Catalog Success Columns

NCDM 2008 Recap: The Key Concepts All Multichannel Marketers Must Know
Dec 16, 2008

Having attended many of the sessions and keynotes at the 2008 National Center for Database Marketing (NCDM) conference in Kissimmee, Fla., last week, I came away with three key points that proved to be the overriding themes of the three-day event.

• Networking Site Offers Far More Than You Could Imagine, Part 3 of 3
  Dec 9, 2008

• 4 Last-Minute Tactics to Increase Your Catalog’s Holiday Revenue
  Dec 2, 2008

• Networking Site Offers Far More Than You Could Imagine, Part 2 of 3
  Nov 25, 2008

• Networking Site Offers Far More Than You Could Imagine, Part 1 of 3
  Nov 18, 2008

• Downsizing Is for Sissies: Putting My Money Where My Mouth Is!
  Nov 11, 2008

• Don’t You Dare Read My Column This Week Unless …
  Nov 4, 2008

• Cost Reduction: Is Downsizing a Last Resort, or Merely the Road More Easily Traveled?
  Oct 28, 2008

• 10 Ways to Reduce Costs, Save Your Company and Look Like a Superstar!
  Oct 14, 2008

• Are We Communicating or What? Part 4 of 4
  Sep 30, 2008

• Are We Communicating or What, Part 3 of 4
  Sep 16, 2008

• Are We Communicating or What? Part 2 of 3
  Sep 2, 2008

• Are We Communicating or What? (Part 1)
  Aug 19, 2008

• I’m Proud as Hell — That We’re Not Taking It Anymore!
  Aug 12, 2008

• How to Create Catalog Test Scenarios That Matter, Part 2 of 2
  Aug 5, 2008

• How to Create Catalog Test Scenarios That Matter, Part 1 of 2
  Jul 29, 2008

• Returns: A Growth Industry, Part 2 of 2
  Jul 22, 2008

• Returns: A Growth Industry, Part 1 of 2
  Jul 15, 2008

• Should You Launch a Catalog in Today’s Environment?
  Jul 8, 2008

• When Disaster Strikes: Jim’s 4th Annual Preparedness Guide to Surviving a Disaster
  Jun 24, 2008

• And You Thought the USPS Needed Help!
  Jun 17, 2008

• DRTV Media Creative Requirements, Part 4
  Jun 10, 2008

• Are You Operationally Ready for DRTV? Part 3
  Jun 3, 2008

• Generating Customers Using DRTV, Part 2
  May 27, 2008

• Another Year, Another Catalog Conference, Another Dog-and-Pony Show, Another Thank You!
  May 19, 2008

• Can DRTV Work for You?
  May 13, 2008

• The Rebates are Coming! The Rebates are Coming! 7 Ways to Stimulate Your Business’s Economy
  May 6, 2008

• Get Mad as Hell — And Don’t Take it Anymore!
  Apr 29, 2008

• How do You Generate New Customers? Do the Math First! Part 2
  Apr 22, 2008

• Building Your Customer File, Part 1
  Apr 15, 2008

• Is Your Company Creating ‘Phone Rage’?
  Apr 8, 2008

• Congrats, You Too Can Be a Gazillionaire!
  Apr 1, 2008

• Re-examine Your Call-Center Practices, Part 4
  Mar 25, 2008

• Re-examine Your Call-Center Practices, Part 3
  Mar 18, 2008

• Re-examine Your Call-Center Practices, Part 2
  Mar 4, 2008

• Re-examine Your Call-Center Practices, Part 1
  Feb 26, 2008

• The Most Effective Call-Center Training Technique You Can Use, Part 2 of 2
  Feb 19, 2008

• The Most Effective Call-Center Training Technique You Can Use, Part 1 of 2
  Feb 12, 2008

• Using Your Call Center as a Strategic Tool: The Art of Upselling
  Feb 5, 2008

• Discover a Myriad of Ways to Track and Record Inbound Calls, Part 2 of 2
  Jan 29, 2008

