Top 10 Postal Resources
One of the hardest things about staying informed on all of
the changes around mail, is knowing where to go for information. The good news is there is an amazing amount
of quality content if you know where to look.
My goal with this article is to set up the main categories and links to
where you can get your questions answered.
The key takeaway is you do not need to know everything, but you do need
to know how to find the content when you need it. Hopefully this guide will be a resource that
you can use in the future.
1.
Mail
Rates – Notice 123
from the USPS is the best pricing guide available. It has every rate structure and it is easy to
navigate. I print out the PDF version
each year so I can refer to it quickly.
If you take nothing else away from this article, you should at least
bookmark this link.
2.
USPS
Quick Service Guides – These guides will give you all of the information you
will most likely need on the main postal topics.
3.
USPS
Periodicals – This is a great way to stay informed and all of these
publications are free.
·
MailPro – This goes over changes
happening with the Postal Service. You
can sign up for free to get printed copies or access versions online.
·
PCC Insider – This
newsletter goes over upcoming events, success stories and provides a different
perspective on postal news.
·
Deliver
Magazine – I love this periodical because it focuses on what is working
around marketing mail. It gives examples
of different types of mailings and cross channel campaigns that are providing
high response rates. It also gives ideas
on what creative items and concepts can be mailed. This is free and can be accessed online or in
print.
4.
Industry
Periodicals - It is good to get a different perspective written from non
USPS sponsored sources. These are the
best that I follow regularly.
·
Mailing
Systems Technology – I am not just saying this because I write for them or
because it is free, but because I believe this is the best magazine in the
industry. All of the articles are
written by people who are at the highest levels in the industry and their
mission is to educate on best practices.
·
Mail –
This magazine publishes industry news, product announcements and has a regular
feed about what is going on. I really
like their website as a great source of information on products and postal
updates.
·
Parcel – Although the
focus is mostly on private carriers, they do mix articles with postal options
and should be kept on the list if you ship product. This periodical is also written by the top
experts in the industry.
5.
National
Events – These conventions are a great way to stay informed on changes in
the industry, take classes from top experts, visit vendor booths to see what is
available and network within the industry.
·
National Postal
Forum – This is the biggest postal event of the year, and is typically
scheduled in March or April. This year
it is on March 17-20th in San Francisco.
·
MailCom
– The Mail Systems Management Association puts on two national events, one in
the spring and fall. They typically will
try to run these on different coasts so a larger audience can attend each
event. The spring convention is
scheduled for April 27th – May 1st in Atlantic City. One big benefit is you can take the
certification exams for the CMDSS, CMDSM and MDC at the event.
6.
Local
Events – In almost every metropolitan area, there are meetings and
educational seminars held to group the mailing community together and share
best practices. I recommend joining both
of the groups below and staying involved in the activities that they run. This the best way to stay connected with your
peers.
·
Postal Customer Council
– This group is co-chaired by industry and postal representatives. Their mission is to educate on share best
practices.
·
Mail
Systems Management Association – This group also has a focus on education
and will sponsor different levels of mailing certifications.
7.
Certifications
– If you are going to work in the mail industry, it is always great to have
certifications behind you defining your level of expertise. These are some of the most common with links
to where you can get more information.
·
Certified Mail and
Distribution Manager/Supplier (CMDSM/CMDSS) – Hosted by Mail Systems
Management Association
8.
LinkedIn
Groups – I find this to be one of the best ways to stay informed because by
being part of these groups, I get emails about what is going on and opinions
from the community. Here are some groups
to consider joining.
·
PARCEL
9.
Equipment Guide
- Mail – The Journal of Communication Distribution, prints the Official
Mail Guide that is an excellent
source of most of the equipment and services available in the mailing industry.
10. Mailing
Services Pricing Study – QP Consulting does
a very in-depth study on the pricing and services offered by commercial
printers and mail service providers. It
is an excellent guide to validate that you are getting the best prices from
your providers.
As you can see, there are many
resources at your disposal that can help you get information, enhance your
education, connect within the mailing community or use as leverage in
negotiations. Hopefully this guide will
be something you can bookmark and refer to as the content is needed.
Adam Lewenberg, CMDSS is President of Postal Advocate
Inc. with over 19 years of experience in the mail industry. Their mission is to help entities with large
numbers of locations reduce mail related expenses, recover lost postage funds,
and make their spends easy to manage. He
can be reached at (617)372-8653 or adam.lewenberg@postaladvocate.com.
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