I had the opportunity to bounce some ideas around with a long time client from Virginia this afternoon, and we came upon the subject of changing up some different outer envelopes.
The human brain responds to variety, so I think that things should be changed up. I like the idea of experimenting with different types of envelopes or colors, so long as the results are tracked and measured.
How about sending a dimensional package to homeowners that recently defaulted on their mortgage payment? There's cylinders and mail packages of many forms that your message can be placed in. Sure, you have to put a finger on expenses, but the increased response may well be worth the extra postage. While mail packages can come in many different shapes and sizes, they share one thing in common - they have close to a 100% open rate. Think of the excitement of children opening presents under a Christmas tree and it's easy to see why.
When I was the sales manager for a mailing list company that provided data on new homeowners moving in, I recall seeing a mail piece that was sent by a dentist in Littleton, Colorado. They sent a manilla folder to every new homeowner that moved around their dental practice. In the subject tab of the manilla folder, it said "Dentist". The homeowners would open the folder to find information on the dental practice, an offer for a free cleaning, and - get this - a toothbrush with their contact information. How clever was that? Sure, the mail piece was expensive but the office manager reported an astronomical response.
I asked our client from Virginia if he used postcards in his direct mail campaign and he expressed his opposition to post cards because they are in plain view for other people to read and potentially subject homeowners to humiliation. Much more effective, he said, was a letter, a sentiment shared by a gentlmen we work with in Tenesse that claims sending postcards puts the homeowners "laundry on the street", a transgression they will never forgive you for.
It's ironic. I have always been an advocate of post cards not only because they are cheap to print and cheap to mail, but because they stare homeowners in the face - they don't have to be opened like an envelope. Yet for this very reason, it is possible that other unintended eyes can see the postcard, if only the mail carrier.
I don't think that this is a huge problem, but one to be mindful of. I've know people that have had good results sending post cards to troubled homeowners. I do think, however, that discretion is needed. You do not want to alert other people to the situation that a troubled homeowner finds themself in. If using a postcard, it might be prudent to avoid using any direct knowledge of the homeowner's plight and instead use the verbiage, "if you find yourself in this situation, I can help", the operative word being if. In this way, there is no indication on the post card that the homeowner is actually falling behind.
If you are mailing something in an envelope, I would not advise placing any teaser copy on the outer envelope that makes any mention of foreclosure. If there is any temptation to put a big, bold "stop foreclosure" sign or anything similar on an envelope that highlights their hardship, I would advise to resist the urge. Think about it. Homeowners that have defaulted on their mortgage payment are looking for someone that can offer a solution to their problem, not create another one! They are looking to relieve stress, not increase it.
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