Some of the blog participants believe that branders seek the consumer’s trust above all. Direct marketers, on the other hand, have no such motivation. They are not interested in people, but numbers.

Have you ever wondered why some great, new products and ideas never go anywhere? There are probably a multitude of reasons. But one may be that management focuses on immediate profitability instead of the opportunity.

I can’t begin to tell you how many prospective clients asked me if I was willing to guarantee the ROI on my proposed direct marketing projects. My answer has always been an eager “Absolutely!”

I have observed that the balance of power between marketers and the legal department has changed in favor of the lawyers.

I am constantly amazed at the profit killing decisions some companies make by not remaining hyper sensitive to their customers’ buying behavior.

There is another compelling reason to test during your rollout periods. It makes sense to test during the same time of the year that you expect to rollout the program should it prove successful.

One of my favorite business thinkers, Peter Drucker believed that to lead into the future, you must first abandon the past. He essentially defined this skill as “abandonment.”

Knowledgeable direct marketers understand the critical importance of the brand and product positioning in generating short and long-term profits. But now, more than ever, direct marketers are routinely relegated to tactical rather than strategic roles.

We say its junk mail only to those who are not interested in our products even though the power of analytics to select an audience based on interest prior to mailing has existed for years. Or we say that not every one will respond by mail