Has your mailbox been overflowing with letters from charities?

During the holidays a friend of mine was complaining about the number of solicitations she received from one charity.  She had sponsored a friend who was raising money for a good cause.  Now, she received solicitations every few weeks from the same charity. 

I became excited thinking that she objected to the same things I did.  I assumed that she was angry because there appeared to be no communication strategy, no plan with respect to contact recency and frequency.  Immediately I wondered, did they provide a suggested donation amount based on her past gift?  Would they ask for a donation near the same time of year as her original gift, recognizing that some donors give at the same time every year?   Was she getting multiple mailings to increase the likelihood of a response, as some credit card companies do?

In fact, she was upset for a different reason.  She was concerned that so much of her gift (and others’ donations) went toward marketing.  By sending multiple mailings, it only diminished her likelihood of donating again.  After she first donated, the charity could have sent her a thank you letter and directed her to their on-line preference center.  By enabling her to provide feedback on the type of communication (e.g., e-mail or direct mail) and the frequency of contact, the charity saves money by avoiding superfluous mailings and increases the chances of a second donation.  In addition, it deepens the relationship because the charity has asked for her input and directed her to their website where she can learn more about their mission.

Creating a preference center and following customers’ preferences, one of my suggested new year’s resolutions for e-mail marketers, also applies to direct mail.

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