Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What does the Passionate Postcarder website offer me?
  2. What is in the Postcard Marketing Secrets package?
  3. What should I do to gain the most from Postcard Marketing Secrets?
  4. Who is your package best suited for?
  5. What format are your e-books in?
  6. After I've downloaded your ZIP files, what's inside, and what will I need to open them?
  7. Can I purchase a hard copy?
  8. Is there an affiliate program?
  9. What happens after I click the "Buy" link?
  10. What is your privacy policy?
  11. What is your guarantee and returns policy?
  12. I would rather not order over the Internet. What should I do?
  13. What if I have a question that isn't frequently asked?

1. What does the Passionate Postcarder website offer me?

At the Passionate Postcarder website, you can buy my Postcard Marketing Secrets package as an instant download, or in print with the instant download included. You can also receive these three dynamic bonuses:

  1. Free "Postcard Marketing In Action" case studies delivered to you via e-mail.
  2. Ability to sign up for a free, no-obligation sample of Postcard Marketing Secrets. Request your sample by using the form on the right sides of the pages on this site.
  3. The Passionate Postcarder's Postcard Marketing Blog, where I opine about postcards, marketing, business, and other things.

2. What is in the Postcard Marketing Secrets package?

It starts with the Postcard Marketing Secrets book, which takes you step-by-step through the process of planning, implementing, and evaluating a postcard marketing campaign. At the heart of this process are the Six Steps of a Successful Marketing Campaign:

  1. Idea Generation
  2. Card Creation
  3. Printing
  4. Mailing
  5. Follow-up
  6. Cost-Tracking and Evaluation

After going through the Six Steps, you'll enjoy reading the profiles of 10 Passionate Postcarders who've successfully used postcards to promote their businesses. You'll meet a real estate agent, several graphic designers, a nursing staff recruiter, a marketing consultant, a virtual assistant, and a renowned art director who tells what it's like to be on the receiving end of a marketing postcard.

One of the most popular parts of Postcard Marketing Secrets is the Resources for Postcard Marketers section. It's completely revised and greatly expanded for the Third Edition. In Resources for Postcard Marketers, you'll find these categories:

  1. How to Have Your Cards Designed and Printed for You
  2. High Quality Postcard Printers for Design Professionals
  3. Postcard Printers in the United States, Canada, and Europe
  4. Specialty Postcards
  5. Mailing Lists
  6. Mailing List Cleanup Services
  7. Mailing Services
  8. Improve Your Postcarding Skills: Books, Websites, and Other Resources
  9. Selling Your Postcards

Postcard Marketing Secrets concludes with an index and a comprehensive glossary of printing, design, and marketing terminology.

The Postcard Marketing Secrets package also includes two more superb tools: The Direct Mail Return on Investment Calculator and The 25 Marketing Tools Tracker.

The Direct Mail Return on Investment Calculator. In addition to helping you evaluate your postcard mailings, it can be used to measure the effectiveness of your:

  • Letters.
  • Flyers.
  • E-mail marketing.

You can use the Direct Mail Return On Investment Calculator to figure the ROI for a campaign you've already completed, or for one that you're planning. To use the Direct Mail Return On Investment Calculator, you only need to enter:

  • Your costs.
  • The size of your mailing.
  • The number of people who responded to your offer.
  • The number of sales you closed.

Then the Direct Mail Return On Investment Calculator goes to work and totals your costs. It also figures your response rate, sales closing rate, and your ROI.

It doesn't matter whether your campaign consists of one mailing or several. The Direct Mail Return on Investment Calculator can crunch your numbers with ease! You can also save your calculations as individual Excel .xls files and import them into your Word documents. And, if you have the full version of Adobe Acrobat (not the free reader), you can also save your spreadsheets as .pdf files. View a Flash demo of the Calculator!

The 25 Marketing Tools Tracker. It's a powerful Excel application that you can start using right away. The Tracker offers a fast, easy way to keep track of your marketing on a daily, weekly, and annual basis. It also helps you stay motivated!

The centerpiece of the 25 Marketing Tools Tracker is a spreadsheet with 25 commonly used marketing tools. These are tools that you can put to work for your business. Every time you use a tool, reward yourself with an "x" mark in a box.

Then watch those marks add up throughout the day and the week. It's fun! And it's the kind of fun that will motivate you to do even more marketing than before.

And that can be very good for your business.

The 25 Marketing Tools Tracker Spreadsheet enables you to keep track of 25 different marketing activities. They include:

  • Seeking publicity
  • Sending postcards
  • Advertising
  • Offering free samples
  • Giving and getting referrals

You can save your Tracker Spreadsheet reports as individual Excel .xls files and import them into your Word documents. And, if you have the full version of Adobe Acrobat (not the free Reader), you can also save your Tracker Spreadsheet reports as .pdf files.

