Direct Marketing Links

In The News: Virginia Gov. Announces Telework Policy
If you're feeling green, check out this article from Dan Smolen's Sturdy Roots blog. It talks about how the state of Virginia is advocating that people work at home to save on gas, and to increase productivity. I couldn't agree more, and I hope that more states and more big businesses follow this example. My personal experience in home officing (which I've done throughout my career) is that I get a ton more done--fewer distractions. Plus my dog and cat are happy to have me here :)

Getting things done--one analyst's approach
On the topic of productivity, this post from Steven Noble, an analyst from Forrester Research, was interesting to me. He discusses his "getting things done" or GTD method of completing tasks. I think that this is a method we all pretty much use, but only a research analyst could quantify it and break it down for us! I did relate to the point he makes about being paralyzed if a particular project looks too daunting. Instead of being paralyzed and trying to tackle the whole thing, Steven advocates breaking it down into parts and tackling critical tasks that will bring you closer to your main goals, first. I like this practical approach!

Companies CAN'T "join the conversation"
So says Peter Kim. However people CAN! His post talks about the realities of corporate blogging. "If you or someone in your company is thinking of blog authorship behind the curtain of a corporate logo, stop and make sure that your organization is actually ready to get social with the outside world. Because a company can't participate in a conversation, only individuals representing a company can." As usual, Peter Kim is absolutely right.

Welcome home, indeed
I love to read about stellar customer service. This post from the Brains on Fire Blog was so well-written that I thought I, personally, was enjoying the superlative hotel stay (at the Greenwich Hotel in New York) that the author experienced. You know, it's all about doing what you do just a bit better. Making the customer delighted--in this case delighted enough to share with the world.

Experience Engineering
On the topic of customer service and how invaluable a superlative customer experience can be, this Customer World post is pretty interesting. It attempts to break down the customer experience and how this translates to real value. Great food for thought.

RRW's Marketing Information
Final mention goes to our very own collection of white papers, guides and checklists that we've put together mostly for direct marketers. I spent some time this week revamping our online form and making sure that all of our docs were included. Please come visit and let us know if you'd like any of this information. We love to share.