How to Make Your 9x12 Postcard Income More Consistent (Mitchell’s Playbook)
Most people can sell out a card.
The real game is selling out the next one… without feeling like you’re starting from zero every single time.
In Mitchell’s video “How To Make Your 9x12 Postcard Business Income Way More Consistent”, he talks about what makes 9x12 income swingy—and what to do so it becomes boring (in the best way). Predictable. Repeatable. Almost routine.
If you want the scripts, templates, and the whole system (not just the highlights), start here: join the 9x12 Method community.
The core problem: you’re treating each card like a one-off project
When income feels inconsistent in this business, it’s usually because the operator is doing some version of:
- Sell 16 spots
- Mail the card
- Collect some wins
- Then… disappear for a bit
- Then panic and start prospecting again when it’s time for the next card
That “stop/start” rhythm is what creates the feast-or-famine feeling.
Mitchell’s point is simple: consistency comes from continuity—in your outreach, your follow-up, and your relationships with business owners.
Consistent income comes from three buckets (not one)
A lot of people only think about the new card sale.
Mitchell keeps coming back to three buckets that stack:
- Renewals (businesses who already said yes once)
- Referrals (business owners know other business owners)
- Fresh prospects (new categories + new faces)
If your plan is “fresh prospects only,” it will always feel like work.
If you build even a small renewals base, the whole thing changes.
The easiest win: renewals (and why most people don’t ask)
This business is weirdly like mowing lawns.
The first time is the hardest because you’re selling trust. After that, you’re selling convenience.
Here’s the reframe:
- A business that bought once is already convinced direct mail can work.
- They already have the artwork.
- They already know you.
So renewals should be the lowest-friction revenue in your whole system.
Your job is to make renewal the default. Not a maybe.
A simple way to do that:
- When you send the proof / confirmation, include: “Want me to hold your category for next month?”
- When the card drops, follow up with: “We’re already assembling the next one—do you want the same spot again?”
It’s not pushy. It’s helpful.
The second win: follow-up that doesn’t feel like chasing
Mitchell talks like a guy who’s done this a lot: most sales don’t happen on touch #1.
So the question isn’t “Are you good at selling?”
It’s: do you have a follow-up system that’s automatic enough you’ll actually use it?
A practical cadence that fits this model:
- Day 0: short intro + what it is + price + “one per category”
- Day 2: quick reminder + example card photo
- Day 5: “last couple categories left” (real scarcity)
- Day 10: “Next card is already being planned—want me to hold your category?”
If you can do that without emotional energy, your numbers go way up.
The third win: stop selling “an ad”… sell the slot
This is one of Mitchell’s best points.
Businesses don’t want to buy “marketing.” They want to buy an outcome.
So the offer needs to be framed like:
- “You’ll be in 5,000 local mailboxes.”
- “You’ll be the only one in your category.”
- “We’ll put a clear offer + QR code so people can actually act on it.”
Notice what’s missing: a lecture about direct mail theory.
It’s just: here’s the inventory, here’s the exposure, here’s the exclusivity, here’s the cost.
The consistency lever nobody wants to hear: publish cadence
If you “drop whenever,” your income will “arrive whenever.”
Mitchell’s approach is basically:
- pick a schedule (every two weeks, monthly, whatever)
- stick to it
- let businesses get used to it
That predictability turns you into a local institution.
And once you’re a local institution, a lot of the selling becomes… not selling.
A simple way to make the next card easier than the last
Try this on your next card cycle:
- Before you’re sold out, ask 3 current advertisers: “Who else should be on this?”
- Give them 2–3 categories you still need.
- Let them introduce you.
That’s the most natural referral ask in the world.
Quick recap (Mitchell’s ‘consistent income’ formula)
If I boil the video down, it’s this:
- Don’t rely on brand new prospects only.
- Build renewals into your default workflow.
- Follow up like a system, not a mood.
- Sell inventory + exclusivity + exposure, not “marketing services.”
- Stick to a predictable drop cadence.
If you want the full playbook—including the scripts Mitchell’s community uses to sell cards fast—join the 9x12 Method community and grab the templates.