How to Apply the Pareto Principle to Direct Mail

I’ve reminded you all about the Pareto Principle, and written about Pareto². It’s all well and good in theory. But how can it be applied in practice?

One of the most obvious applications is when targeting and budgeting in direct mail. If I am working on a direct-mail pack to my house file (people who have donated through direct mail before), I can use the principle to increase revenue—and usually for no extra cost!

A fundamental mistake in direct mail is when the goal is to reach as many people as possible, as cheaply as possible.