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Finding Needs and Filling Them,
the ISSM's premiere article by ISSM founder and Executive Director John Miglautsch. Marketing is undergoing a global revolution. The underlying power is coming from our ability to store and use the mountains of data generated from the very stuff of doing business. Television took off in the 50's, radio in the 20's, newspapers in the 18th century, etc. We seem to be accelerating. However, in this article, John Miglautsch asserts that the changes of this century in the science of marketing will pale in comparison with those of the next decade. John believes that we are beginning an era when the barriers to entry are melting and the communication costs are shrinking to near zero; we are finally figuring out how to meld the comfort of our friendly PC with the power of the massive main frame. Although we do not know exactly where the future will lead, we do know that things will certainly change. Click on the name of the article to request it.

The Real Value of the World Wide Web,
the ISSM's Issue 2 by Charter Senior Fellow Bob Hacker who asserts his views of what the World Wide Web is good for and what it probably won't affect. For instance, the web promises to give control of timing and content back to the recipient. Therefore the Web probably won't be of much value for new customer acquisition. Through the Internet, you can get instant access to information! Information that was considered proprietary only a few short months ago. You can find people on the Web; you can find sales prospects; you can refine sales presentations; you can discover how your competition thinks; there is valuable product and service information on the Web. It just might be the best way to distribute data and information. Just log onto a search engine and see what you can find! Click on the name of the article to request it.

The Growth of Business Groups and their Impact on Mailing Lists,
the ISSM's Issue 3 by Charter Senior Fellow Ed Burnett. One of the phenomena of our time is marketing to "groups." Inevitably people work their way into certain group categories based on their likes and dislikes, hobbies and interests, demographic attributes, etc. From a mailing point of view, this helps to narrow and refine mailings to those most inclined to buy. But these groups must be classified and integrated into marketing strategies in order to be of any use. This is ISSM Charter Senior Fellow Ed Burnett's article on the impact of the growth of business groups and their impact on mailing lists. Click on the name of the article to request it.

Powerful Direct Marketing Arithmetic you can do on a Cocktail Napkin,
the ISSM's Issue 4 by Charter Senior Fellow Bob Hacker. He gives you the ability to figure costs and expenses through a handy little cutout you can keep with you always: a "Cocktail Napkin Crib Sheet" that will enable you to "amaze your friends and baffle peers" as you whip through difficult calculations with minimal effort. Get a grasp on things like Raw Cost-Per-Response, Loaded Cost-Per-Response, Cost-Per-Sale, etc. Click on the name of the article to request it.

Going Beyond Satisfaction to Delight,
the ISSM's Issue 5 by Charter Senior Fellow JoAnna Brandi. What is an internal customer? How can you get the most out of your employees? Want tips on how to maximize performance and create a great working environment in the office? Here are some excellent tips from ISSM Charter Senior Fellow JoAnna Brandi on how to provide good service to your customers and employees. Click on the name of the article to request it.

Classification Reform: What do you do About Direct Marketing?,
the ISSM's Issue 6 by Charter Senior Fellow Ken Culpepper. Many organizations do not measure the variation in value that their customers have for its products and/or services. The organizations that do know about measuring variation in value frequently don't know how or where to begin to do so. As the marketplace - and the people in it - changes so does the value of a product or service; therefore, it is important to measure the variation of the value. Click on the name of the article to request it.

Selecting Catalog Management Software,
the ISSM's Issue 7 by Charter Senior Fellow Ernie Schell. In deciding on a system to meet your needs how can you be sure you're getting the right one? Here are some guidelines to help you make the right choices. Click on the name of the article to request it.

The Opportunities and Pitfalls of Performance Measures in Database Marketing,
the ISSM's Issue 8 by Charter Senior Fellow John Alfred Lewington. Many believe that an important activity of management is improving control systems. Greater control over marketing costs and results are major benefits used to justify the implementation of database marketing (DBM) systems. The development and implementation of performance measures provide feedback upon which effective control is based. Feedback from measures of performance may assist managers in improving the productivity of marketing mix decisions, data collection, segmentation, and modeling. Measuring the results of alternative marketing programs is also an important feature of DBM. Enlightened direct marketers use DBM to support their marketing research, because it is, "characterized by measurability and accountability." Accurate measurement provides feedback about the responses of different customer segments to alternative marketing mix scenarios which may supply information to improve DBM productivity. Click on the name of the article to request it.

How to get Positive Benefits by Incorporating Negatives and Quiet Understatements in your Advertising Copy, the ISSM's Issue 9 by Charter Senior Fellow Rene' Gnam who shows how understatement can sell your product or service. He says that just being honest and stressing realism can appeal to a prospective buyer. Here's how you can test your ad copy to see if it's helping your cause or just over-promising and scaring people away. Click on the name of the article to request it.

Why High-tech will Come to Love Low-tech Direct Marketing, the ISSM's Issue 10 by Charter Senior Fellow Bob Hacker. Here he discusses the difference between the Feature, Advantage, and Benefits (FAB) approach to marketing and the classic offer-driven approach to direct marketing. In this article he includes numerous examples and a case study to make his point. Click on the name of the article to request it.

Meeting Customers' Needs by Meeting Your Own,
the ISSM's Issue 11 by Charter Senior Fellow JoAnna Brandi who suggests ways to improve business relationships. First, recognize with whom you have relationships, such as yourself! Your attitude and outlook affect your business performance. Also, be aware of the image you create in the eyes of others with your letters and faxes. Click on the name of the article to request it.

