BIG’s Blog: I’m Tired of Talking About the Post Office

I was lamenting to one of my clients last week about how tired I get talking about all the “issues” the Postal Service is going through, even though all of my clients (and most of my prospective clients) are overly dependent on direct mail fund raising.

While the U. S. Postal Service isn’t going away anytime soon – if ever – it is going through the pain of adjusting to the Internet age. Examples of the latest news: Postal Regulatory Commission divided on five-day delivery, and Postal Service to cut 7,500 positions. And this is just the news from one day!

I was talking to one of our consulting clients last week and said, "Frankly, I am tired of writing about the woes of the U. S. Postal Service when there is so much new information about digital and Internet marketing that I could be writing about."

This client happens to be a Sister and is the Develop Director for her community in the United States. She told me that the biggest influence on her thinking about non-direct mail, alternative fund raising marketing (and even beginning to offer credit cards) were her nephews. She quoted one of them as saying to her, "Auntie, I love you, but there is no way I’m donating to your group unless I can do it online."

"Mike," she said, "If the people you’re talking to are like me and don’t have children, have them talk to the kids of people that work in their office or their nephews and nieces. Ask them how they pay their bills and donate to other organizations."

It was an eye opener to me and that was ultimately what moved us to start talking to you.

Thanks to Sr. Mary Ann for that insight and wisdom.

-Mike

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