Frequently Asked Questions

 

Registration
Online Design
Follow-up Reports
Lists
Mailing and Shipping
Online Ordering
Other
Payment
Printing

Registration

Do I have to register?

Not to look through the site or place an order, but in order to check out you will be required to register. There are some substantial benefits of registration.

Why should I register with The Personal Marketing Company?

Registered users enjoy many benefits. Registered users can:

  • Save photos and lists under the My Account section of the site.
  • Save un-purchased and unfinished orders to their accounts.
  • Set up an online address book to be used for their mailings.
  • Receive special promotions (the user always has the option to opt out of such email correspondence).
  • View order history for faster reordering.

Registration is quick and easy! Simply click on Sign Up.
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How do I keep track of my orders, lists, images, etc?

When you create an account with The Personal Marketing Company your user profile is stored in the My Account section of the site. All orders, lists and images are available to view or edit under My Account.
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What do I do if I forget my password?

Simply go to My Account and click on Password help under My Account, type in your user login-name, then click on Continue. Your password for that login-name will be e-mailed to the address entered during the account creation process. The Personal Marketing Company  will e-mail your password to you and you'll quickly be on your way to ordering again.
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Online Design

Can I include my company’s logo as part of my custom marketing piece?

During the ordering process, you will have the opportunity to upload your company logo for use in creating your custom piece. The logo is then saved to your account if you are a registered user with The Personal Marketing Company. As a registered user you will also have company specific logos available to you during the order process.
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Can I include my personal signature as a part of my custom marketing piece?

Yes. You can upload your signature as a logo or image and place it on your marketing piece.
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Can I upload my own postcard?

Can I upload my own postcard? Yes! If you have created your postcard offline, you can upload it as your own design. Select the "Upload Your Own Design Category" in the lower portion of the Category selection page. Please be sure to follow the Design Specs provided to keep the mailing panel clear.
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Can I use images and design photos I find online?

Most of the images you find online are low-quality (low-resolution) images. Although these images look fine when viewed on a monitor, they are not suitable for print. Images submitted for print should have a resolution of at least 300 dpi. For an optimal finished product, images should be created and uploaded at 600 dpi. You can not use copyrighted photos or text without permission from the owners of the photos or text.
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What is a bleed?

Bleed is the term for printing that goes right to the edge of the paper. To create a bleed, make your document one-eighth of an inch too large in all four directions. For example, the layout dimensions for a 4 x 6 inch postcard would be 4.25 x  6.25 inches. Then, when the design is created, images are stretched all the way to the edge. After printing, the additional .125 inch on each side is trimmed off. This gives the appearance that the image "runs" right off the edge.
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What type of file formats do you accept?

For images:

  • JPG
  • GIF
  • TIFF
  • PNG

Images should be at least 300 dpi for the minimum resolution, but 600 dpi is recommended for optimal print quality.

For uploaded lists:

  • Comma-delimited (CSV)
  • Excel (xls)

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Follow-Up Reports

What is a follow-up report?

A follow-up report provides you with the names and addresses of the persons you have chosen to mail to. The report will be e-mailed to you at the completion of your order in Excel format.
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Lists

Can The Personal Marketing Company provide a mailing list for me?

Yes, The Personal Marketing Company offers lists from our nationwide consumer database. The database consists of more than 110,000,000 households nationwide. When placing a print order, you can select names for free. Our list is compiled by one of the nation's premier data providers. You can select your mailing audience by ZIP code, specific streets within a ZIP code or proximity to a specific location. In addition to those search options, you can select a list based on homeownership, occupant status, occupant income, home value and more. To access these demographics, click on Advanced Search Options when searching for your list.
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Can I purchase a consumer list without placing an order?

Yes, you may order a list from The Personal Marketing Company without ordering a mailing piece. You must register in order to purchase a list without placing a mail piece order. The list will be sent to you via e-mail. If you select a mailing list for use with a The Personal Marketing Company order, the list is free!
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How do I update a list that I previously uploaded?

