The WordTech Group Goes Beyond in the Direct Mail Space
From space voyages and Pong to the first floppy disk, the ‘70s was a time of innovation and technological transformation. Flash to Folkestone, England, 1977 — a southeastern seaside town where Barbara and Charlie Ohanesian founded Elizabeth Charles Associates. Keeping up with the rapid progress of the ‘70s, the word processing company was known for its three-page-per-minute fax machines and early adoption of the floppy disc computer systems that would take over in the ‘80s and ‘90s.
The Ohanesians’ story is one of strong drive and dedication. In 1980, the company renamed to The WordTech Group, and three years later, the family took the long trip across the pond to relocate to Pottstown, Pennsylvania. By 1987, direct mail services were added. Just two years later, a 20,000 square foot plant was built where operations continue to this day. Throughout the journey, the company has stayed in the family and is now in the hands of sons Ben and Greg Ohanesian.
Building off their parents’ strong foundation, the brothers continue to pave a path for rapid and controlled growth, evolving with the demands of the current marketplace for better production, management, staffing and hiring.
In 2017, Charlie Ohanesian introduced his son Ben to Sal Caimano. After discussing goals and direction for the company, Caimano took on the role of vice president of business development. The two quickly formed a great working relationship and began to explore how to propel The WordTech Group to the next level.
“I looked at The WordTech Group and realized they’re more than just print and mail, and they’re more than just postal processing.” Caimano says.
Caimano asked Ohanesian to describe some of the company’s strengths that might not be as apparent to the marketplace. Though The WordTech Group started as a keystroke company, it grew into data processing, a service in and of itself with a lot of benefits to promote. As Ohanesian explained to Caimano that a good portion of their work involved data processing for some of their largest clients, a lightbulb went off.
From that moment, they began to position themselves as more than just a letter shop. “Bring us in early to the campaign, bring us in ahead of the production meeting and bring us in before you go to press,” Caimano says, sharing that this approach has since positioned them well with clients.
The WordTech Group works upstream and downstream, looking at data files and what clients have promoted before, how they promoted it and ways to improve response rates and drive down costs, with a strategy that is customized client by client.
The team doesn’t shy away from taking a step back and asking the important questions. “In the business and sales world, [often times] salespeople don't like to ask questions other than ‘How many do you want? Where do I need to be on a price?’ And we don't ask those. We ask, ‘How long have you been doing it this way? What are the response rates? What would you like to see differently?’” Caimano says.
The company has embraced all things digital, with the recognition that no one strategy works exclusively or on its own. They’ve implemented Direct Mail 2.0, a resource that combines direct mail with seven digital technologies and reaches target audiences on multiple channels simultaneously.
“If a client says, ‘We really don't want to just do mail, we want to do digital’, we do both, and you can track the results on both sides.” Caimano says. “When you do two strategies in concert with one another, your response rates usually go up.” With digital and direct mail working in tandem, the company processes millions of pieces of mail monthly.
One of the contributing factors to the company’s long-standing success is its culture. At The WordTech Group, it all starts from within. “The personality of the company is a healthy one,” Caimano says. “And there aren’t a lot of flaws in the management as far as how they treat people, and how they expect to be treated. They're very sensitive to how [employees] want to intertwine life and work. I’ve been here six years and it’s only felt like a year!”
Looking into their future with Brand Chain, Caimano hopes to foster and sustain new relationships with open communication and mutual trust, and engage with new clients to expand into their marketplace. He recounts his experience at the 2022 Leadership Summit in Clearwater Beach, Florida, where he felt welcomed by fellow members and formed some promising connections. “It was fabulous. Everyone was really open.”
The team at The WordTech Group is keeping on top of the latest trends to maintain the company’s successful track record of building business and retaining clients.
“When we do business with someone, we very seldom lose them. So we're really a relationship company. We’re really looking for clients that can rely on us and trust us with important campaigns,” Caimano says.
By Rachel Schollmeier