PrintMEMO TO MAILERS - MARCH 2005 (text)
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
VOLUME 40 NUMBER 3
MARCH 2005
WHAT'S INSIDE
NATIONAL POSTAL FORUM
POWER OF LEARNING
EBAY DAYS
KEEPING POSTED
POSTAL NEWS BRIEFS
NPF: CHOOSE YOUR FOCUS
The nation’s largest mailing industry trade show, the 2005 National Postal Forum (NPF), will feature five symposiums focusing on marketing, packages, periodicals, printing, and mail research and intelligence. These cornerstones to the Forum — March 20–23 at the Opryland Convention Center in Nashville, TN — will feature expert panels, industry speakers and interactive discussions.
“The symposium concept was an experiment that proved wildly successful during the 2004 Forum in Washington, DC,” says USPS Chief Marketing Officer Anita Bizzotto. “Those who participated left very satisfied, so, we’re fortifying last Forum’s sessions and introducing new ones.”
Two sessions — printing and mail intelligence — will be held for the first time. The other three sessions — marketing, periodicals and packages — will offer all-new content and speakers.
The Symposiums
Marketing, March 21 — Several of the nation’s top marketers discuss how mail’s intimacy and personalization can build competitive advantages. Three panels will address mail as a stealth marketing tool, new approaches to personalization and how to reach Generations X and Y through letters and catalogs.
Packages, March 21 — The spotlight will be on emerging technology, methods for handling package payment and manifesting, shipping solutions and returns solutions. Several speakers from leading organizations will provide diverse perspectives on industry trends and offer practical advice at four panel discussions.
Periodicals, March 22 — This symposium will feature sessions on creating a distribution and postal affairs office, postal reform, rate-making and rate cases, and the future of mail classification, pricing, processing and networks. Speakers from leading organizations and the Postal Service will provide varied perspectives on industry trends and offer practical advice at four panel discussions.
Mail Research and Intelligence, March 22 — It will feature sessions on new and emerging data on mail use, demographic and business trends, and the impact of technology. Speakers from leading organizations, research centers and the Postal Service will provide a full spectrum of insight and research-based strategic advice at four panel discussions.
Printers’ Day, March 23 — This symposium will feature sessions targeting printers currently offering — or considering adding — mailing services to their customers. Expert panels will address building mail-preparation expertise, how to access resources within the USPS, the Automated Package Processing System, and how to provide mailing services such as mailpiece design, mail list services, mail preparation, drop shipping and the many changes affecting the industry.
NPF: AT A GLANCE
The four-day National Postal Forum in Nashville, TN, offers general sessions, day-long symposiums, workshops and networking events.
The schedule for 2005 includes:
- A general session featuring Postmaster General John. E. Potter on Monday, March 21.
- More than 100 workshops and 13 specialty business tracks.
- The mailing industry’s largest exhibit hall, with its novel learning labs and USPS-sponsored NASCAR drivers, cars and race simulators.
- Five full-day symposiums focused on marketing, packages, periodicals, printing, and mail industry research and intelligence.
- A closing dinner and private concert with country music star Sara Evans.
- More details and registration information can be found at www.npf.org or by phoning 703-218-5015.
ABOUT THE NPF
The National Postal Forum, a not-for-profit educational corporation, was established in 1968 by a group of major postal customers/mailers who were committed to an ongoing partnership with the United States Postal Service. The Forum’s goal, then as now, is to provide education to business mailers and a platform for dialogue among the USPS and its business customers for a more responsive and efficient mail communications system.
TOM RIDGE TO SPEAK
The nation’s first director of homeland security, Tom Ridge, will be a headline speaker at the 2005 National Postal Forum on March 23 in Nashville, TN.
Ridge, the former Pennsylvania governor who oversaw the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and became the organization’s first secretary, will speak of his experience at the department and the close relationship he developed with the U.S. Postal Service.
“This will be one of Secretary Ridge’s first public addresses since he left the department,” said Postmaster General John E. Potter. “It will be a rare opportunity to learn his views of the state of national security and the role the Postal Service and the mail play in this arena.”
MANUAL METERS 'RETIRE FROM ACTIVE DUTY'
Digital postage technology makes mailing easier for businesses, more secure for USPS
After more than 80 years of service to the mailing industry and companies across the country, manual postage meters officially “retired from active duty” on Feb. 28. They’ve certainly earned their gold watches!
The Postal Service first approved postage meters for use in the early 1920s, and they were an instant success with American businesses. In 1923, there were 400 meters in use providing $4 million a year in postage. Today, four companies have more than 1.6 million meters in use nationwide, producing $21 billion in annual postage revenue — about 30 percent of all postage revenue.
