How do you feel about the number 7?
Interlink customers shouldn’t let delay slow their progress
By William E. (Bill) Garber
Interlink founder
Google offers way more than seven explanations for why people are often impressed with seven of anything. Interlink clients have their own reasons, including seven for why they will be continuing with their plans to implement Full-Service Intelligent Mail® as soon as possible, even though the Postal Service had to pull the plug on the January 26 deadline.
1. Pocket money. The sooner a weekly claims the Full-Service Intelligent Mail® postage discount, the more savings will accumulate over the years. Of course, this is only about $100 annually for a 2,000-subscription weekly. But, it is a rare publisher who wouldn’t reach down to pick up a $50 bill or two off the street.
2. More consistent delivery. Full-Service Intelligent Mail® is highly visible on the outside of every sack, tub and other handling units. Postal workers from dock, to plant, to post office know Full-Service Intelligent Mail® when they see it; they also know that ‘the system’ has seen it and knows it is right in front of them. The sooner your newspapers travel in Full-Service Intelligent Mail® handling units, the sooner subscribers will enjoy more consistent delivery.
3. Anxiety-free Postmasters. Periodical mail has by far the most complex postage statement of any mail classification. Full-Service Intelligent Mail® reassures the postmaster that PostalOne!® already has checked the postage statement and found it perfect. One more task the postmaster is no longer responsible for, and one more mailing the publisher will not be challenged on.
4. Idiosyncrasy Credits. When it comes to saving time, the eDoc component of Full-Service Intelligent Mail® will be putting smiles on the faces of postmasters for as long as they remember having to code your postage statement into PostalOne!® at the keyboard of their computer. Gratitude builds up idiosyncrasy credits with postmasters. You are a little late some week? ‘No problem!’ PostalOne!® is down, and you show up with paper forms? ‘No problem. Let me help you with that!’ With Full-Service Intelligent Mail,® you will almost always have plenty of idiosyncrasy credits!
5. No More Yellow Sticker New Address Charges. Yes! Full-Service Intelligent Mail® comes with FREE Address Change Service. How many of those yellow sticker new address service returns do you pay for each week? Tracking the payment in your accounting system only adds to the cost. All of that goes away with Full-Service Intelligent Mail®!
6. Retain More Subscriptions From Subscribers On The Move. The number one reason a community newspaper subscriber who fills out a USPS change of address form fails to renew their subscription is forwarding failure by the Postal Service. Forwarding takes from an extra week to several extra weeks, and often an issue never gets delivered. And, this by regulation, goes on for 10 weeks before the Postal Service notifies the newspaper using that dreaded yellow sticker notice. No more yellow new address stickers means newspaper get the new address digitally, usually before the second issue after the address change goes into effect!
7. Momentum. Publishers were ready to finish by Jan. 26, so they are already on the move, if only mentally at this point. Hold that thought just a little longer until PostalOne!® is tidied up, and Interlink sends you the ‘All Clear!’ Then, finish the job with absolutely the least possible additional energy. Starting over always feels like such a grind compared with finishing what you already have started. Take a breather until after the holidays, sure. Then, when the time is better, just finish with a flourish. You’ll be smiling with a sense of satisfaction over your accomplishment, as well as knowing you have happier subscribers because of better delivery. And, keeping even a few more of your harder-than-ever-earned dollars will, if nothing else, remind you in a modestly tangible way that doing the right thing always has its rewards.