Direct Mail using Postcards

Recently, I worked with a company and as part of their Lead Generation Machine we developed a direct mail program using postcards. Not novel, but in the process I wrote the following e-mail which I thoguht was worth sharing. They were convinced that 65% of postcards were read...maybe, but by who? The person bringing in the mail? Here was my response:

My Postcard Thoughts:

1. 65% is a postcard publisher's dream. If it was that high, you would never receive junk mail any other way. However, a high percentage of junk mail comes that way, so there is some truth.
2. More important does it get to the right person. If the message is not direct, postcards may not even reach who it is addressed to, especially if that person has a secretary or someone determines that it should go to somebody else. You could end up in engineering, purchasing, service, maintenance or?
3. Bottom line is the more generic the mailing lists and message the lower the response.
4. With that said, I see no problem using that venue over mail as long as your message is specific and we can get a response out of it.
5. I would design the postcard to solicit a response with maybe a message that is time based. Though I am not suggesting this, I hate discount programs, but as an example “10% off panel work on orders received in November.” Most fax programs and mailings that work are time specific and sell a particular item.
6. People like events or openings.
7. The next question is I think the postcard has to be part of an overall plan that includes follow up and what response you are looking for.
8. Steps in postcard:
   1. Determine market(who, where = mail list, OK)
   2. Determine message(What do they want and Why will they respond?)
   3. Decide what if someone responds to it, what you are going to do or send. (How, when = will you follow up?)