• Create Superior Customer Experiences
  Jan 22, 2008

• How to Increase AOV in Your Call Center, Part 1 of 2
  Jan 15, 2008

• Happy Holidays — You’re Fired!!!
  Jan 8, 2008

• A Simple, Yet Provocative Ode to 2007
  Dec 18, 2007

• Four Questions to Continually Ask About Your Customers, Products and Brand
  Dec 11, 2007

• Are the USPS and the Internet Secretly Conspiring to Raise Your Catalog Costs?
  Dec 4, 2007

• Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Empty-Wallet Wednesday: A Tale of Two Shoppers
  Nov 27, 2007

• To Err is Human — to Really Muck Things Up Takes a CEO, Part Two
  Nov 20, 2007

• To Err is Human — to Really Muck Things Up Takes a CEO, Part One
  Nov 13, 2007

• Catalog/Multichannel Industry Networking in the 21st Century Via the LinkedIn Network
  Nov 6, 2007

• Shameless Self-promotion for Dummies in the Catalog Industry, Part 2
  Oct 30, 2007

• Shameless Self-promotion For Dummies (in the Catalog/Multichannel Business), Part 1
  Oct 23, 2007

• Network Your Way to Catalog Success
  Oct 16, 2007

• Beat or Meet Your Sales Forecasts by Year’s End, Part 3
  Oct 9, 2007

• Beat or Meet or Your Sales Forecasts by Year’s End, Part 2: The Print Channel
  Oct 2, 2007

• Six Low-cost ‘E-ways’ to Meet or Beat Your 2007 Plan By Year’s End
  Sep 25, 2007

• TV and the Ad Business: Rare Bedfellows? Not Right Now
  Sep 18, 2007

• 52 Weeks, 26,000-odd Words, Dozens of Reader Comments and One Name-caller Later ...
  Sep 11, 2007

• How to Handle Customers Who Want Out
  Sep 4, 2007

• Attention Internet Marketers, Start up Your Catalog Engines Like This…
  Aug 28, 2007

• What ‘High School Musical’ Taught Me About Direct Marketing
  Aug 21, 2007

• Checklists for Converting Prospects to Buyers to Multibuyers
  Aug 14, 2007

• If I Only Had a List to Start My Catalog Business!
  Aug 7, 2007

• So You Wanna Break into the Catalog Business ...
  Jul 31, 2007

• When Disaster Strikes: My Annual Preparedness Guide to Surviving a Disaster
  Jul 24, 2007

• Much Ado About Nothing (yet): Abacus Data, Blackstone Group, The Chinese Government, and Some Tips for Using the Co-ops
  Jul 17, 2007

• Behind the Direct Marketing Hiring Survey: A Few Final Thoughts From Guest Columnist Jerry Bernhart
  Jul 3, 2007

• Tackling a Reader Comment: The Chinese Government and the Curious Case of Some Missing Data
  Jun 25, 2007

• The Truth About Industry Salaries (and how they detract from hiring the best employees): Catalog Marketing Hiring Tips, Part 3
  Jun 12, 2007

• DM Hiring Practices: Best Ways to Find Good People, Part 2
  Jun 5, 2007

• DM Hiring Practices: Best Ways to Find Good People, Part 1
  May 29, 2007

• Why I Have a Love-hate Relationship With the Annual Catalog Conference
  May 20, 2007

• Three Ways to Cut Customer Acquisition Costs and BEAT the Postal Increase
  May 14, 2007

• Find the ‘Hidden’ List Market to Help Your Business Grow
  May 8, 2007

• How to Read a Datacard Like a Pro, Part 3
  May 1, 2007

• Read a Datacard Like a Pro, Part 2: Location, Location, Location!
  Apr 24, 2007

• More on Lists: How to Read a Datacard Like a Pro
  Apr 16, 2007

• Postal Desperation: A Last Minute Call to Action to Protest the Pending Rate Hike
  Apr 3, 2007