Over the decades, however, new technology has made manual meters obsolete. So, as announced in Postal Bulletin 22141 (11-11-04) and reaffirmed in Postal Bulletin 22148 (02-17-05), Post Offices nationwide are no longer resetting manual postage meters. Customers who require meter resets should contact their meter manufacturer or dealer.
“Phasing out manual postage meters is an important step in the Postal Service’s meter migration plan,” said Wayne Wilkerson, head of postage technology management for the Postal Service. “Working with meter manufacturers and users, we are moving forward to protect Postal Service revenues from postage meter fraud and counterfeiting, reduce operating costs, and help companies transition to the convenience and ease-of-use of digital postage technology.”
The latest postage meters from Pitney Bowes, Neopost , Hasler Inc., and Francotyp-Postalia, Inc. do it all, from weighing pieces of mail and calculating exact postage down to fractions of a penny, to printing the postage directly on the mailpiece or mailing label, to tallying up expenses by department or date. Postage meters no bigger than a toaster can equip companies to mail letters, large mailing envelopes, even parcels. Adding postage is easy, too — mailers simply download more postage via telephone or the Internet.
If they have a computer, printer and Internet access, customers can even produce their own postage with PC Postage products. Businesses can download software, pay for postage using a credit card, print postage onto envelopes or mailing labels, and print sheets of labels that can be used just like postage stamps. They can print the exact postage required on the label or mailing piece, or use a description like “US Postage & Fees Paid” instead of printing the postage value. This is particularly helpful for companies that charge their own shipping and handling fees.
“Digital technology and the establishment of the necessary security protocols for Internet postage with the entrée of PC Postage products has now led to even greater access to USPS as we integrate with popular Web services like Click-N-Ship on www.usps.com and eBay/PayPal,” said Wilkerson. “Customers already know about USPS competitive shipping costs. Now we are making it more convenient for them to complete the transaction with us online!”
For more information about leasing a postage meter or obtaining PC Postage software products, go to www.usps.com/postagesolutions and select a product or vendor.
NPF: CLASS IS IN SESSION!
The nation’s leading mailing industry trade show — The National Postal Forum — has dramatically increased the educational opportunities for those who will attend its 2005 event in Nashville.
In addition to five all-day symposiums, the offerings include more than 100 workshops and a Postal Service-issued training certificate program.
“Year in and year out, Forum attendees tell us that they come to the event to learn and to grow professionally,” says USPS Chief Marketing Officer Anita Bizzotto. “The enhancements we’ve made to the workshop and certificate programs directly support those objectives.”
The 2005 Forum will offer 13 business tracks — the most ever — three of which will be new. The new tracks include Professional Mail Service Providers, Direct Mail Marketing Professionals and Database Management. Each new track will offer workshops featuring new and enhanced content.
More than 50 workshops will debut in Nashville, and about 70 others will offer new content. The Forum workshops feature experts from companies such as Brown Printing, ESPN The Magazine, Motorola and Pitney Bowes, and from organizations such as the U.S. Department of Defense, the Direct Marketing Association, Brigham Young University and the U.S. Postal Service. Each workshop has been designed to give attendees expert solutions to the mailing and marketing challenges facing their companies.
Other workshop business tracks include Mail Production, Mail Technology, Non-Profit Mail, Postal Customer Council Leadership, Package and Shipping Solutions, Colleges and Universities, Periodicals, Mail Center Management, Government, and Mail Quality.
The 11 areas of training for which participants can earn certificates are Mail Service Providers, Mail Piece Design, Postal Customer Council Leadership, Colleges and Universities, Periodicals, Package Shipping, Mail Center Management, Direct Mail Marketing, Database Management, Printers and Quality Mail Preparation.
THE POWER OF LEARNING
It’s pop quiz time. How much do you know about barcodes, endorsements and mail classes? How about permit imprints? You would ace this test if you’ve been through the Postal Service’s Mailpiece Quality Control (MQC) program.
The MQC program provides training to help mailers evaluate mailpiece designs and identify issues before mail is presented to the Postal Service.
“The MQC program is one of the Postal Service’s hidden treasures!” says Laine Ropson, president of Ropson & Associates, a consulting firm. “This self-study program is well written — in English, not postal-ese. The diagrams and exercises aid in overall understanding. The manual itself is great reference material. The program provides great basic training on mailpiece design. This should be a required program for any company in the mailing industry.”
Who would benefit? Graphic artists, mailpiece designers, sales representatives, client services, administrators and others. It’s also useful information for anyone involved in the preparation of large mailings.