But this is more than just an Excel application to have fun and stay motivated with. You will learn:

  1. The two most important questions that you should ask yourself at the close of each workday.
  2. How to quickly and easily evaluate your marketing efforts on a weekly basis.
  3. How to create a results-oriented annual report for your business that won't take more than 15 minutes to write. This impressive report will help you make your next year in business even better.

But there's more to the 25 Marketing Tools Tracker than the Tracker Spreadsheet. It's a comprehensive package that helps you build your business. You'll actually be getting four great tools:

  1. The 25 Marketing Tools Tracker Spreadsheet. It provides a fast, easy way to keep track of your marketing on a daily basis. View screenshot.
  2. The 25 Marketing Tools Tracker Media Planner. It helps you create a visual plan of what you plan to do, and when. View screenshot.
  3. The 25 Marketing Tools Tracker Budget vs. Spent Evaluator. Here is where you can crunch the numbers to see how your actual expenditures stack up against what you had planned to spend. Or, you can play "what if" games with hypothetical numbers. View screenshot.
  4. The 25 Marketing Tools Tracker Metrics Evaluator. It will help you figure out how much it costs to get a customer. It also helps you decide which marketing method costs the least and brings in the most revenue. View screenshot.

In short, you're buying a potent planning, implementation, and results-oriented tracking system that you can use for years to come!

3. What should I do to gain the most from Postcard Marketing Secrets?

First, be sure to read the instructions that come with the package! They list the filenames that are included in the ZIP file that you downloaded, so you'll be able to keep track of what you bought.

Next, make a printout of the Postcard Marketing Secrets file so you can read it wherever you go. I'd also recommend that you print at least five copies of the "Notes and Ideas" page at the end of the book.

Tip: If you're purchasing the printed version with CD, you'll also get the instantly downloadable .zip file so you can get to work right away. If you feel the need to make a printout of all the PDF files, go for it. If not, just print enough to tide you over until the delivery person appears at your front door.

For your first reading, skim through the book to get a general idea of its contents. The next step is to go to the chapters that cover the Six Steps of a Successful Postcard Marketing Campaign and familiarize yourself with the questions at the end of each chapter. They'll help you plan your own marketing efforts.

Then start reading for detail, taking notes, and answering the Six Steps chapter questions as you go. Above all, ask yourself how you'll apply your learning to your own promotions.

Next comes planning time. Review your notes and ask yourself what you can accomplish in the next week, the next month, the next six months, etc. Build your postcard marketing plan on the answers to these questions.

As for the Return on Investment Calculator, you can use it with data you already have, or play "what if" games with hypothetical numbers. You can use it for things that aren't postcard marketing-related: you have quite a versatile tool. Give it a try!

On to the 25 Marketing Tools Tracker. Read its instructions, then start with the Tracker Spreadsheet. Use as many of the 25 marketing tools as you can comfortably handle. Over time, you'll find yourself zeroing in on around 10 tools.

In addition to the Tracker Spreadsheet, try these three Excel applications:

  1. The 25 Marketing Tools Tracker Media Planner
  2. The 25 Marketing Tools Tracker Budget vs. Spent Evaluator
  3. The 25 Marketing Tools Tracker Metrics Evaluator

As you read, take notes, and plan, keep in mind that the Postcard Marketing Secrets package has two goals:

  1. To help you create a business promotion plan that is best for your personal style, and that works best for your business.
  2. To help you implement that plan, and then hold yourself accountable for doing so.

4. Who is your package best suited for?

Postcard Marketing Secrets is for highly motivated people who are willing put the necessary time and effort into making their businesses more successful.

This isn't the same stuff that the "get rich quick while you sleep" crowd is touting. Despite what those people claim, there is no easy formula that will take you straight up the ladder to success. Instead, it's going to take a lot of time, effort, and, in most cases, money.

You also must be willing to experiment in order to see what works best for your business. How do you do this with postcards? Well, you test things like:

  1. Various postcard copy headlines. Learn which one works best.
  2. Whether people on your mailing list are more responsive to color or black and white postcards.
  3. Prices. Does a high price bring more revenue than a low price? (Sometimes it does!)

In the testing game, the most important rule is to test one thing, and only one thing, at a time. In other words, if you're trying to see if your high price brings in more revenue than the lower price, keep everything else the same. Make the price your sole variable.

Then you could send your "$50 offer" postcard this month and your "$100 offer" postcard next month. The price that brings in the most revenue is the winner.

Want faster feedback? Do a split A/B test. Start by dividing your mailing list in two. Meaning that the even-numbered records go onto your A list, and the odd-numbered records go onto the B list. Next, do the entire mailing to both lists, and then tally your results.

The most successful marketers make testing a way of life. Make it yours as well.