• A List Dilemma to Ponder
  Mar 27, 2007

• List Primer Part III: Selecting The Right List Brokerage For Your Offer
  Mar 13, 2007

• A List Primer for Product Side Management
  Feb 19, 2007

• Can Creative Lightning Strike Twice?
  Feb 12, 2007

• Proper Care and Feeding for Your Internal Creative Team
  Feb 5, 2007

• How to Choose the Right Design Team to Implement Your Catalog
  Jan 29, 2007

• Increase Sales With This Simple Call Center Training Technique
  Jan 16, 2007

• Why Must I Wait for a Wii? And Will the Internet Rescue You or Bury You?
  Jan 9, 2007

• Postal Reform, Shmostal Reform: Beat any postal increase NOW (and look like a hero!) Part 3 of 3
  Jan 2, 2007

• Postal Reform, Shmostal Reform: Beat any postal increase NOW (and look like a hero!) Part 2 of 3
  Jan 1, 2007

• Postal Reform, Shmostal Reform: Beat any postal increase NOW (and look like a hero!)
  Dec 12, 2006

• Just 384 More Shopping Days Left till Christmas 2007: A Call to (Early) Action
  Dec 5, 2006

• Give Thanks For Being a Cataloger
  Nov 28, 2006

• Four Last-minute Tactics to Increase Your Holiday Revenue
  Nov 21, 2006

• Perchance to Dream (of New Customers and Untapped Riches)
  Nov 14, 2006

• Which is First? The Chicken (Product) or the Egg (Marketing)?
  Nov 7, 2006

• A Halloween Catalog Horror Story (I’d Turn Back if I Were You)
  Oct 31, 2006

• Ya Gotta Start Somewhere, Step One: Getting the Most Out of Your Catalog Printer
  Oct 24, 2006

• The Four Steps to Take Before Starting a Catalog (Ya Gotta Start Somewhere)
  Oct 17, 2006

• Why Catalogs Rule (And How You Should Prove Me Wrong)
  Oct 10, 2006

• Don’t start a catalog!
  Sep 30, 2006

How to Survive a Recession
Dec 16, 2008

Someone asked me last week, "What are the best ways to survive a recession?" Without thinking much, I responded, “Love the customers you got!" As I began to reflect on my knee-jerk answer, I realized just how important it is for B-to-B catalogers to do just that.

• 6 Tips to Increase Your Productivity in 2009
  Dec 9, 2008

• Now Is the Time to Review Outsourcing Opportunities
  Dec 2, 2008

• 13 Steps to Make Your Business Recession-Proof
  Nov 25, 2008

• Business Cycles Are Difficult … But Healthy
  Nov 18, 2008

• What’s the Failed Search Rate on Your Web Site?
  Nov 11, 2008

• Are You Spending Enough on Your Photography?
  Nov 4, 2008

• Retreat or Advance? What Should You Do in These Turbulent Times?
  Oct 28, 2008

• Use Returns to Cultivate Loyal Customers
  Oct 21, 2008

• The Value of Being Flexible in Tough Times
  Oct 14, 2008

• It’s About Selling Intelligence, Not Just Products
  Oct 7, 2008

• Focus on the Relationship, Not Just the Transaction
  Sep 30, 2008

• Maintaining Customer Focus During Turbulent Times
  Sep 23, 2008

• Are You Losing Customers in Your Warehouse?
  Sep 16, 2008

• Increase Productivity and Effectiveness Via New Technology
  Sep 9, 2008

• Behind the B-to-B Online Video Explosion
  Sep 2, 2008

• Plan Your Year-End Promotions Right Now
  Aug 26, 2008

• Are Your Call-Center Reps Performing?
  Aug 19, 2008

• B-to-B Video Use Continues to Increase
  Aug 12, 2008

• How to Turn Around Declining Sales
  Aug 5, 2008

• It’s Vacation Time
  Jul 29, 2008

• Key Trends From the MeritDirect Co-op
  Jul 22, 2008

• 8 Tips to Improve Call-Center Productivity
  Jul 15, 2008

• B-to-B Takes Notice of Social Sites
  Jul 8, 2008

• Going Green
  Jun 24, 2008

• Stick Close to Your Best Customers in Tough Times
  Jun 17, 2008

• 9 Tips for Mailing Your Online Buyers the Right Offer at the Right Time
  Jun 10, 2008

