There’s nothing more rewarding than hearing about a client’s success. It’s even better when the successes involve real dollar savings.
Of course, nothing compares to a call when a client describes their most recent round of savings as “low-hanging watermelons”.
Those are the words used by Gary Rudnicki, Assistant Vice President, DCC & Print Management, at Jackson National Life Insurance Company® (Jackson®) – a national financial services company – when talking about the savings from the US Postal Service (USPS) Mailing Promotions. And because he’s a good leader, Gary gave all the credit to his employees.
In fact, during our last meeting, Gary was mostly silent. He allowed Patrick Reeves, Manager of Postal & Shipping Relationships, to describe how they identified the opportunity and implemented the program. Gary created the position in 2022, and promoted Patrick from within the organization.
Patrick began by explaining how he learned about the USPS Mailing Promotions last year. First, he attended webinars put on by the USPS and his local Postal Customer Council. Then, he reached out to his USPS representative to make sure he understood what he learned.
Jackson’s largest mailings are quarterly statements, with millions of envelopes being sent to customers. The operation had already started working on upgrading equipment and streamlining processes. The goal of lowering the cost-per-piece remained a priority.
When Patrick reviewed the quarterly statements, he recognized that they qualified for the Personalized Color Transpromo promotion. Without any changes. He collaborated with the USPS and his presort vendor to register for the promotion.
Instant savings on the next quarter’s statements. A low-hanging watermelon was picked – and enjoyed by all.
Because of timing, Jackson was only able to take advantage of the promotion for one quarter in 2022. Armed with information, Patrick was prepared for 2023. This year, he registered through the USPS portal, completing the process in just 15 minutes. They’re now on track to double their savings in 2023.
Patrick isn’t resting on his laurels. He and his team are adjusting their sights on Business Reply Mail (BRM). They’re analyzing volumes to the effort required to QBRM, and the potential savings. And, what additional savings could be achieved through the Reply Mail IMbA promotion? It will be one of the topics he’ll be focusing on at the National Postal Forum in Charlotte, NC, May 21-24, 2023.
Patrick explained that these successes were based on knowing their mail. Taking the extra time to understand what is being sent out – the format and the content, and then learning more about the USPS Mailing Promotions through webinars and meetings with USPS representatives.
Gary recommends that other companies consider creating the position of a postal manager. Having a leader to support production opened up their bandwidth. The organization was able to learn more about what was being offered by the USPS, and then take advantage of the savings.
Take the time to invest in your people. They may find even more low-hanging watermelons.