As a registered user of The Personal Marketing Company, you can access your uploaded lists by clicking on My Account. Select the list you would like to edit and click the Edit button. You can select the record you wish to edit and make your changes.
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Why can't I see names for the list that I selected?

If you request a follow-up report when completing your order, we will e-mail you an Excel file listing the names and addresses of each of the records in your mailing lists. Names are not available until purchased.
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Why aren't there more homes listed in my search result?

The Personal Marketing Company wants to offer you as many records as we can. We want to make sure, however, that the records you receive are as deliverable as possible. Therefore,  records that are coded with poor deliverability are automatically excluded from your list results.
In addition, persons who have registered with the Direct Marketing Association and requested not to receive mail solicitations have also been removed from your list results.
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How do you handle my prospect list updates?

With newsletters, you provide changes and updates and we can import them into your database. Contact your Personal Marketing Representative for specific newsletter cutoff schedules.

For the RapidCard program, we provide geographically coded lists for the area surrounding a property you identify as just listed or just sold. We obtain these "geo-coded" lists from a national list service. Monthly updates come from a variety of sources including the Yellow Pages, driver's license bureaus, magazine subscriptions and Change of Address service from the U.S. Post Office.
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Are the geocoded lists 100% accurate?

As with all list acquisitions, this is simply impossible due to new development and regional changes. Our list information is updated continuously and we work very hard to ensure the most deliverable property addresses are used. You can target around a property as well as target selected streets. It's the best information available anywhere, but it is not perfect. You will still find a small percentage of returns on your first-class mail.

In order to learn specifics about your list request, please call Customer Support at (800) 458-8245.
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Mailing and Shipping

How long will it take for my postcards to be delivered?

If you select First Class, your postcards will typically be delivered in three to five business days. If you select Standard Rate, your postcards will typically be delivered in seven to 10 business days.
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How quickly can I receive my...

Newsletters- Each of the newsletters we produce is shipped according to a master schedule on the same day each month. Personalization and customer address information procedures are built into the monthly schedule. We will ship your newsletters in bulk directly to you, or provide us with your prospect list and we'll mail them on your behalf.

Magazines- Client follow-up publications, such as Today's Living, are published twice each year, according to a production schedule similar to that used for our newsletters.

Business Cards- Your business cards ship within 5 working days.
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Do you use labels to address the postcards?

No, we print the addresses on the postcards as we believe it results in a more professional mail piece.
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How do I include myself in the mailing?

At the order summary page, you will have the opportunity to check the box for the option of “I would like to include myself in this mailing”. By checking the box, you will automatically be included and a mail piece will be addressed to the address you provided in your account registration or you may chose to enter a different address at this time.
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Can The Personal Marketing Company provide a mailing list for me?

Yes, The Personal Marketing Company offers lists from our nationwide consumer database. The database consists of more than 110,000,000 households nationwide. When placing a print order, you can select names for free. Our list is compiled by one of the nation's premier data providers. You can select your mailing audience by ZIP code, specific streets within a ZIP code or proximity to a specific location. In addition to those search options, you can select a list based on homeownership, occupant status, occupant income, home value and more. To access these demographics, click on Advanced Search Options when searching for your list.
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Online Ordering

What is the minimum order quantity?

The minimum order quantity for business cards is 500. The minimum order for postcards is 50.
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Can I order more than one marketing piece at a time or do I have to check out after customizing each piece?

The Personal Marketing Company site was created using the shopping cart method of ordering. Once your custom piece has been finalized, it will be placed in your shopping cart. You can then place another order if you wish or you can check out.
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Can I access my order if I created it earlier?

If you are a registered user with The Personal Marketing Company, all of your previous orders are saved in your account. To find those orders, simply click on My Account and go to Order History. From this section, you can complete or purchase a previous order. You also have the ability to reorder a previously printed order.
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How do I cancel an order in progress?

