Direct mail isn’t dead—far from it. But if you’re sending physical packages through the mail, you know how hard it can be to prove what’s working and what’s just a pile of postage receipts. This guide is for marketers and sales teams who want real answers on ROI, not just pretty dashboards. If you’re using Sendoso or thinking about it, and you want to actually know if your campaigns are paying off, you’re in the right place.
Let’s cut through the fluff and get into actionable steps for tracking and improving your direct mail ROI using Sendoso analytics. Here’s how to do it right.
1. Set Up Clear Campaign Goals Before You Send Anything
If you don’t know what you’re measuring, you’ll end up chasing vanity metrics. Before you send a single package, ask:
- What do you want people to do? (Book a meeting? Visit a landing page? Sign a contract?)
- How will you know if it worked? (Number of meetings booked, deals closed, etc.)
Pro tip: Don’t just say “increase engagement.” Be specific. “We want to book 10 meetings with decision-makers at these 50 accounts.” If your goal is fuzzy, your ROI math will be, too.
2. Use Sendoso’s Tracking Features—But Don’t Blindly Trust the Numbers
Sendoso gives you tools to track deliveries, redemptions, and responses. Here’s what’s useful—and what isn’t:
- Delivery Tracking: You can see when a package is delivered (or not). Good for making sure your mail isn’t lost, but not proof anyone cared.
- Gift Redemption: For e-gifts or items with a redemption link, Sendoso logs when someone claims it. This is actual engagement.
- Triggered Actions: If you use Sendoso’s integrations (like Salesforce or HubSpot), you can see if a gift leads to a meeting, opportunity, or other CRM event.
What to ignore: “Impressions” or “opens” don’t mean much for physical mail. Focus on actions that show real interest, like redemptions or meetings booked.
Reality check: Just because someone accepted your coffee gift doesn’t mean they’ll buy. But it’s a better signal than a delivery confirmation.
3. Tag and Segment Everything—Don’t Wing It
If you dump all your sends into one “campaign,” you’ll never know what’s working. Use tags and custom fields in Sendoso to track:
- Campaign Name: Make it specific (e.g., “Q2-2024-ABM-DecisionMakers”)
- Persona/Segment: Who are you targeting? (Title, industry, account tier)
- Gift Type: Physical swag vs. e-gift vs. handwritten note
- Sender: Which rep or team sent it?
Why bother? When you analyze results, you’ll want to filter by these fields. Otherwise, you’ll just see a blob of data.
Pro tip: Agree on naming conventions with your team before you start. “2024-Q2-ABM” beats “Spring Campaign” every time.
4. Align Direct Mail Touches with Your CRM
Sendoso can integrate with your CRM to tie sends to actual sales outcomes. Here’s how to make it work:
- Map Sendoso sends to leads or contacts in your CRM. Don’t let them float around disconnected.
- Sync key fields: Opportunity stage, campaign source, deal owner, etc.
- Build reports in your CRM, not just in Sendoso. This lets you see if direct mail moves the needle on real revenue, not just “engagement.”
Pitfall: If your team isn’t logging meetings, opportunities, or pipeline stages in the CRM, you’ll get garbage ROI calculations. Garbage in, garbage out.
5. Measure What Matters—Not Just What’s Easy
It’s tempting to report on the stuff Sendoso makes easy (deliveries, redemptions). But you care about real business results.
Track these: - Meetings booked as a result of a send - Opportunities created/influenced - Deals closed/won - Pipeline generated or influenced ($ value)
How to do it: - Set up campaign tracking links for any digital calls-to-action included in your mailers—unique QR codes or URLs that let you tie response back to the specific campaign. - Ask sales reps to log when a send led directly to a meeting or deal (yes, you’ll have to remind them). - Use Sendoso’s integration to auto-log sends and responses in your CRM.
Don’t get distracted by: Likes, thank-you emails, or anecdotal feel-good stories. They’re nice, but they don’t pay the bills.
6. Run A/B Tests—But Keep Them Simple
Direct mail is expensive. If you’re going to test, do it right:
- Change one variable at a time: For example, test swag vs. e-gift, or handwritten note vs. form letter.
- Use clear tracking codes: Different landing page URLs or QR codes for each variant.
- Keep sample sizes realistic: You probably can’t send 10,000 mailers, but even 50 per group can show a trend.
What NOT to do: Don’t run too many tests at once, or you’ll end up with data soup and no real insights.
7. Calculate ROI Honestly—Not Just “Look How Busy We Are”
ROI isn’t just “number of packages sent.” Here’s the simple math you should use:
ROI = (Revenue Attributed to Campaign – Total Campaign Costs) / Total Campaign Costs
Include all costs: - Postage - Gift/product costs - Sendoso fees - Staff time (estimate if you have to)
Where it gets tricky: Attributing revenue to direct mail is tough. If a deal closes after a send, ask the sales rep: “Did the mailer make a difference?” It’s not perfect, but it’s better than guessing.
Pro tip: Don’t fudge the numbers just to make the campaign look good. If the ROI isn’t there, learn and move on.
8. Review, Learn, and Actually Change Something
After your campaign ends:
- Look at your data, but don’t drown in it. Focus on your original goals.
- Share honest results with your team. What worked? What flopped?
- Tweak your approach. Change the offer, timing, or target list based on what you learned.
Ignore: The urge to declare victory based on one good anecdote. Patterns matter more than lucky breaks.
9. Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
- Sending without a follow-up plan: If you mail a gift and never call or email, don’t expect magic.
- Lousy data hygiene: Dirty CRM data = junk ROI numbers.
- Overvaluing “delivered” as a result: It’s just a package at a doorstep, not a closed deal.
- Not involving sales: If your sales team isn’t bought in, your campaign will fizzle.
Keep It Simple, Iterate, and Don’t Believe Your Own Hype
Tracking ROI on direct mail with Sendoso analytics isn’t rocket science, but it does take discipline. Start with clear goals, measure what actually matters, and don’t let feel-good metrics cloud your judgment. Stay honest about what’s working, ditch what isn’t, and keep your process simple enough that you’ll actually stick with it. That’s how you get real answers—and real results.