September 12, 2017

Pages / Contacts

There's a small audience out here that encourages you to mail fewer pages and fewer contacts.

There's a larger audience that encourages you to mail more contacts and pages because sales increase. It's good that sales increase.

Actual test results and actual math and actual profit calculations (especially profit calculations) that yield more profit is much, much better.

I've spent 30 years measuring this stuff. Developing equations. Performing actual math. Testing. Thirty-flippin'-years, folks. It's why I get frustrated. I've executed the tests and done the math and calculated profit and share the advice freely with you ... and you pick Thought Leaders who ask you to mail more pages and more contacts.

Why?

Back in August, I conducted a 10-part series on the topic and shared three decades of math/findings ... for free ... (click here). Please - go revisit the links and look at the math.

Then do what is right for your business.
  • Test a 50% page count reduction with the same assortment/creative. Does the "rule of thumb" hold? (hint - it probably does).
  • Test a 50% page count reduction stuffed with best products and best creative. Does the "rule of thumb" hold? (hint - it can't hold, it won't hold - you'll get amazing results on fewer pages).
  • Measure page count reduction tests across best customers, marginal customers, lapsed customers, and prospects. Are your results different (hint, they are).
  • Test 4 catalogs a year vs. 8 vs. 12 vs. 42. Execute the test among best customers, marginal customers, lapsed customers, and prospects. I keep getting calls from catalogers who are getting 80%+ of the demand on 20% of the contacts. Hint - that's a lot of profit! Double Hint - you won't hear any of these discussions from Thought Leaders or at Conferences, and for good reason - they don't want you to know about 'em ... but you keep telling me that's what you are seeing, so enjoy!
  • Develop a strategy for Best Customers, Marginal Customers, Lapsed Customers, and Prospects. Contact me (kevinh@minethatdata.com) and I'll perform the math for you for your unique situation.
Follow the math outlined in this 10 part series.

If you don't execute actual math, actual tests, and calculate actual profit ... then you stuck dealing with lizard logic. Don't get trapped in the lizard logic of mailing more pages and more contacts, ok?



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