The Direct Marketing Association reports that in 2013, businesses spent $17.7 billion on catalog mailers and $33.4 billion on non-catalog mailers.

Whether for B2C or B2B lead generation, the omission of one or more of these three planning steps guarantee an unsuccessful lead generation program. Their inclusion, on the other hand, will dramatically improve success rates.

Powerful response copy techniques do not change just because the channel is electronic versus print. Direct response words are indeed used a lot. And for good reason -- they work. So do not base copy decisions on what non-direct marketers say. Better to rely on actual A/B split test results.

For those of you who have tested hundreds of direct mail packages across multiple industries. Have you ever noticed how often ugly packages outpull highly refined and attractive direct mail?

Marketers who spend their careers building brands go limp when it comes to analyze the ROI on their marketing efforts. The CEOs wonder at what appears to be a conspiracy in the profession.

Skillfully merging your direct mail (a traditional medium) with digital can mean the difference between failure and success.

A disturbing resistance to evaluating marketing spend based on sales results seems to be infecting social media and other channels related to new media.

Response rates represent only a part of your direct mail effectiveness.

I've seen reputable reports that branding or positioning advertising works and generally agree with their conclusions. The only problem is that irrefutable proof of this comes only with the scientific method.