If you're running a mid-sized sales or marketing team and still sending out swag and gifts with spreadsheets and hope, you're not alone. Direct mail's making a comeback, but the logistics are a pain, and "sales enablement tools" often create more work than they save. This one's for folks who want to know if Postal is actually worth adding to their stack—or if it's just another shiny SaaS promising the moon.
Let's skip the hype and get right into how Postal fits into B2B go-to-market (GTM) strategies, what it does well, where it stumbles, and whether it genuinely transforms sales enablement for teams that don’t have an army of admins.
What Postal Actually Does (And What You Should Ignore)
Postal calls itself an "offline engagement platform"—translation: it helps you send physical stuff (gifts, swag, event kits, handwritten notes) to prospects, customers, or employees, then tracks what happens. Think of it as a bridge between your digital outreach and the real world.
Key features: - Huge marketplace of items (from snacks to branded Yeti mugs) - Automated sends based on CRM triggers - Budget controls for teams - Address verification (no more guessing games) - Analytics to track what actually gets delivered and opened
Stuff you can ignore: - Overblown claims that direct mail will 10x your pipeline—results vary, and bad targeting is still bad, no matter how nice the gift. - The fancier "experiences" (wine tastings, custom events) only make sense if you’ve got serious budget and a team to run them.
If you're a mid-sized team (say, 10–100 sellers or marketers), Postal is less about mass mailings and more about helping reps stand out without going rogue.
How Postal Fits Into B2B Sales Enablement: The Real Use Cases
Let’s break down the main ways mid-sized teams actually use Postal, minus the marketing spin.
1. Making Outreach Less Forgettable
Most cold emails die unread. A thoughtful, well-timed gift or handwritten note bumps you out of the spam folder—literally and figuratively.
How it works: - Reps can send gifts right from their CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, etc.). - You set rules: who can send what, how much they can spend, and when. - Postal verifies addresses (no shipping to old office buildings).
Pro tip: Don’t just send stuff at random. Tie gifts to real actions—like booking a demo or hitting a renewal milestone.
2. Saving Time on Admin, Not Adding More
Coordinating swag used to mean an Ops person juggling spreadsheets, vendors, and tracking numbers. Postal cuts most of that out.
Where it delivers: - Central dashboard to see budget, shipments, and inventory in one place - Automatic tracking updates (no more “Did my package get there?” emails) - Bulk sending without manual entry
Where it still falls short: - You’ll still need someone to sanity-check what’s going out, especially if you have creative reps (expect the occasional weird gift request). - International sending can be hit or miss—customs and taxes add friction.
3. Giving Teams Guardrails (So Finance Doesn’t Panic)
Budgets for gifting can spiral fast. Postal lets you set per-user or per-team limits, approval flows, and access to certain item types.
What works: - No more surprise AMEX bills - Managers get notified if reps try to bend the rules
What doesn’t: - Approval flows can slow things down if you overdo it. Trust your team, or you’ll end up as the bottleneck.
4. Tracking ROI—But Don’t Expect Magic
Postal gives you reporting on what got sent, delivered, and (sometimes) how it influenced pipeline. But—let’s be honest—attribution in gifting is rarely airtight.
Useful data: - Who received what, when, and how much it cost - Whether a gift was accepted or delivered - CRM integration to tie sends to deals or contacts
What to ignore: - Wishful thinking about “influenced pipeline” numbers. Use Postal’s data as a guide, not gospel.
Setting Up Postal: What To Expect
Getting started with Postal is mostly straightforward, but there are a few bumps.
Steps: 1. Connect to your CRM: Integrations are solid, but double-check field mapping and permissions. Expect a learning curve if your CRM is heavily customized. 2. Invite your team: Roles and permissions actually matter—spend 10 minutes on setup to save headaches later. 3. Build your marketplace: Pick a handful of on-brand items to start. Too many choices = decision paralysis for reps. 4. Set budgets and approval flows: Start simple. You can always tighten controls if people go wild. 5. Train your team (briefly): A 20-minute walkthrough is usually enough. Focus on the “why” (when to send) as much as the “how.”
Gotchas: - International shipping: Warn your team about possible delays and customs fees. - Tax compliance: Ask your finance folks if you need to track gifts over a certain value.
Honest Pros and Cons for Mid-Sized Teams
What Postal nails: - Easy gifting at scale without a full-time ops person - Solid CRM integrations (especially Salesforce and HubSpot) - Clear cost control for teams (no more surprise invoices) - Address verification saves embarrassment and wasted spend
Where Postal stumbles: - International shipments are less reliable and can get expensive - Marketplace bloat: Too many choices, some of them…questionable - Cheesy “experiences” aren’t for everyone—stick to what fits your brand - ROI tracking is decent, but don’t expect a magic dashboard that proves every dollar’s impact
What you can safely ignore: - The “influencer” and “event” features unless you run big field marketing campaigns - Fancy packaging—most recipients care more about the gift than the box
Pro Tips for Getting Real Value from Postal
- Keep your marketplace tight: Fewer, better-branded items beat a long list of random junk.
- Automate, but don’t overdo it: Use CRM triggers for big moments (demo booked, deal closed), not every minor activity.
- Communicate intent: A quick, personalized message with your gift goes a lot further than just sending swag.
- Review usage monthly: Make it a habit to check what’s working and trim what isn’t.
- Ask recipients for feedback: Not every gift lands—don’t be afraid to adjust.
Should You Buy Postal? The Bottom Line
If you’re a mid-sized sales or marketing team and want to run smarter gifting plays without hiring an ops army, Postal is about as painless as it gets. It won’t fix bad outreach, and it won’t guarantee deals, but it makes sending and tracking physical touches way less of a headache.
Start small. Pick a few key moments in your sales cycle, keep your marketplace tight, and don’t let the “wow factor” go to your head. Iterate as you go—what works for one quarter or team might flop for another.
Keep it simple, focus on the basics, and Postal can help you stand out for the right reasons—not just because you sent another branded water bottle.