Because we want to get your marketing piece in the mail in a timely manner, your order goes into our production process immediately after you approve payment. For that reason, an order cannot be cancelled once you complete the check out process.
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Other

Can I get a sample of your products?

To request product samples, please e-mail info@personalmarketingco.com or contact Customer Service at (800) 458-8245. If requesting by e-mail, please specify the product formats that most interest you.
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How do I learn about new tools offered through The Personal Marketing Company?

Registered users have the opportunity to receive e-mails from The Personal Marketing Company notifying them of special offers, new products and more. You also have the option to stop receiving e-mails at any time.
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How can I ensure maximum response for my money?

There are a number of factors that can influence the level of your success, from moving patterns in a specific neighborhood and economic conditions of your community to the time of year, holidays and even the weather.

A survey by the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® shows that it takes 8-12 contacts a year before your direct mail program begins to show stability and generate awareness. It's important not only to have consistent mailings with valuable information, but also a personalized, consistent look. That way, homeowners will realize that these mailers are coming from you.
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How often does newsletter content change?

While many of our newsletters have standard features in every issue, such as a recipe, our staff of researchers and writers develops fresh articles for each issue. We strive to provide valuable information on a variety of topics.
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Why not a "do-it-yourself" direct mail program?

As a real estate professional, you understand the value of your time. Your most important activity is meeting with your customers. Successful direct mail programs take time to develop, manage, evaluate and improve. We dedicate 100 percent of our time to delivering consistent, valuable information to your customers on your behalf month-after-month. We help you to develop and maintain long-term personal relationships with your clients and prospects through automatic mailings of newsletters and postcards each month, so you can focus on face-to-face meetings.
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Can I write my own articles?

Two of our newsletters, Money Talk and Living Well, offer not only the personalization option, but also the back cover for your own customized article or coupon. You can offer specific insights into your own market to increase the value of this publication to your prospects and clients.
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Payment

When will my credit card be charged?

Your credit card will be charged at the time your order is submitted.
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How will the charge be listed on my credit card statement?

Charges for your orders will be listed on your credit card statement as from The Personal Marketing Company.
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What are my options if I don't want to use my credit card to pay online?

The Personal Marketing Company also accepts payment by debit card. Information will be collected at the time of order.
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Printing

Who prints the postcards, you or me?

The Personal Marketing Company is a full service solution for your direct marketing needs! Once you submit your order, we will print your custom marketing piece using a high-quality (600 dpi resolution), high-speed color laser printer. We'll ship your pieces to you, mail them for you – or both – you choose!
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What kind of paper do you use?

Your custom marketing piece is printed on high-quality cover weight white stock. Due to the increasing damage done to mail pieces when traveling through USPS automated processing equipment, we help protect your mail piece by applying a thin layer of UV coating to the piece. The coating also increases the visual appeal of your message by giving it a high-gloss finish.
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Will my marketing piece print in color or black and white?

Your custom order will be printed using a high-quality, high-speed color laser printer allowing you to use as much color as you'd like.You certainly have the ability, however, to design your marketing piece to print black and white for visual impact.
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Do you supply a color proof before the job goes to press?

A color proof is not a part of our normal production process. An online proof is available for all orders. If you require a physical proof, however,  prior to The Personal Marketing Company printing your order; please contact Customer Service at (800) 458-8245 prior to finalizing your order. A proof can be provided at an additional charge and will delay delivery of your order.
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Will the print match what I see on my screen?

The Personal Marketing Company provides you with an online proof of the custom marketing piece that you create. Depending on the resolution and settings of your monitor, the colors on your printed piece may vary from your screen view to print. If we note any extreme discrepancies, we will contact you by phone prior to printing your order.
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What Do You Want Your Marketing to Do For You?
Connect with a live TPMCO marketing specialist Monday–Friday from 8 a.m.–5 p.m. CT by phone, online chat or email.
800.458.8245 help@tpmco.com Get your free sample packet