Information Package
Current Policy[edit]
It has been the policy of the Party since about 1980 to send an "Information Package" to inquiries and leads. (Inquiries are people who contact the party requesting information. Leads are names obtained at OPH Booths or as referrals from members.) The purpose is to encourage the individual to join the Party. We normally keep inquiries and leads on our mailing list for 2 years.
Occasionally I (Jim McIntosh) will receive a Membership Application with the membership fee from someone who isn't on our mailing list already. I send them an Information Package with their membership card (instead of an application). Or occasionally we will receive a donation via PayPal from someone not on our mailing list. Again, I send them an Info Package (with a Membership Application and a Donor card).
A change in this policy should be approved by the Executive Committee.
Current Content and Costs[edit]
| Item | Cost | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Cover Letter | 0.200 | *Printed on Inkjet printer as required, personally addressed (This is a rough estimate) |
| Membership Application | 0.200 | *Customized with Name and Contact information |
| OPH Article | 0 | *by Karen Selick, 1995, large quantity on hand, so no real cost |
| 4 Quiz Cards | 0.226 | *2 large and 2 small |
| Platform | 1.752 | *Printed 300 in 2008 |
| 2 issues of Bulletin | 1.086 | *Average cost in 2011 for 400/issue |
| #9 Return Envelope | 0.113 | |
| 6x9" brown envelope | 0.136 | *$33.89 for 250 at Staples |
| Postage (71 g) | 1.458 | *including HST |
| TOTAL | 5.170 |
Current Results[edit]
In 2011 we added 106 new names to our Mailing List, for a cost of almost $570. Of these, 74 made donations of just over $7,900 last year and another $225 so far this year! 54 of them have become Voting Members or Associates. The elections certainly helped. 17 of these new members ran as candidates in the provincial election.
Proposed New Policy[edit]
Email Information Packages?[edit]
GJ Hagenaars recommended in an email (on May 24/12), "General rule: Requests received via the internet should be responded to via the internet." Make a kit available for download on the internet.
It is certainly feasible to send an email with links to our Membership Application, Platform (HTML version), and index of Bulletins. We could also have a link to the Advocates interactive quiz, although we would rather have a Canadian-ised version. We can also provide a link to Karen Selick's article on her web site, but again, it doesn't include her Canadian version of the quiz.
Reasons for NOT mailing[edit]
- Save over $5 for each package. Last year about 25 inquiries came as Requests for Information from our web site. Assuming these are the ones we reply to electronically, we could save about $125. Only 14 of the 106 do not have an email ID, so we could save as much as $494 by not mailing the package if they provide an email ID.
- Save time and effort preparing and mailing the packages, since sending a form-type email should take much less time.
- Everything we send except the OPH article reprint and quiz cards is available on our web site. There is a good chance the person has already seen it.
- Content we send is easier to update/change.
- It improves our google juice.
Reasons FOR mailing[edit]
- Improve our response rate. Sending an application form pre-filled with the prospect's information certainly makes it easier for the individual to respond. They simply fill in the amount of their donation, sign and date the application and mail it in the return envelope with their cheque.
- Make a positive impression. Potential members will be impressed by the material we send, and the fact that we responded in a physical way.
- It provides a reason for personal follow up. This should be the first step in our recruiting effort. A telephone call to ask if they received and read the material, and further conversation should improve our sign-up rate.
- Currently we require a signed application for membership. We would need to revise our Constitution to allow electronic signatures as an alternative to mailing a paper application. (It is possible now for a person to complete the Membership Application online, print it, sign it, scan it and email it to the Party.)
- We have the money, and the cost seems to be a good investment.
- Once we have an online membership/mailing DB, this task could be delegated to someone other than the Treasurer.
Measuring results / Tactics[edit]
- JM mentioned that after sending out an hardcopy information kit, the response back has been in the 70%. This is a very high closure rate.
- If we move towards softcopy information, perhaps a portion can be provided via the internet, with a followup some weeks down the road with a membership form (or other items) that will be cheaper.
- Tracking the response and the results would be crucial to determine the effectiveness of our efforts.