Leaflet or Brochure marketing campaign partnerships

« **on:** February 25, 2005, 10:08:36 am »

Door to Door delivery by the Royal Mail:

There have been many, many, posts on the boards regarding leaflet delivery and reliable methods of distribution.Apart from the guys who have been at it for many years and have an already established distribution network,getting leaflets delivered can be a nightmare and extremely hit and miss (mainly miss) wasting hundreds/thousands in the process.

It seems obvious to me that getting as many like minded cleaners as possible to join forces and deliver as many leaflets as possible in a systematic fashion will cut costs for all of us and maximise response.

I hope to be organising just such a mail drop campaign soon and have been in discussion with the only reliable door to door network in the UK to organise a network delivery system which they have agreed to accept as one business for billing ( I get the bill we all share the costs with payment up front)

This will be door to door with guaranteed delivery and as such it will be more expensive that the norm but not the most expensive out there and will require a minimum delivery number over a period of months to work.

If your serious about your business and want to push on and aquire more customers then this is the way to go.

Remember its marketing that gets your customers not shiney new equipment.

Interested?

« **Reply #1 on:** February 25, 2005, 10:26:21 am »

What timescale are you looking at?

I'm about to have half of Epping Forest ripped up and turned into leaflets, so I think I'd qualify for the minimum order.

I'd be very interested in joining in, as long as it's not going to delay the leaflets being distributed. They should be printed within one to two weeks (if I can ever get around to finishing off the design). I've been quoted by two companies for distribution. One is a local company wanting £35 per thousand and the other is from outside the area at £27. Is this more expensive than bulk price you've been offered?

« **Reply #2 on:** February 25, 2005, 10:53:16 am »

If Glasgow can be part then i am up for it!

Let me know costs and qty required.

Prob need around a week for the printing as only have about two thousand left.

Cheers

« **Reply #3 on:** February 25, 2005, 11:17:47 am »

Trevor,

Is it the Post Office?

PM sent.

Regards.

Martin S

« **Reply #4 on:** February 25, 2005, 11:36:59 am »

I would like to know a bit more,ie cost per thousand,and how selective can we be,as regards to whos door they go through.

Dave

« **Reply #5 on:** February 25, 2005, 12:36:47 pm »

Mark: It not going to happen any day soon but will take a couple of months to organise so if your set to go,good luck to you and choose wisely.
(you can send me by PM ONLY the names of the companies you have looked at and I will see if its any of the ones I checked out,some I would not touch with a barge pole having spoke to them as they clearly did not have a clue)

Scott: Yes I believe Royal Mail still cover Glasgow

Use up what you've got for now and order some more if you need them while I am still sorting things out.

Dave: You choose the post codes and be selective as you like.I wouldn't have it anyother way, which is why some of the other companies were a complete waste of time.

For quantities I would be looking at a minimum of 100,000 or more split between the business's distributed per month for 4-6 months.
(eg 10,000 per business per month) thats for 10 business's obviously if 20 came on board then the numbers could go down to 5,000 per month.

Like I said this is serious business if your looking to put out a couple of hundred per week as cheap as possible then this is not for you.

« **Reply #6 on:** February 25, 2005, 01:03:08 pm »

I thonk this is an excellent idea,
and fits in with my pans
Not sure if I am ready to be in but would like to think about it.as I am still testing current leaflet.

How would the logistics work getting leaflet to correct sorting office etcf payment etc

« **Reply #7 on:** February 25, 2005, 01:16:46 pm »

Thats all easily sorted Ian, excuse the pun

« **Reply #8 on:** February 25, 2005, 02:36:30 pm »

I'll have a bit of that

« **Reply #9 on:** February 25, 2005, 03:09:45 pm »

Me to
Paul

« **Reply #10 on:** February 25, 2005, 03:43:28 pm »

I'm very intrested. Need more info.

« **Reply #11 on:** February 25, 2005, 04:01:52 pm »

Also interested and will watch this space

« **Reply #12 on:** February 25, 2005, 05:46:31 pm »

if its a reasonable price count me in

« **Reply #13 on:** February 25, 2005, 10:20:30 pm »

Trevor
Count me in for it too.

paul

« **Reply #14 on:** February 26, 2005, 12:25:07 pm »

easier than arranging yourself, I'd be interested.

