Recommendation: Simple matchbacks 

Match you new customers' names to the names of the people mailed.  How simple is that!  It provides tests of which prospect lists and mailers are working best.  Assign an employee as your agency matchback “champion."  All he or she needs for matchbacks are: 

.  names and addresses of the prospects mailed 

.  type and title of mailer 

.  mailing date 

.  list of new customers with the date they purchased a policy

With this simple matchback process you are looking for direct mail-to-sales results only.  

Other valuable information

The reply rate for your mailings.  This is easy to track. How many replies are you getting for every hundred mailings of a postcard or letter or brochure are you getting? 

How repliers responded—by phone? By fax? By e-mail? By walk-in?  You will need a simple “check-off” system that CSRs and producers can use to capture this information when they write new business. 

Name of the game:  Facts and ROI 

At the end of the year, you should be able to sit down and factually analyze your marketing communication program results, including your Return-On-Investment. The only way you can do this is to KEEP SCORE.  You need facts, not opinions. 

If you’ve used matchbacks and other measurements, you will have the facts upon which to base decisions for next year’s promotion plan!