deliver the mail from your mailing
    house to the post office yourself.
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  • Profile picture of the author JohnnyPlan
    Postal workers are over worked and under paid and delivering junk mail to one more box (and then another and a thousand more) adds to their burden. Why don't they just employ special mail carriers who only deliver junk mail? All this could be sorted at a different location. This would mean more paid jobs in the local community, for at least a few people. Maybe that would cut down on this issue.
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  • Profile picture of the author The Copy Nazi
    Banned
    If you never read anything else of Halbert's, read this - the first of his "The Gary Halbert Letter" - The Amazing Direct Mail Secret Of A Desperate Nerd From Ohio!
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  • Profile picture of the author John Lloyd
    I've been going through the Gary Halbert letters. Actually, I've read all the 1155 pages. They're loaded with gems on both copywriting and direct mail marketing.

    I'm curious though...how relevant is direct mail these days? As I guy born in 89', I find the idea of mailing letters to be a bit quaint. And also, aside from the missing mail problem mentioned in this thread, mass-mailing is pretty darn expensive. This leads me to ask...is there any reason to use DM over online?

    Off the top of my head, the two advantages of DM would be 1.) the ability to reach an older (and therefore wealthier demographic) and 2.) Print letters might be taken more seriously than emails or sales pages.

    Perhaps I'm answering my own question here but it'd be great if the guys with experience in both could chime in...


    Thanks,

    John
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    • Profile picture of the author Alex Cohen
      This leads me to ask...is there any reason to use DM over online?
      In 1969 I was a young guy serving in the U.S. military. And because my wife was still in high school, I worked a part time job to make ends meet.

      At McDonalds.

      Since I was a bit older than the other guys, the manager would often take me into his confidence.

      A Burger King had recently opened across the street, and the manager shared with me that the first month it was open, sales at his McDonalds went down. The next month they increased, and then the third month they were back where they used to be.

      Direct Mail is a lot like that McDonalds. The Internet cut into its use some for a while... but it came back. Direct Mail is a billion+ dollar industry. Guys and gals are crushing it with Direct Mail.

      You can make a good living writing copy and selling products using either channel.

      Alex
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      • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
        The dumping of bulk mail isn't the problem it used to be.
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        • Profile picture of the author Kay King
          Except - in the story the man was hoarding First Class mail, too. Here's the part I found fascinating....

          Brucato admitted to hoarding the mail since 2005 and has been suspended with pay until the case is settled.
          If you admitted to your employer that you've been stealing supplies and not doing your job for the past 8 years....would he suspend you WITH PAY?"
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          • Profile picture of the author mrmouse
            I believe it was Frank Kern who I recently heard talking about a book about a postman. He said the guy was drunk on the job for most of his career and wrote a tell all. He tossed out or kept a lot of the mail.

            Gary Halbert gave a great deal of advice about both Direct Mail services and postal workers in his newsletter, books and seminars. Here are some key points I've heard him make:

            1. Use several mailing houses to deliver your mail. Track and split test the results of each. He said that you will find some grossly pull high, while others may pull very low. This is because they will pad their profits by delivering less of your letters.

            2. Use a live stamp, and don't use teaser copy. You want the mail man who delivers your letters, and the mail people who sort your letters to believe they are personal letters. The same way you need to make your prospects think they are personal letters.

            If you think from a mailman's perspective. He sorts through tons of junk mail all day long, plus the regular mail. He has to deliver mail - all day - every day. If he thinks something is junk mail, maybe it gets "lost" somewhere along the way.
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