5. What format are your e-books in?

The e-books in the Postcard Marketing Secrets package are PDF files. To ensure that they download quickly, my materials are in compressed (ZIP) files. Once they're downloaded to your computer, you can open ZIP files with the WinZIP or StuffIt software.

NOTE: Some operating systems have their own extraction files. For example, in the newer versions of the Windows operating system, you right click on the ZIP folder, chose "Extract All" from the dropdown menu, and you'll get an Extraction Wizard to do the unzipping work for you.

6. After I've downloaded your ZIP files, what's inside, and what will I need to open them?

Be sure that you have these two programs on your computer:

  1. The latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader (7.0 or newer) to read and print the e-books, which are in the PDF format. Download Acrobat Reader here.
  2. Microsoft Excel 2000 (or later) to work with the spreadsheets in the 25 Marketing Tools Tracker and the Direct Mail Return on Investment Calculator. Both of these tools come in the Postcard Marketing Secrets package.

7. Can I purchase a hard copy?

You sure can! Not only can you can get Postcard Marketing Secrets as an instant download, you can also get it in print with an accompanying CD that has all the digital files in the package.

8. Is there an affiliate program?

Yes. My affiliate program is by invitation only. If you feel that you would be a successful affiliate, please apply here.

9. What happens after I click the "Buy" link?

You'll go to a secure page where you can fill in your credit card details. Your card will be verified instantly, and then you'll be sent to a popup page where you click a link to download the Postcard Marketing Secrets package. You'll also get an e-mail with your instant download link. (You get the instant download even if you buy the Print/CD version of Postcard Marketing Secrets.)

NOTE: If you're using the Mozilla Firefox browser or some of the browsers on the Mac platform, you may not get this popup page. If that happens, keep an eye out for that download link in your e-mail. If, by chance, your spam filter doesn't like that particular message, please contact me. I'll see to it that you get the file that you paid for!

10. What is your privacy policy?

If you buy from the Passionate Postcarder store, I will send you a handwritten "thank you" postcard. But I won't pummel you with follow-ups (by e-mail, snail mail, or carrier pigeon) touting "special" offers that really aren't that special.

Why not? Let me tell you a little secret about the how-to book publishing business. There are a lot of other publishers who have made fortunes by selling books that leave important things out. Which means that you, the reader, are pretty much forced to buy more material from the same publisher in order to get what they should have given you in the first place. It's like having to go back to the same restaurant several times just to get a full meal.

Personally, I'd rather have you get the full meal in the one package you purchase from me. After you buy, I want you implementing what you've read, not fending off additional offers from me.

Also, be assured that your personal information (name, postal address, e-mail address, and phone number) will not be sold, traded, or loaned to any other entity. I hate spam, be it via e-mail, junk mail, or telemarketing, as much as you do.

11. What is your guarantee and returns policy?

The Postcard Marketing Secrets package is warranted against defects in workmanship, and failure to install and run in the latest versions of:

  1. Adobe Acrobat Reader
  2. Microsoft Excel

on the PC or Macintosh platforms.

Legal Notice
The Postcard Marketing Secrets package is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. Every effort has been made to ensure that the content is free from errors and problems. However, some links and information in these packages may change.

All product names are the property of their respective owners. None of these owners has authorized, sponsored, endorsed, or approved this manual. The publisher accepts no liability for any losses or damages caused, or alleged to be caused, directly or indirectly, from using the information offered in the Postcard Marketing Secrets package.

Returns Policy
Refund requests will be honored within 30 days of the purchase date. Before requesting a refund, please completely remove the Postcard Marketing Secrets files from your computer.

NOTE: Due to labor costs, a 10% processing fee will be deducted from the refund amount.

TIP: Before you buy, make sure that the Postcard Marketing Secrets is right for you. And you can get a free, no-obligation sample of Postcard Marketing Secrets, along with a 7-part e-mail series that offers complete explanation of what the package will do for you. To request your sample, use the form on the right sides of the pages on this site.

If you would prefer not to go the e-mail route, you can read the 7-part series on the Web:

  1. How Postcard Marketing can help your business
  2. Six Steps to Successful Postcard Marketing
  3. Evaluating the Results of your Postcard Marketing
  4. Looking at the Big Picture of Marketing
  5. Getting the most out of Postcard Marketing Secrets
  6. Creating your Ideal Customer Profile
  7. Privacy Matters

12. I would rather not order over the Internet. What should I do?

Print this four-page PDF file, which tells you what is in the package, and how you can order via telephone or postal mail. Offline orders can be paid by Visa, MasterCard and American Express cards, or by check in U.S. funds.

13. What if I have a question that isn't frequently asked?

Please contact me.

FREE Sample of Postcard Marketing Secrets!

Try it before you buy it! Get a FREE, no-obligation sample of the Postcard Marketing Secrets package!

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Privacy Policy: Your e-mail address will not be sold, traded or loaned to any other entity. I hate spam as much as you do.

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