Step 1: Choose a Reputable Vendor (Print, Kitting, Fulfillment)
Do your research. Partner with a reputable vendor who has proven experience and has been in business for a longer period of time. Be sure to check online reviews, and always remember to ask for references. Make a mental note of does the vendor answer the phone when you call, and if not, how long does it take them to call you back or respond via email? Get a quote & ask yourself is this within your budget? Look to their website. Does their website look professional, is it up to date, do they make it easy for you to get in touch with? And who are their clients? Ask to see samples of their work.
Step 2: Card Design (Plastic, Paper or Digital)
This is the fun stuff! Always try to use a recommended, professional graphic designer – either from within your company, or you can reach out to an outside freelancer (good ones cost more, but they can be well worth it in the long run). It doesn’t hurt to spend a little more to ensure your card adequately reflects your brand in a positive and memorable manner. This design represents the “base card stock” that will be personalized later on. The front of the card might have logo & website information while the back of the card may contain legal information or phone numbers.
Step 3: Data Collection
The-not-as-much-fun-as-card-design-but-very-important-stuff! To start, you might want to reach out to your IT team early for questions & advice. Having said that, a good vendor, or partner, should be able to easily provide you with a basic template for how your data should arrive and also be able to provide a safe method for collecting and storing data. The “data” makes up all the information that you would like to have appear on the card – this could include a name or specific card #. It’s very important. Make sure to choose a data compliant facility, this will help ensure that your client data remains secure and protected at all times. To verify this, be sure to ask for certificates of compliance.
Step 4: Your Program
Most likely you should’ve covered this all off with your vendor partner at the time of the quote but you should still be able to “tweak” as needed and as you get closer to the launch of your program. Have you thought about how often you’d like to send out to new members? Daily, Weekly, Bi-weekly, Monthly? What sort of turnaround time are you expecting? Can your print partner easily add a brochure into your package? If you’ve opted for a plastic card mailing, isn’t it great to have your card “affixed” to the letter instead of a free floating card? That’s the polish that professional fulfillment houses can offer.
Step 5: Program Success!
This is the point in time when all of your hard work has paid off. As you’ve chosen a partner who will then have given you a dedicated production team, your package will be assembled in the manner you’ve discussed and will be mailed or emailed in a data compliant facility and will be delivered to your customer in a polished, professional and timely way. Congratulations! Your program is successful!