Being Digital,
the ISSM's Issue 12 by Charter Senior Fellow Ed Burnett. According to him, bits are replacing atoms as the basic commodity of human interaction. It is the rise of the importance of data and the information superhighway that will define the future of technology and human interaction. Here, Mr. Burnett explains the meaning and importance of bits. He also discusses "open systems," a concept that exercises the entrepreneurial part of our economy and challenges both proprietary systems and broadly mandated monopolies. In the "open system" of the future we will compete with our imaginations, resulting in greater success for the imaginative and more choices for the consumer. Click on the name of the article to request it.

You Can't Shoot What You Can't See; Some Thoughts on Targeting the SOHO Market,
the ISSM's Issue 13 by Charter Senior Fellow Brent Bissell. They may not be easily recognizable on a mailing list, but small or home offices (SOHO) are an important market worth exploring. Here are some thoughts on reaching this large and growing market. A logical hypothesis and a sound strategic approach can combine to make this seemingly invisible target become visible. Click on the name of the article to request it.

Strengthening the Patient/Physician Relationship
the ISSM's Issue 14 by Charter Senior Fellow Keneth Culpepper. Traditionally antagonistic towards the idea of "advertising," convincing physicians of the value of marketing has not been easy. A recent development has been the use of computer telephony - the integration of the telephone and computer systems. What makes it so attractive is the use of Interactive Voice Response (IVR). Click on the name of the article to request it.

The ABC's of Modeling for Business-to-Business
the ISSM's Issue 15 by Charter Senior Fellow Ed Burnett. Modeling of a Business-to-Business Customer file proceeds on two levels. This Ed Burnett article covers the steps necessary for the production of a penetration analysis. Wondering what kind of differences it pay to analyze? Here is your answer, given in numerous examples with detailed explanations. You will read how penetration is figured and analyzed in various SIC circumstances, and how to make use of levels of data. And review what advantages can acrue to a large Business-to-Business model.

Going Global
the ISSM's Issue 16 by Associate Fellow Savinder Mattu. There are many mailing lists available in the list marketplace. Staying local or going to the better known international files will need to be considered in light of the countries being mailed and the product offered. Each has advantages and disadvantages. Here are some helpful thoughts on using mailing lists globally.

How to Write a Sales Letter That Brings in Sales Leads
the ISSM's Issue 17 by Associate Fellow Ron Davis. What makes a good sales letter? Here are some thoughts on that and several formulas to consider when composing a sales letter. You need to think about what will appeal to your prospects and how to get his attention quickly, then move into action and seal the deal.

Field Sales Automation
the ISSM's Issue 18 by Charter Senior Fellow Tracy Emerick. He believes the Internet provides the first opportunity for practical, satisfying field sales automation. Using Internet communication, FSA is functional, valuable, and inexpensive. And unlike current FSA software/hardware solutions in use, Internet-based FSA is workable.

Direct Mail - Truth with Words

Considering the common use of Direct Mail marketing, it's amazing that more people haven't considered what makes for good copy and formatting on Direct Mail sales letters. Here are a whole bunch of proven tips on how to create better Direct Mail letters.

How to Save Money on Postage & How to Work With Your Local Post Office

This article covers how to save money on postage, the different classes of mail, and self-mailing formats. It also addresses how to work with your local post office to minimize your postage costs. Though written with costs from 1996, it's other tips are still valuable and worth noting.

Five Defining Trends in the Catalog Industry

Don Libey contends that the Web-based, E-commerce construct described herein is the single most significant event of commerce since the Industrial Revolution, and that it will alter forever the catalog industry of the past and change it irretrievably into the massive scale, digital, transaction fee-based, operations and fulfillment consolidated, procurement infomediary construct for the future.

The Life of a KISSer
Here we learn Senior Fellow Bob Stone's deep, dark secret: he is a certified, lifetime, card-carrying member of KISS. All members worldwide start each day by uttering the four magic passwords: Keep-It-Simple-Stupid. This article extols the virtues of keeping it all simple and understandable.

Fight Brand Tyranny!
Charter Senior Fellow Bob Hacker urges us to "fight brand tyranny." He proposes that the singular emphasis on brand, at least for direct marketers, is at best simplistic, at worst heresy.

Sony Shifts Sales to Cyberspace Further Unwinding Japan, Inc.
Sony Corporation said it would be the first major manufacturer
to sell products directly over the Internet. Sony estimates it will
eventually do more than a third of its business online. If Japanese
retailers hope to survive they must give up their reliance on a political
solution and learn to fight back in the marketplace.

Fix Problems. . .Fix Relationships. . . Build Loyalty

In Issue 26, Senior Fellow JoAnna Brandi stresses looking beyond the sale
itself to achieving and maintaining good customer relations and customer loyalty.
If you'd like your customers to 'rave' about your business read this!

CRM? Where'd That 'C' Come From, Anyway?
Senior Fellow Herschell Gordon Lewis discusses direct mail and
prospecting, among other things, in this article on Customer Relationship
Management and Customer Acquisition.

Thoughts on RFM Scoring
ISSM's Executive Director shares his thoughts on Recency, Frequency, and
Monetary (RFM)scoring and other marketing techniques, e.g. weighting, life-to-date,
and quintiles.

Spinning Straw into Gold
Direct marketing is extremely concerned with data and information and
information gathering. How do we as direct marketers use all this information?
Using a story from The Brothers Grimm, John Miglautsch draws a comparison that
illuminates the situation, and explains how to overcome the inherent problems.

People Do Not Like To Be Sold, But They Sure Do Like To Buy!
Using two personal experiences - one traveling and one shopping - Ray Jutkins finds and explains some principles of loyalty and frequency in Issue 30.