By Jean Feinstein
It really bothers me to get mail in my mailbox that I didn’t ask for. It’s partly because they’ve given me work. I need to sort through it and recycle it. Mostly, though, it’s because I get upset about the waste—the trees, water, petroleum and energy wasted because it was sent to me.
The other day I received an oversized postcard soliciting an invisible fence and I don’t even own a dog. I’m still not sure why they thought I did. Maybe they were taking a lucky guess? Bad guess. There is 0 percent likelihood that I will buy their product.
If I owned an invisible fencing company I would ask local animal shelters if they would provide flyers if I were to make a donation to them based on the sales that result. I would ask pet store owners if they would agree to make my flyer available in exchange for handing out the pet store’s coupons to new customers.
This week I received an extensively folded piece in the mail with a coupon offer for toddler diapers. These folks guessed better—I do have two children. But, my youngest turned six the same day I received it.
More than ever, businesses need to be mindful of the dollars and carbon pounds they spend. It is Business 101, yet many small businesses and large corporations miss the mark on knowing who their customer is. I recently worked with the proprietor of a new “environmentally preferable” product store opening in Jericho. He’s learned what local papers his target customer reads, where they dine, where they shop for groceries, and even what community groups they might belong to. He knows the importance of PR: public relationships. And, I’m betting on his success.
As a consumer, there are four things you can do to stop unsolicited mail from coming to your mailbox:
When you receive a catalog you don’t want to receive, call the toll-free number on the catalog and ask to be taken off the mailing list. When you place orders, either online or by phone, be sure to opt-in to receive special offers by e-mail, if you are interested, and not by mail.
Credit card companies and banks often sell customer names to direct marketers. Call yours and tell them you don’t want your information sold.
Visit www.dmachoice.com. Managed by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), the leading trade association for businesses and non-profit organizations that send direct mail, this site provides options to opt out of any of the following used by companies to find new customers: credit offers, catalogs, magazine offers, and other mail offers.
Visit www.mailstopper.tonic.com. For $20 this company promises to stop 90 percent of your junk mail and will plant five trees on your behalf. Unlike the DMA, they will contact current companies already soliciting you.
To improve your business revenue, or reduce your consumer waste, look to lighten your mail carrier’s load.