Originally Posted By: jrooff This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Postcards? Looking for little less expensive mailers try a postcard from NACHI, mail it bulk and save even more. Just an idea now but please give your input. This would help new inspectors on limited capital and open up an inexpensive mailer for all. (Don’t know why it shows non-member but I’ve been a member since 3/11/03)
Originally Posted By: gbeaumont This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Hi James I’m missing the point of your postcard enquirey, you are you thinking of mailing them to brokers & agents ? as we already have a system set up for members so that they can do mass e-mailings to this market place at no cost what so ever.
Originally Posted By: jrooff This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Hi Gerry, This is more for sending to people selling a home privately or to the people selling a home by realtors. Go direct to the people and let them know who we are and if there selling there most likely buying something else.
Originally Posted By: lfranklin This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Hi James and Gerry
Just a few Ideals on the postcard. It may help both (NACHI & inspector) as many people has never head of either  It would need something to benifit them so they would look at it Then some small ad for the inspector & NACHI maybe getting them in the door.
There a differance between the e-mail and postcard when recived. There more of a chance I will see something comming through the mail than e-mail. Most email are blocked, set to a trashcan, or deleted before opening.
If done right, I think there would be some advantges to the postcard. Now the big . How to do the postcard
Originally Posted By: mbailey This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Marketing is not a one size fits all situation. Each business, each area, each inspector is unique?. as should be the marketing that goes with it. Boilerplate marketing is not effective in this aspect (for the scenario we are discussing here) ? especially if you are a new business. If you want a postcard and you want to use your membership in NACHI as a marketing tool then design one to fit your companies and your target market needs. NACHI name and logo use are part of membership.
Originally Posted By: jrooff This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Mark, This is just an idea to help other new members and any one else, like I noted in the first post “the power of numbers” to help others in printing cost and to give a cheaper way to mail. If this is not for you I understand and frankly I do not need help with funding my advertising but if it might help others in doing a group project I would be more than willing to buy into it, it’s up to the responce of the home inspectors and it is just an idea at this point. Thanks for the responce it will help in desiding if it would work.
James J. Rooff
Milestone Home Inspection LLC
member 3/11/03
Originally Posted By: jrooff This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
OK don’t be bashful, I see about 170 viewers and only 3 replies, theres got to be some other point of view or a (I would use it). Maybe just a yes or no answer anything would be nice.
Originally Posted By: janderson This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
I like the post card idea. I am currently doing this type of marketing with a form letter. Postage rates on a post card are cheaper, and they would be preprinted. I am currently printing out each mailing when I do them
– Within the seeds of ignorance lie the fruits of denial
Originally Posted By: Chris Morrell This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
I can easily make a postcard available for a little under $1/ea. (in packets of 8). We could come up with a design, test it out a little, make any modifications, and then order in bulk once we’re happy with it. Here’s something I put together for the time-being:
Originally Posted By: Jeff Pope This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
This sounds like a good idea. I would like to see what the postcard looks like (if there is one yet). I am very familiar with the mail handling industry (NOT part of USPS). If the post cards are no larger than 4X6, the postage rate can be as low as $0.17 each (first class, not bulk).
Second to postage, the most costly consideration is the purchase of a mailing list.
If anyone would like additional info, they may contact me directly.
Originally Posted By: jmyers This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
One down side to purchasing those postcards is that you have to use the labels. I print postcards with the address directly on the card which makes for a much nicer looking postcard, professionally done.
Originally Posted By: gbeaumont This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Joe, it would be very easy just to print straight onto the card using a MS word or similar template, and would look a lot more proffesional. But you knew that didn’t you ?
Originally Posted By: jmyers This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Gerry,
I use publisher. Very easy to use and understand. For the most part it works much like the other office products which was good for me since I am familiar with them.
I actually download the lists and insert them into the postcard as a database so everything is pretty much streamlined.
Originally Posted By: jrooff This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
To all,
Please correct me if I'm wrong in thinking this way, but if you were to hand write the addressers name in, do you feel that they might look at it as if [u]someone]sent it to them other than a mass mailing item?
My thought was send 50-100 or what you could afford at a time.(at current cost that I've seen posted it would run about $53.16 or so for 48 cards.) As for a mailing list all I have to do is drive down the street and see all the for sale signs in front yards or look in the paper. These are the people that need to here about NACHI and you now because there the ones going to be buying and selling NOW and hopefully there realtor is giving out your name and if not they already have it,(your post card) Maybe I'm wrong 