See, Royal mail is good at something

Chris

« **Reply #15 on:** February 26, 2005, 01:23:57 pm »

nice one woodman. i would be interested too

« **Reply #16 on:** February 26, 2005, 11:25:38 pm »

I'm Interested

« **Reply #17 on:** February 27, 2005, 07:34:57 am »

hi i used the royal mail for about 6 months about two years ago and it was really rubbish one of the worst leaflet drops i hav done the responce was so poor it was un real . forone they hav no way of checking if leaflets hav gone out as they go to a main depo and are then sent to the post office relating to the post code areas u want done they hav no way of checking that they hav gone out once they leave main depo !, second they go out with so many other leaflets and letters they just get binned,several times i phoned the main depo as responce was so bad and on more than one time my leaflets were still sitting on a pallet not been sent out and if i had not phoned them i would hav got billed for them not going out ! because when u use the post office u hav a contract stating what areas u are doing that week and how many etc etc and they will not put out a missed drop at anyother time that stated in your contract i can honestly say that u get a better responce having 2000 put throw the door on their own than u get with 10000 with the royal mail , stay well clear of them

« **Reply #18 on:** February 27, 2005, 10:55:39 am »

Ashplays;

Where are you located in the country,what depots did you use?

How much did you pay, how many leaflets did you put out?

With out knowing anything about you its difficult to take anything you say seriously.

Some years ago I used RM in this way and the response was way ahead of any other drop we had done before, you pay your money and you take your choice.

I have checked the contract, if the leaflets are in the depot at the alloted time and they don't go out, then they are in breach of contract so I don't quite understand what you are saying unless you were late getting them in.

« **Reply #19 on:** February 27, 2005, 02:55:16 pm »

I'm intrigued at the differing responses on this one. I have my opinion but I'll keep it to myself!

However, bear in mind that there are fewer posties now being asked to do the same work - I base this on the fact that we now only get one delivery / collection in most areas per day. Every morning I see them setting off with their heavily laden carts, most of the time for the normal mail and not any extra's. How excited do you think they will be to set off with an extra pile of mail?

There are good and bad distributors which ever way you turn. I network as much as I can and I have to say that I have come across people who CLAIM to have had bad experiences with the RM. I also know a few posties. HOWEVER I have not tested it myself.

I will watch this thread with interest.

Cheers
Steve

« **Reply #20 on:** February 28, 2005, 07:26:16 am »

mr woodman.i thought this forum gave advice to other cleaners to avoid mistakes yes ? so please take me for real

« **Reply #21 on:** February 28, 2005, 08:10:09 am »

p.s i put out 10000 a week in the cm areas of essex and it was for a year sorry not 6 months cant rem prices but it was not cheap and what i was trying to explain about non del if u didnt chase them up no one would tell u if there had been a prob yes they were in breach and u got a credit note for that week but that didnt help u because u had no calls for a week! and mr woodman i must say i was not knocking your idea i was just telling u my ex with this service if u dont want my advice thats ok but dont knock my cred i am just trying to help people as u can waste a lot of money in this game , i hav been a cleaner for 10 years and hav a lot of ex in all types of advertising and hav been on this form for couple years u can check my full page ad in the local thoms on tomweb if u like and i am in the yellows pages ( astonishingly good cleaning co) all the best and hav a nice day gary

« **Reply #22 on:** February 28, 2005, 08:30:33 am »

Gary,

I respect your opinon and know from previous posts/pm's you know what you are talking about.

However if you would be ever so kind as to fill out your profile , this would help people who don't know where you are

Woodman,

Worth a try , delivery will always be the hard part of making leaflets work, thats why I think actually delivering yourself so you get a feel for what is achievable , is useful info for any carpet cleaner.

One potential problem with your scheme is differing levels of expectation, bit like carpet cleaning really!

Cheers,

Doug

« **Reply #23 on:** February 28, 2005, 10:17:58 am »

Thats right Doug,

delivery is the issue, no one can guarantee the response.

Hi Gary

I apologise if you think I launched a personal attack on you as this certainly wasn't my intention.

It would have been useful to have the information you had as I could have used this in my dealings with Royal Mail and with out any information about where you are and what campaign you carried out through what depot it was difficult to take your comments seriously.

If I knew which area and depot then I could alert the cleaners going through that depot to any potential problems and they could make a decision on that basis.You tell me it was the CM post code so that does mean you went through the ROCHESTER depot?

Doing it your way on your own at 10k a week would have been very expensive as you would have come under their minimum charge policy of £500. As your 10K would have cost £485.00 they would have charged you £500 a week or £26000 a year

if you did it for a year (at todays values).

I agree with you that with that kind of outlay you would have expected some kind of decent return.

The way I am planning it there will be no tie ins and if it doesn't work in particular area they are at liberty to pull out at any time, the costs with the numbers I am talking about will be £385.00 a month or £4620 if done for a year.

« **Reply #24 on:** February 28, 2005, 10:31:45 am »

The £500 minimum charge applies to the whole contract, not any one date.

So 4000 leaflets per month at £46 would be £184 per month.

Still expensive.

Dave

PS I think there are so many factors involved in leaflet distribution, which is why you get so many different views.