Graduates become qualified MQC certified specialists after completion of the course and the final exam. They will better understand the acceptance requirements of the Postal Service relating to mailpiece design. They’ll also gain enough understanding of the requirements of presorted mailings to analyze discount and payment options for their clients.
Some direct mailers have made certification a job requirement for mail center managers, sales staff and others. Some firms combine the self-study from USPS with their own training sessions. Postal Customer Councils also can offer training sessions in a classroom setting.
The MQC program benefits both USPS and mailers, helping to process the mail more efficiently — and more effectively.
“The MQC training program is the best tool that USPS has made available to the industry to clearly and concisely explain the requirements to successfully submit mailpieces that I’ve come across in my 27 years in the Direct Marketing business,” says Wanda Senne, director of postal development for ACE Marketing Services. “MQC is great!”
Bring quality to your business through this great course. Watch for updates to the MQC program, coming in April.
MAILPIECE QUALITY CONTROL PROGRAM
Enhance your knowledge
- Classes of Mail
- Periodicals
- Processing Categories
- Addressing
- USPS Barcodes
- Automation Requirements
- Nonautomation Mailings
- Postage Payment Methods
- Reply and Return Mail
- Special Services
This training program is available at the click of a mouse. Check it out at http://pe.usps.gov/mpdesign/mpdfr_mpqc_view.htm. It’s also accessible in Postal Explorer via the "MQC Program" link.
After completion of the course, you can order the final exam on the order form provided in the MQC website for a nominal fee. There are four options for you to choose from:
Option 1: The Administrator’s Guide is helpful for teaching the course to a group of students. It is available for $25 each.
Option 2: The Student Guide can be downloaded from the above website free of charge. However, hardcopy student guides are available for $50 each, which includes the student guide and the final examination. Order 10 or more and receive the student guide/final examination package for $25 each.
Option 3: The Resource Kit contains useful tools and publications to assist you in completing the course. It includes the Publication 95, Quick Service Guide; Publication 32, Glossary of Postal Terms; Notice 67, Automation Template; Notice 3-A, Letter-Size Mail Dimensional Standards Template; Item 07, Automation Gauge; Postal Explorer CD; and current issues of Domestic Mail Manual (DMM), Memo to Mailers, Postal Bulletin, and Mailer’s Companion. The Resource Kit is available for $20.
Option 4: The Final Examination includes the examination only at a cost of $25.
Once successfully completing and passing the final examination, you will receive a two-year certification as a qualified MQC certified specialist. Your name will appear on the Rapid Information Bulletin Board website at www.ribbs.usps.gov/files/mqc. Check to see if anyone you know is an MQC certified specialist. Try it out today! You have everything to gain!
DMM 300: IT'S ESSENTIAL
It’s a must-read for mailers. The latest chapter in the transformation of the Domestic Mail Manual — the DMM 300 — will be unveiled this month at the National Postal Forum.
Want to be the first in your industry to get a copy of the DMM 300? Then the NPF in Nashville, TN, March 20–23, is the place to be. Copies of the dramatically redesigned DMM 300 will be available to those attending the event. (Ship it back home in a Flat Rate Priority Mail box.)
Can you afford not to have the latest on USPS mailing standards?
Inside its covers you’ll find:
- The transformational look and feel pioneered by the new manual’s sister publications — the DMM 100, A Customer’s Guide to Mailing, and DMM 200, A Guide to Mailing for Businesses and Organizations.
- Information that has been restructured and re-numbered to help users find what they’re looking for — easier than ever.
- A guide organized around three basic concepts: shape of mail, class of mail and topic.
- A new design that ensures customers will spend less time cross-referencing and have greater confidence that they've located the information they need.
THE POSTAL BULLETIN
The Postal Bulletin is the biweekly, official record of changes in Postal Service policies and procedures. It's online at www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/bulletin/pb.htm.
ASK US HOW TO BUY, SELL AND SHIP
Ebay Day may be coming to a Post Office near you. Hundreds of USPS locations throughout the nation are setting aside special days in coming months. The events will let customers know how quick, easy and convenient it is to ship with the Postal Service after they’ve sold their items on eBay, the world’s largest online marketplace.
Want to know the ins and outs of buying and selling on eBay and taking advantage of the online shipping options offered by USPS?
At an eBay Day, specially trained postal employees will be there to answer your questions. Learn how to pay for postage with Click-N-Ship and request package pickups without leaving your home or office.
The Automated Postal Center also will be highlighted as a time-saving way to ship eBay items.
There are more than 125 million registered eBay users, and the Postal Service is a perfect fit when it comes to their shipping needs.
