The heavy hitter's primary toolMy network friend and I were discussing the status of advertising agency hiring in the US these days and how things have changed for both the good and the bad. We think this problem applies to any B-to-B sales involving high level corporate services.

Mr Rapp thinks as I do that direct marketing envelopes all media including broadcast, print, direct mail, freestanding inserts, the online medium, email and cell phone marketing

Borrowing heavily from my marketing peers, this compilation looks to the future of marketing. Some of the comments contradict each other because the comments come from a number CMOs who are MENG members.

For the first time in three years of taking this survey, research shows that the predominant driver for CMOs is marketing ROI.

Only a few years ago we rode horses to the store. Then came trains, planes and automobiles. After a while, mail order became the rage as retailers considered it stealing its customers.

Direct marketing consultants are loth to provide response information on specific campaigns because they are simply inaccurate and rarely useful. Inexperienced clients tend to interpret such estimates and accompanying caveats as a response prediction or commitment.

While working with a highly experienced fundraising analytics firm, I am beginning to wonder if the premise that a donor’s potential to give actually predicts major gift contributions. It appears this is not always the case.

The marketer must strive for simplicity and clarity. This probably means no more than three key strategies at one time each year. No group, regardless of how large it is, will sustain broad based focused efforts beyond this level of complexity at any one time.

Having practiced as an independent direct marketing consultant for about 15 years now, I receive a number of requests from employed and unemployed professionals of all sorts if I would share my advice for becoming a successful consultant.