• B-to-B Sites Follow B-to-C in User Functionality and Benefits
  Jun 3, 2008

• 4 Ways to Modernize Your Online Tactics
  May 27, 2008

• Internet Usage Rivals TV Viewing
  May 19, 2008

• Beauty is Only Search Deep
  May 13, 2008

• Could Your Catalog Mailings Be Feeding Your Competitors?
  May 6, 2008

• B-to-B SEM: How Are You Really Performing?
  Apr 29, 2008

• How’s Your Long Tail?
  Apr 22, 2008

• Why You Should Enter the Outsourcing Business
  Apr 15, 2008

• Are You Falling Behind in Your Online Marketing?
  Apr 8, 2008

• You Want to Sell Your Business?
  Apr 1, 2008

• Worried About a Recession?
  Mar 25, 2008

• The Three Second Rule
  Mar 18, 2008

• How’s Your Online Marketing Department Staffed?
  Mar 11, 2008

• Consider Starting a Web-Only Company
  Mar 4, 2008

• Click Count: How Many Does It Take to Place Orders on Your Web Site?
  Feb 26, 2008

• Operational E-Mail: Discover True One-to-One Communication
  Feb 19, 2008

• Have $100K to Spend on New Customer Acquisition? Where Are You Spending It?
  Feb 12, 2008

• Having Trouble Finding Good People?
  Feb 5, 2008

• Is Your Paper Catalog Dying?
  Jan 29, 2008

• Should You Be In the Web site Software Development Business?
  Jan 22, 2008

• Searching for Profits? Head North
  Jan 15, 2008

• What is the State of Your E-Commerce System?
  Jan 8, 2008

• Test Private Customer Sales
  Dec 18, 2007

• Good or Bad? How We in B-to-B, too, Have Trained Our Customers to be Last-minute Shoppers
  Dec 11, 2007

• How to Avoid the Dreaded ‘Delete’ Key
  Dec 4, 2007

• How Many One-time Buyers Do You Have?
  Nov 27, 2007

• How Well Do You Really Know Your Competition?
  Nov 20, 2007

• Are You Really Doing Enough to Improve Your Offers?
  Nov 13, 2007

• Are You Asking for a Referral When Taking an Online Order?
  Nov 6, 2007

• Are Your Mailings Irrelevant or Just Plain Stale?
  Oct 30, 2007

• Which Portion of Your E-commerce Marketing Efforts Should You Outsource?
  Oct 23, 2007

• Gobble Up As Many Domain Names As You Can
  Oct 16, 2007

• Suppliers or Partners?
  Oct 2, 2007

• Don’t Overlook the B-to-B Market in Canada
  Sep 25, 2007

• Are You Really Listening to Your Employees?
  Sep 18, 2007

• Where Have All the B-to-B Direct Marketing Generalists Gone?
  Sep 11, 2007

• Give Proper Care and Placement to B-to-B Inserts
  Sep 4, 2007

• Happy Employees = Great Service
  Aug 28, 2007

• What You Can Learn from Your Returns
  Aug 21, 2007

• How to Measure the Effectiveness of Your B-to-B Assigned Account Sales Reps
  Aug 14, 2007

• Fresh Ways to Get More From Your Existing Customers
  Aug 7, 2007

• One Effective Way to Increase Your Response Rates
  Jul 31, 2007

• Isn’t Your Company Intelligence Worth Something?
  Jul 24, 2007

• Are You Giving Your Inbound Sales Reps Enough Respect?
  Jul 17, 2007

• Are You Letting Web Marketing Efforts Come Between You and Your Customer?
  Jul 10, 2007

• Are Your New Product Development Efforts Really Enough?
  Jul 3, 2007