Need a formula for success? Sell on eBay. Ship with the U.S. Postal Service.
FYI
Calculate with a click. You can calculate postage on your computer — anywhere you have Internet access. Rates are available for domestic, international or business mail. It’s easy. Just choose the type of service needed and enter size, shape, weight and ZIP Code information. Go to usps.com and click on Calculate Postage on the red toolbar at the top of the page.
KEEPING POSTED
News from and for Postal Customer Councils
www.usps.com/nationalpcc
PCC LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE SPEAKERS SET
The 2005 Postal Customer Council (PCC) Leadership Conference, held annually as part of the National Postal Forum, has announced its lineup of speakers. Kicking off the conference March 20 in Nashville will be the Postal Service’s Chief Operating Officer Pat Donahoe, Chief Marketing Officer Anita Bizzotto, Customer and Industry Marketing Manager Marty Emery and Grayson Poats, managing counsel, Corporate Law. Also participating in the opening session will be the three industry members of the PCC Advisory Committee — Steve Burn, Kimberly Waltz and Harry Stephens, who also will headline a workshop on the PCC Network’s Best Practices Recognition Program, which will launch at the Forum.
Four conference workshop sessions will be held March 21:
- PCC Planning Process. Mary Williams of Presort Solutions, LLC, who serves as industry co-chair of the South Suburban PCC (IL), will lead this session along with John Joachim of the Hazelden Foundation and industry co-chair of the Twin Cities (MN) PCC, and Martin Thompson, the postal co-chair of the Middle-Georgia PCC.
- Grow Your Business with Workshops-in-a-Box Series and PCC Speakers’ Bureau. Marketing Specialist Elizabeth Shaw, PCC Program Manager Lewis Johnson and Program Manager for Customer Events and Mailer Education Heidi Cherry, all from the Postal Service, will direct this session.
- The Best Approach to a PCC Website. Guiding this workshop will be Mark Sullivan of The Premier Company and executive board member of the Houston PCC, Richard Casford of Whittier Mailing Service and industry co-chair of the Santa Ana District PCC, and Tina Stovall of OMG Inc. and industry co-chair of the PCC of Kentuckiana.
- Building Membership through Database Management. This session will be led by Kathy Connolly of The Mailworks and an executive board member of the Capital Region PCC; Donna Bowerman, the postal co-chair of the NV-Sierra District PCC; and Charles McGinty-Lough of Caesar’s Entertainment and the executive board of the NV-Sierra PCC.
WORKSHOPS-IN-A-BOX LAUNCHED
The PCC national support team and the Postal Service’s Customer and Industry Marketing group have announced the launch of their new Workshops-in-a-Box series. The program is built around sophisticated, yet easy-to-stage workshops created for local PCCs to present at meetings or special events. Two new workshops debut this year: “Direct Mail by the Numbers” and “The DMM 200.”
The 30- to 45-minute workshops include a Powerpoint presentation, speaker’s notes, a facilitator’s guide, marketing materials and sample handouts — everything a local PCC needs to make a presentation. “The workshops are an important component of our strategy for enhancing the national PCC network,” says Marty Emery, manager of Customer and Industry Marketing for the Postal Service. “Each presentation delivers value to PCCs and its members as well as the Postal Service by promoting our products and services as catalysts for business growth.”
Nine additional workshops-in-a-box are planned — all are expected to be available to PCCs by this summer. The workshops in development include presentations derived from the Postal Service’s highly successful “Direct Mail Made Easy” day-long seminar. “We’ve developed some exciting materials based upon our new publications and the seminars we’ve been sponsoring,” says Emery. “We’re very pleased that we now have a channel to share this content with a broad, interested audience.”
The “Direct Mail by the Numbers” workshop provides an in-depth look at the advantages of Direct Mail. Topics covered include mailing lists, database management, creative applications, productions and budgets, testing, mailing options and additional resources. The “DMM 200: A Business Mailing Guide” workshop describes the content and approach of the Postal Service’s revised and updated mail manual for small businesses and nonprofit organizations.
To learn more about how your PCC can present a workshop, please contact Liz Shaw (elizabeth.h.shaw@usps.gov) at 202-268-2075 or Lewis Johnson (lewis.l.johnson@usps.gov) at 202-268-2119. Or contact the Postal Service’s National PCC team at PCC@usps.gov for further information.
OUR OFFICE IS NOW IN YOUR OFFICE
At the U.S. Postal Service, we know you’ve got a lot to do.
And that’s why we’ve added more services and features to usps.com so it’s even easier to take care of almost all your postal needs right from your home or office.
