Maybe you’ve heard – there’s this new thing coming out, and it’s all the rage. It’s called “Artificial Intelligence” or AI. What? You’ve already heard about it? It’s the only thing you hear about?
OK, I don’t suppose I’m breaking any news that AI is here. It can do so many things that it can be challenging to figure out if and how to integrate it into your business. I’m currently using ChatGPT to help design my basement buildout. It has a lot of good ideas, but it still can’t swing a hammer – or stuff an envelope.
So, what are good applications for AI in the mailing business? It’s great at administrative stuff – job descriptions, policy writing, contracts. Of course, you need to double-check its work – you generally need to apply some RI (Real Intelligence) to check your AI.
Other tasks might be a bit higher risk. AI agents can be taught to be pretty decent customer service representatives – but what are you giving up for efficiency? For the foreseeable future, when you call SnailWorks you’re going to get a human. But that human may use AI to answer your questions more quickly. AI can be a great postal regulations navigator, but you still need to apply RI to make sure it gets the information right. If you don’t use the right prompts, you may get an accurate regulation…from three years ago. Maybe it can write articles like this – but not while I’m still here. A brand voice can be very important. AI can’t always get it.
So, AI can add some efficiency to your operations and help with organization, but if you are running a mailing company, you still need to stuff those pesky envelopes and move pallets of material around. The big labor consumers aren’t as easily revolutionized as administrative tasks.
The bigger questions are: what can AI do for your customers, and how can you help make it happen? At SnailWorks, we can help to answer those questions.
As we have discussed before, you can only improve efficiency so much. Your customers don’t send mail to save money – they send it to get response. So even if AI allows you to reduce mailing costs by 20%, 50%, or even 100%, your customer still needs response. Of course, you want to operate as efficiently as possible and to reduce postage as much as possible for your customers. What’s better is if you can help your customers improve response rates and improve profitability. That’s where AI can help.
SnailWorks is introducing ResponseAI™ to do just that. It doesn’t just drive people to a web page – it starts a conversation. ResponseAI dramatically increases speed-to-lead, improves conversion rates, and makes direct mail finally behave like a modern digital channel.
The concept is simple, but the outcome is a sophisticated, complex product that leverages essential direct mail skills and mastery of AI:
- SnailWorks provides a unique URL for every record in a mailing.
- The mail service provider converts that into a unique QR code printed on every mail piece.
- When the prospect scans the QR code, an AI agent has a conversation with them, with the goal of driving the prospect to a sales appointment.
- ResponseAI directs the call to a live sales agent or sets an appointment.
- ResponseAI also identifies who the prospect is, provides a transcript and recording of the conversation, along with contact information.
The concept is simple and powerful, and SnailWorks makes it easy to execute. It is comparable in complexity for our users to setting up an Informed Delivery campaign.
Looking to leverage AI for your business? Go ahead and let it craft a few job descriptions and policies for you. Then revolutionize what direct mail can do for your customers with SnailWorks’ ResponseAI™.