raiser's edge therapy september 2013 - queries for mail testing
TRANSCRIPT
Testing with The Raiser’s Edge
How to use Queries to better control your Mailings
Obligatory Introduction
THE WINNING QUERIES
1. Queries for Inclusions, Exclusions, and
Segments
2. Using Query Merges for best results.
3. Random Samples in Query – Creating Tests and
Controls
SKILLS
Be able to set up simple queries for direct
response
Use query merge to enhance
Use “select from” functionality
Create test groups and control groups using
query
Inclusions and Exclusions
All Your Base
INCLUSIONS AND EXCLUSIONS
Inclusions
Very basic high level
Can be your entire database,
can include people you will
not want to mail
Should have minimal criteria
Exclusions
Specific data
Everyone you most definitely
do not want to mail
Lots of criteria
Potential for errors – be
cautious
INCLUSIONS AND EXCLUSIONS
Inclusions
Very basic high level
Can be your entire database,
can include people you will
not want to mail
Should have minimal criteria
Exclusions
Specific data
Everyone you most definitely
do not want to mail
Lots of criteria
Potential for errors – be
cautious
EXAMPLE INCLUSION
If you know you are mailing to:
Donors who gave in the last 5
years to certain campaigns
Event participants who came
to a dinner in the last 5 years
Specific Volunteers of type
General or Corporate
Then you might create:
Gift Date >= 2009-10-01
OR
Event Participation Event Is
Not Blank
OR
Volunteer Type Is Not Blank
The specific queries can break this
down even further. We just might
want to limit the scope of the mailing
in general.
INCLUSIONS AND EXCLUSIONS
Inclusions
Very basic high level
Can be your entire database,
can include people you will
not want to mail
Should have minimal criteria
Exclusions
Specific data
Everyone you most definitely
do not want to mail
Lots of criteria
Potential for errors – be
cautious
EXAMPLE EXCLUSION
If you do not want to mail to:
People who have given in the
last 3 months
People with a solicitor
People who are inactive or
deceased
Attributes/Solicit Codes of
“Do not Mail,” “Do not solicit.”
Then you might create:
Last gift date >= 2013-07-01OR
Assigned Solicitor Name Not BlankOR
Deceased = YESOR
Inactive = YESOR
Solicit Code ONE OF Do not mail
Do not solicitHere we are very specific. These
will almost always be “ORs,” so
we can just keep adding
INCLUSIONS AND EXCLUSIONS
Inclusions
Very basic high level
Can be your entire database,
can include people you will
not want to mail
Should have minimal criteria
Exclusions
Specific data
Everyone you most definitely
do not want to mail
Lots of criteria
Potential for errors – be
cautious
ADDING ON THE SEGMENTS
Segments are quick and should be based ONLY
on the specific criteria:
Donors who gave in the last 5 years to certain
campaigns
Gift Date >= 2009-10-1 AND
Campaign ID One of (Foo, Bar)
Specific Volunteers of type General or Corporate
Volunteer Type One of (General, Corporate)
ADDING ON THE SEGMENTS
Notice that we did not worry about inclusions and
exclusions – JUST the criteria.
THE WINNING QUERIES
1. Queries for Inclusions, Exclusions, and
Segments
2. Using Query Merges for best results.
3. Random Samples in Query – Creating Tests and
Controls
Query Merges
OUR QUERIES
Inclusions
Exclusions
Segment 3
Segment 2
Segment 1
THE SUB-MERGE
Inclusions Exclusions
THE SUB-MERGE
Sub Merges Remove
One Set of Data from
Another
This is what is left of
our inclusions minus
exclusions
THE AND MERGE
The And Merge are the
records that appear in
both data sets.
Your Inc/Exc List AND
Your Segment 1 list, is
who you want to actually
mail in Segment 1
Segment 1
FOR COMPLETENESS
OR XOR
Not Included
RECAP
SUB merge – Inclusions Minus Exclusions
From your new query, AND merges with the
criteria.
We now have 3 segments, which will only pull
records that were in our inclusions, not in our
exclusions, and adhere to the segment criteria.