« **Reply #25 on:** February 28, 2005, 11:39:30 am »

hi no offence taken

the main depo for areas i done was peterbrough cm.ip,co, and a few more codes cant rem them all ,mr annable is correct on the contract charge,i used to pay inbetween 180-240 a week ,u will hav a lot hassle i recon,what happens when 10 of the cleaners get a really bad responce for couple moths and pull out ? one person will hav to sighn a contract and will get billed for them pulling out ? lots of legal issue here i think ,would they hav to get their own leaflets to depos? or are u going hav some kind of call centre taking jobs for each area on the same leaflet ? also u hav then got to get the money out of them :

just few my own thoughts gary

« **Reply #26 on:** February 28, 2005, 12:55:43 pm »

Hello All,

I run a leaflet delivery business based in Brighton so I thought I would give some input from our experience. Royal mail as some you have mentioned is hit and miss. Alot of posties dont deliver all their leaflets. The last thing they want to do is carry around more weight. (their words, not mine) Also, as mentioned in one of the posts here, they get delivered with all kinds of other leaflets, many at a time. I recommend, whichever company you use, you check how many leaflets they deliver at one time. Are the deliveries supervised? What is their criteria for delivery staff? (Alot use students etc. Not wanting to tar them all with the same brush but they are generally unreliable) Make sure they dont put batches in with free papers, again lots of junk mail will usually get binned.
Also make sure there are not competing companies delivered in the same batch.
Obviously all of this is common sense but these are the things that people generally ask us about. I hope this helps.

« **Reply #27 on:** February 28, 2005, 05:47:00 pm »

Hi Woodman

I would be interested

Regards Gavin

« **Reply #28 on:** February 28, 2005, 06:05:35 pm »

No matter who delivers them you will still need 4000-5000 a week to be effective, at £ 45/1000 you would be better to employ a young lad who could acompany you around and as you clean he delivers leaflet in the emmediate area.

like this you would get solus distrubution and the 'only real guarenteed delivery'

Mike

« **Reply #29 on:** February 28, 2005, 06:34:00 pm »

Wise words Mate, as usual.

Dave

« **Reply #30 on:** February 28, 2005, 06:45:05 pm »

i think u are spot on mike,this is the only way leaflets hav ever worked prop for me ,and i hav prob tryed every way u can think of

« **Reply #31 on:** February 28, 2005, 07:09:06 pm »

Mixed views from everybody but please bear a thought for the guys who have no time to deliver leaflets or deliver enough to make an impact.

If i was to go out with two guys to deliver 5000/10000 leaflets then i would be knackered.

All advertising is hit and miss but as you all know leaflets work best. If you get a 2% response then it is working.

Also remember, out of the 2% response you get scope for repeat work and then hopefully they tell family and friends. I also find that if they neighbours see your van then they tend to get a bit jealous and then they want cc done. I have had 5 notes on my windscreen in the past six weeks from neighbours.

Cheers

« **Reply #32 on:** February 28, 2005, 07:28:07 pm »

if you're too busy to deliver leaflets, then you don't need to deliver them

Mike

PS;I want to move to your town, I've never had a nieghbour leave me a note on the windscreen

« **Reply #33 on:** February 28, 2005, 07:46:09 pm »

Hi Guys,

I've got four women who deliver leaflets for me in different areas.

One has been with me for 10 years, one four , one one and the other 6 weeks but she is dead keen!

I pay £25 / thousand .

It works O.K sometimes more than, but it was what I built my business on .

I am a great believer in a selling leaflet , went on a few sales courses years ago , one being Tack International and along with years of learning I'm convinced it makes a big differnce.

Cheers,

Doug

« **Reply #34 on:** February 28, 2005, 07:53:49 pm »

No such things as always to busy.

apologies, i do deliver leaflets to the first six or so houses left and right of the house i have just done the job.

All i am saying is that i do not have the time to deliver enough leaflets, enough to make an impact.

cheers.

« **Reply #35 on:** February 28, 2005, 08:14:55 pm »

i was a postman for 11 years and most postman do a good job in delivery leaflets as they get paid extra to do the work. they are also checked by supervisors knocking on doors to see if leaflets have been delivererd,

pesonally i'm more interested in my mail than leaflets delivered with my mail but it is a good way of getting a lot out, and would be interested. Paul

« **Reply #36 on:** March 01, 2005, 12:59:30 am »

Doug,

How Long is it taking your Team to put out 1000. do they work together or as individuals.

Are they just delivering Yours.

As I think £25 a thousand is a bit low. T

Less than minimum wage rates

But you did say you went to Tack school of selling

« **Reply #37 on:** March 01, 2005, 10:55:48 am »

Received an update from Royal Mail

As from April 1st 2005 all charges will increase and as such our charges will rise from £38.00 to £41.00 per thousand for over 100,001 distribution.

As we will not beat this deadline the increase will affect us so keep this in mind when costing your door to door drops.

I have a note of all those interested so if this increase affects your decision making could you let me know asap.