- Pay for postage using a credit card, print shipping labels, purchase USPS Insurance for domestic packages and ship international packages via Global Express Guaranteed or Global Express Mail at usps.com/clicknship.
- Get stamps, shipping supplies and postage scales at usps.com/shop.
- Buy prepaid Priority Mail flat-rate envelopes at The Postal Store at usps.com/shipping/flatrate.htm.
- Notify your letter carrier that you have a package pickup at usps.com/pickup.
- Find a ZIP Code at usps.com/zip4.
- Learn how Direct Mail can help grow your business at usps.com/directmail.
- Send hard-copy letters, cards and flyers from your computer via NetPost Mailing Online at usps.com/netpost.
- Send money orders and payments at usps.com/money.
- Change your mailing address at usps.com/moversguide.
- Locate a Post Office or Automated Postal Center near you at usps.com/locator.
- Track and confirm packages or set up an electronic return receipt notification at usps.com/shipping/trackandconfirm.htm.
- Learn how to label and address your package properly at usps.com/send/preparemailandpackages/preparingpackages.htm.
- Find detailed information for all your international needs, including customer forms, at usps.com/global.
POSTAL NEWS BRIEFS
POSTAL SERVICE GETS IT THERE F-A-S-T!
For the second straight year, the Postal Service reached a 95 percent on-time performance score for overnight delivery of First-Class Mail. The assessment is measured independently by IBM Consulting Services.
This first quarter measurement for fiscal year 2005 also cites 90 percent for two-day and 86 percent for three-day delivery. This period included the holiday mailing season and four back-to-back hurricanes, which brought great transportation challenges. Residential Customer Satisfaction scores are steady at 93 percent for the third consecutive year.
EXFC externally measures collection box to mailbox delivery performance. EXFC continuously tests a panel of 463 ZIP Code areas selected on the basis of geographic and volume density from which 90 percent of First-Class Mail volume originates and 80 percent destinates. EXFC is not a system-wide measurement of all First-Class Mail performance.
OFF TO A GOOD START
A significant increase in mail volume and net income of $1.7 billion helped the Postal Service report better-than-expected first quarter results. Revenue of $18.8 billion and expenses of $17.1 billion produced a net income of $1.7 billion — down from $1.8 billion last year. Even so, revenue grew by 3.2 percent in the first quarter.
USPS Board of Governors Chairman James C. Miller III said, “The Postal Service’s finances are, at the moment, in good order, and service to our customers is being provided at the highest levels in our history.”
STAMP HONORS REAGAN
Members of former President Ronald Reagan’s administration dedicated the commemorative postage stamp honoring the nation’s 40th chief executive by unveiling an 11-foot image that captures Reagan in a characteristic pose.
The dedication ceremony, held Feb. 9 at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, DC, culminated a wave of stamp dedication celebrations that spanned the nation.
“We wanted to produce a stamp that embodied Ronald Reagan’s warmth, personality and humanity,” said James C. Miller III, newly elected chairman of the presidentially appointed U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors. “This stamp captures the twinkle of his eyes and the charismatic grin that reflected Ronald Reagan’s eternal optimism,” added Miller, who served as Reagan’s Director of the Office of Management and Budget and later, chairman of the Federal Trade Commission. “We think we have done just that. Americans will be proud of this stamp.”
Miller delivered his remarks in a special dedication ceremony before a crowd of hundreds, including many members of Congress, Reagan administration alumni and distinguished guests.
“The United States Postal Service is honoring the man who was known by his fellow Americans as the great communicator,” said Postmaster General John E. Potter. “He understood the value of the written word — the handwritten word. Perhaps that’s why he wrote — and mailed — more than 10,000 letters during his incredible lifetime.”
_________________________________
MEMO TO MAILERS
Volume 40 Number 3
Ilze Sella
Editorial Services
Frank Papandrea
Art Director
David Ostroff
Designer
Betty Shelton
Purchasing Specialist
Azeezaly S. Jaffer
Vice President, Public Affairs and Communications
John E. Potter
Postmaster General and CEO
Memo to Mailers
is published by U.S. Postal Service
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© 1966 United States Postal Service. The following are among the many trademarks owned by the United States Postal Service: USPS®, U.S. Postal Service®, United States Postal Service®, Postal Service™, Post Office™, Priority Mail®, Express Mail®, Standard Mail™, First-Class Mail®, Registered Mail™, Certified Mail™, Delivery Confirmation™, Signature Confirmation™, ZIP Code™, Click-N-Ship®, NetPost® and The Postal Store®. This list is not a comprehensive list of all Postal Service marks.
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