The Dynamic And
THE LAMENT OF THE MERGE QUERY
Query merges take a lot of
time
Inclusion/Exclusion SUB
Segment 1 AND
Segment 2 AND
Segment 3 AND
Lather, rinse, repeat…
“AND” MERGES - DYNAMICALLY
Select Merge
Select Query 1 (Inc minus Exc)
Select Query 2 (Criteria X)
Select Type
Run
Overwrite?
Complete
Run
THE DYNAMIC “AND” MERGE
Go to Query Options
Go to Record Processing
Choose a “Select From”
Query of “Inc minus Exc”
THE WINNING QUERIES
1. Queries for Inclusions, Exclusions, and
Segments
2. Using Query Merges for best results.
3. Random Samples in Query – Creating Tests and
Controls
Onto the Test!
I WANT TO TEST THIS SEGMENT
A
I WANT TO TEST THIS SEGMENT
A
B
SEGMENT A
We could build another query and SUB merge
them like Inclusions and Exclusions.
But how do we build B?
RANDOM SAMPLES
In Record Processing under
the Query Options, there is
a greyed out section.
RANDOM SAMPLES
If we turn our dynamic query
into a static, the “Apply
Output Limits” option will be
available.
RANDOM SAMPLES
By checking “Apply Output
Limits” we can then select
two options:
Random Sampling
Limit to Top Rows
RANDOM SAMPLES
OUR QUERIES
So we now have Segment Query 1, which selects
records from Inclusions/Exclusions
We have now set to Static and Applied Output
Limits based on a Random Sample.
Let’s *SAVE AS* as a new Query. Let’s call it,
Segment Query 1B
Now, we need to make sure that those in B group
don’t get the A mailing.
SEGMENT A
So now we take our Segment Query 1 and SUB
Segment Query 1B. We save this as new query
Segment Query 1A.
Now we have an A and B
A should be approx. 80%
B should be approx. 20%
THE WINNING QUERIES
1. Queries for Inclusions, Exclusions, and
Segments
2. Using Query Merges for best results.
3. Random Samples in Query – Creating Tests and
Controls
Putting it all together
STEP 1: INCLUSION
Create a general Inclusion
Query
Gift Date >= 2009-10-01
OR
Event Participation Event Is
Not Blank
OR
Volunteer Type Is Not Blank
STEP 2: EXCLUSION
Create your Exclusion query Last gift date >= 2013-07-01OR
Assigned Solicitor Name not BlankOR
Deceased = YESOR
Inactive = YESOR
Solicit Code ONE OFDo not mail
Do not solicit
STEP 3: SUB YOUR BASE QUERIES
Inclusions Exclusions
STEP 3: SUB YOUR BASE QUERIES
STEP 4: SEGMENT QUERIES
Create your Segment Queries
Use “Select From” on your merged Inclusions minus
Exclusions with each Segment Query
STEP 5: CREATE “B” GROUP
Now we can create our
random samples by creating
new static queries.
Save as *new* queries so
that the original dynamic
query remains.
STEP 6: CREATE “A” GROUP
Now we SUB the B group from the Dynamic Query,
and save as your new A group.
Moving Forward
STEPS
1. Inclusions
2. Exclusions
3. SUB Merge
4. Segments using Select From
5. Create Random Samples
6. SUB Random Samples from Segments
ANYTHING ELSE?
De-duplication – are your Segments mutually
exclusive?
Apply Appeals and Packages to these groups
What happens if we need to re-generate?
This is where we would use the Segment tool,
located in Quick Letters…
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
Method Works offers online training by individual
course or by organization-wide subscription.
Come visit us at
http://www.methodworksconsulting.com for more
information.
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
Method Works in Toronto
Kathleen Pollard, Training Manager
416-587-0059
Allison Skahan, Online Strategist
647-669-1552
METHOD WORKS CONSULTING
The Raiser’s Edge
The Financial Edge
The Education Edge
NetCommunity/Online
Campus Community
Blackbaud Luminate
(formerly Convio)
Blackbaud Sphere
(formerly Kintera)
Fundraising Systems
Online Engagement
Custom Training
Onsite and On-Call
Support
Training
Business Process
Analysis and
Improvement