One of the few benefits of a long commute is the time you have to yourself. Whether you like listening to talk radio, music or chatting on your cell phone, it’s completely in your control. Well, unless you’re an over-scheduled executive, then that time is likely spent on a conference call of some sorts. For me, I like getting lost in a good audio book. It keeps me awake and it allows me to catch up on books I would never get a chance to actually read.
One of the recent audio books I listened to was about common misconceptions people have in everyday life. For example, many people believe that the reason we have seasons is due to the Earth being closer to the Sun in the summer, and being further away in the winter. In reality, the opposite is true. Earth is 
furthest from the sun in the summer, but the seasons are simply caused by the tilt of the Earth and have nothing to do with its distance from the Sun. Another example I found amusing was the common misconception that toilet water spins in the opposite direction in the Southern Hemisphere. This, of course, is not true. The design of the specific toilet is entirely responsible for that. Gravity works the same way for the Aussies as it does for us.
The book got me thinking that there were probably a lot of misconceptions about our business that we are not aware of, or just assume to be common sense. I spoke with some of our sales people and compiled a list of the top five misconceptions about dimensional mail. Certainly we do much more than just dimensional print projects, but it remains one of our core offerings.
Number 1: It’s really expensive to produce dimensional mail. This is perhaps the misconception we hear about most. It really just depends on your definition of expensive. Is it going to cost more to produce a dimensional mailer than a traditional flat print piece? Yes, most likely it will. However, if you send out a regular envelope package or postcard, doesn’t it become very expensive if you get a poor response? It is not uncommon for a dimensional mailer to receive a 10%, 15% or even higher response rate. What is that worth to you? It should also be noted that not all dimensional mailers require new designs. We have templates for a wide range of proven high-impact mailers, so there is significantly less design time and cost.
Number 2: It’s expensive to mail a dimensional piece. Some of our designs are classified as bulky mail and thus would cost more per piece to mail. In contrast, we have many high-impact designs that ship completely flat! Furthermore, our design team works closely with our in-house postal experts, and we always find creative ways to save on mailing costs.
Number 3: The whole process is complicated! Hey, we have been doing this for three decades and in that time we have learned a thing or two. Our production department is top-notch, and once you become a client you’ll have access to their experience and expertise. We also provide an entire turnkey solution. If you need a mailing list or data services, we can do that. If you need art creation or placement, we can do that too. Allow me to steal a line from the automotive industry; you sign, (we) drive.
Number 4: The lead time is very long for a dimensional mailer. This too, is entirely untrue thanks to our production department. We work tirelessly to improve our work flow and create efficiencies where possible. The net result has been significantly shorter lead times and the creation of RocketShip. Using existing design templates and a network of digital printers, we are able to offer you a variety of high-impact designs in as little as a week. That’s design, artwork, printing and fulfillment in a week!
Number 5: Customs can be a hassle since you do hand assembly in Mexico. When we source materials from overseas or produce hand assembled projects in Mexico, everything remains in control of Structural Graphics. Your materials will never sit in a warehouse for days or get held up by the government because we use our own in-house customs brokers. This allows us to move your materials in and out of the country in an efficient way.
There may be other misconceptions about dimensional mail that I haven’t addressed here. If so, I encourage you to contact us for help with your specific questions.
