The following Fact Sheets are free for the asking. Dr. Paulson wrote these for our clients and others interested in survey research. Call 703-772-5263 or e-mail AllegianceResearch@gmail.com and tell us which you would like.

Determining Confidence Level from Sample Size Using Your Calculator

Developing Effective Survey Questions

Achieving High Response Rates with Mail Surveys

Comparing In-Person, Phone, and Mail Surveys

The Pros and Cons of Surveys on the Web

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Focus Groups

What to Consider When Writing an RFP

Thirty Questions to Consider When Doing Strategic Planning

Creating Tag Lines for a Powerful Message

Prioritizing Board Objectives by Using Fixed-Sum Preference Scales

YTheyJoin™: the member segmentation program based on needs

Workplace Attitudes Test™: screen for nine attitudes of job candidates

Cartoon Sequence Research™: a method without asking leading questions

Dr. Dale Paulson, President of Allegiance Research Group, finds that target marketing, even when using snail mail, can be fifteen times as effective as mass mailing, or more.

Recently, a large mass-mail company conducted a study of the effectiveness of mass marketing/direct mail to prospective members in the past three years and found the following: one to three mailings showed a response rate of 1%; four to seven mailings, 1%; and eight to ten mailings, less than 1%.

I suppose this demonstrates that assns should use less mass mailings but my question is “With such abysmally low response rates, why do mass mailings all?” It is marginally successful, wastes money, and turns off the large majority of people who receive the mailing and throw your brand into the trash basket.

Contrast this with a strategic, targeted mailing to lapsed members that Allegiance Research Group did for an assn. The members were considered lapsed after they failed to respond to four mass mailings by the assn. Then the assn asked us to apply our YTheyJoin™ system to this problem. Dr. Paulson invented this system to identify nine types of members based on their professional needs rather than traditional demographic categories. For example, Cognoscenti want specialized info not available elsewhere, and Altruistics believe in your mission and want a legislative voice. Then we write distinct renewal letters for each member type.

Fortunately, when these lapsed members belonged to the assn they had completed the YTheyJoin form where we identified their member-type. We used this info to write the letters and, after receiving one targeted letter, many of these lapsed members joined the assn again. Here are the results, and notice how much higher they are than the 1% results from mass marketing.

    Response Rates for Renewing Lapsed Members with Target Marketing

Shapers 23% renewed; Relevant Participants 20% renewed; Altruistics 13% renewed; Cognoscenti 12% renewed; Mailboxers 8% renewed; Boosters 6% renewed; and Other three categories 11% renewed.

Free Offer-If you want to see how this would work for your assn contact us and we will code 100 of your members at no charge. Call 703-772-5263 or e-mail AllegianceResearch@gmail.com