tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2855702741602123705.post1811173345790532489..comments2023-10-12T03:01:51.799-07:00Comments on RRW Consulting's Direct Marketing Blog: MySpace for Geeks. CRM Geeks, that is...Suzanne Ortizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454692691964469323noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2855702741602123705.post-57212467440646327642007-09-19T08:55:00.000-07:002007-09-19T08:55:00.000-07:00Suzanne, was great to see you on the myCRMcareer s...Suzanne, was great to see you on the myCRMcareer site! Welcome! -christopher carficfchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02359310615928410249noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2855702741602123705.post-64426317215070811332007-09-17T08:43:00.000-07:002007-09-17T08:43:00.000-07:00Ted, I'll contend that many direct marketers actua...Ted, I'll contend that many direct marketers actually don't understand those other disciplines (sadly).<BR/><BR/>Well, it's good for those of us who do, I guess!<BR/><BR/>In order to break through the barriers and not be put into a 'direct mail box', we simply bring our clients good ideas that may not include direct mail. They start to understand that we're not all about mail pretty quickly.Suzanne Ortizhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02454692691964469323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2855702741602123705.post-35023080100036134822007-09-16T12:13:00.000-07:002007-09-16T12:13:00.000-07:00For some reason Suzanne, most online marketers I k...For some reason Suzanne, most online marketers I know rarely use direct mail, DRTV or other traditional media.<BR/><BR/>I think this has to do as much with the clients' mind-set as it does with the DM strategist. <BR/><BR/>For my practice, I routinely recommend a mix of all media. <BR/><BR/>Much of my work has a lot to do lately with staffing and process opportunities. Many clients find themselves trailing behind due to weak infrastructure and lack of functional, relational databases.<BR/><BR/>But the bottom line is that inexperienced, client side marketers often do not understand fully what professional direct marketers do. So clients tend to box direct marketers in convenient slots that are tactically rather than strategically driven.<BR/><BR/>The challenge is to find CMOs and other high level client marketers who truly understand the breadth and depth of the direct marketing discipline.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2855702741602123705.post-52864736623970268352007-09-16T10:42:00.000-07:002007-09-16T10:42:00.000-07:00Odd, the link got cut-of.It is:http://minethatdata...Odd, the link got cut-of.<BR/>It is:<BR/>http://minethatdata.blogspot.com<BR/>/2007/09/polarization.html<BR/><BR/>It's all in one string. Check it out!Suzanne Ortizhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02454692691964469323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2855702741602123705.post-1593140485089050622007-09-16T10:40:00.000-07:002007-09-16T10:40:00.000-07:00Ted, I agree with what you say wholeheartedly! He...Ted, I agree with what you say wholeheartedly! Here's my take on it and what we at RRW practice--we've adopted any channel/medium that facilitates a direct response from a customer/prospect as part of our direct marketing toolkit. That means that CRM technology, social media, e-mail/interactive are all part of our kit that we use to customize strategy and programs for our clients. Who better than direct marketers to understand how to build a conversation with customers and how to track and measure program effectiveness?<BR/><BR/>I think that many direct marketers, instead of embracing the new tools, tries to continually push for what they understand best (and that's usually postal mail). That narrow mind-set does no good for our industry, in my opinion.<BR/><BR/>Check out a post from our friend Kevin Hillstrom on this topic:<BR/>http://minethatdata.blogspot.com/2007/09/polarization.html<BR/><BR/>By the way, we're like you--our business comes from client referrals. It's who you know, right?Suzanne Ortizhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02454692691964469323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2855702741602123705.post-37973663218057283752007-09-16T07:12:00.000-07:002007-09-16T07:12:00.000-07:00I feel your pain as a direct marketing consultant ...I feel your pain as a direct marketing consultant myself. <BR/><BR/>I use LinkedIn heavily, write an active blog, produce an ongoing email newsletter, write articles, give speeches and use client references. Yet, there does not seem to be a magic bullet for generating new business.<BR/><BR/>I do get a few projects from these activities, but real business comes from client referrals. And that new business source comes in spurts.<BR/><BR/>One thing that is hurting the business for direct marketers, in my opinion, is the tendency of non-direct marketers to break out online marketing as something other than a new medium made to order for professional direct marketers. They treat it as a new business genre that highly experienced direct marketers cannot support or contribute to in some significant way.<BR/><BR/>Another inappropriate segmentation in my mind is that CRM professionals are somehow not direct marketing professionals who happen to specialize in a specific activity. But rather an industry unto itself. <BR/><BR/>These niche segmentation schemes hurt the future of all direct marketers because they artificially limit the scope of the discipline. It just reenforces the perception that direct marketing consists of a set of tactics rather than an over arching strategy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2855702741602123705.post-4747381845882621752007-09-14T10:15:00.000-07:002007-09-14T10:15:00.000-07:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com