Business-to-Business Direct Marketing: Proven Direct Response Methods to Generate More Leads and Sales, Second Edition [Paperback]

Robert Bly (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 11, 1998

Business to Business Direct Marketing is the only book that discloses how to profit from the most important weapon in the business-to-business marketer's arsenal: direct marketing.

Loaded with realworld examples of how the pros consistently increase response and generate more and better leads, Business to Business Direct Marketing gives you the guidance to create and develop narketing communications that win every time. Veteran business marketer Bob Bly unlocks the secrets behind the seven key strategies and tactics of busines-to-direct marketing. He takes the reader step-by-step through the different types of communications and media at the marketer's disposal.

Bly shows you how to:

• Cut through the hype and get real benefits from marketing in the newer electronic media, including the World Wide Web.
• Increase the pulling power of every print ad.
• Get more inquiries and orders from every ad.
• Make your direct mail response rates soar.
• Boost response from sales brochures.
• Maximize orders from business catalogs.
• Create hard and soft offers that sell more.
• Profit from postcard decks.
• Use press releases and feature articles as direct response tools.
• Generate leads from speeches and seminars.
• Create inquiry fulfillment packages that close more sales.

Easy to understand and use, Business to Business Direct Marketing is a gold mine of time-tested ideas and techniques guaranteed to produce more profitable communications with business buyers.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

"Good business-to-business direct marketing is no accident. The second edition of Bob Bly's book helps direct marketers of all experience levels eliminate guesswork. This book belongs on the bookshelf of every direct marketer. Unlike other books, you'll be going back to this one so often it will never gather dust. Cookbooks are helpful, but the real value of Business to Business Direct Marketing is the wealth of experience that Bob Bly brings to each page. From high-level strategy to copywriting hints and tips, this edition is packed with gold nuggets of advice."
-- Marc Russman Manager, Direct Marketing Skills Development IBM

"The most successful business-to-business direct marketers always had an important edge over their competitors; they knew all the tools and techniques better than their competitors--and they knew how to use them. Bob Bly's new book levels the playing field. He discloses all the insider's secrets so every business-to-business direct marketer will have the marketing savvy--including hundreds of promotional ideas--needed to win in any business-to-business market every time."
-- John Finn President Finn Corporation

"A valuable addition to any business-to-business marketer's bookshelf."
-- Cheryl Friedman Marketing Communications Coordinator BOC Gases

About the Author

Bob Bly is an independent copywriter and consultant with more than 25 years of experience in business-to-business, high-tech, industrial, and direct marketing. He has written copy for more than 100 clients including Network Solutions, ITT Fluid Technology, Medical Economics, Intuit, Business & Legal Reports, and Brooklyn Union Gas.

Bob is the author of more than 70 books and has presented marketing, sales, and writing seminars for such groups as the U.S. Army, Independent Laboratory Distributors Association, American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and the American Marketing Association. Awards include a Gold Echo from the Direct Marketing Association, two Southstar Awards, the Standard of Excellence Award from the Web Marketing Association, and AWAI's Copywriter of the Year.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 2 edition (April 11, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0844232432
• ISBN-13: 978-0844232430
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 9.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #522,967 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #89 in Books > Business & Investing > Marketing & Sales > Marketing > Industrial

More About the Author

Robert W. Bly (River Vale, NJ) is a professional writer, speaker and marketing consultant with over 3 decades of experience in business-to-business, high-tech, and direct response marketing. He became a self-made multi-millionaire while still in his 30s. Bob is the author of seventy-seven published books including Careers for Writers (McGraw-Hill/VGM), Secrets of a Freelance Writer (Henry Holt), The Copywriter's Handbook (Henry Holt), The Elements of Technical Writing (Alyn & Bacon) and The Elements of Business Writing (Alyn & Bacon). McGraw-Hill calls Bob Bly "America's top copywriter," and he was named 2007 Copywriter of the Year by American Writers and Artists, Inc. Bob writes regular columns for Target Marketing, a monthly trade publication covering the direct marketing industry; Early to Rise, a daily e-newsletter on business success; and The Writer, a premier monthly magazine providing information and inspiration for writers. The Direct Response Letter, Bob Bly's free e-newsletter, has over 60,000 subscribers.

Check out Bob's blog at http://bly.com/blog or contact him at www.bly.com/contact

Follow Bob:

E-newsletter: www.bly.com/reports
Twitter, http://twitter.com/Robertbly
LinkedIn, http://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbly
Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/people/Robert-Bly/535042603

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Book Will Get You Results!, September 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Business-to-Business Direct Marketing: Proven Direct Response Methods to Generate More Leads and Sales, Second Edition (Paperback)

Many business people setting up shop these days desire to market their products and services to a variety of prospective customers, whether broad-based or targeting a specific audience, according to the sales objectives they plan to accomplish. Often overlooked as potential customers are fellow business people who are very much like themselves.

Robert Bly has written Business To Business Direct Marketing to offer a serious look at targeting other businesses. Special attention is needed to target fellow business people. Business-to-business and business-to-consumer marketing requires two very different approaches. Bly points out that businesses must buy a variety of merchandise to keep their businesses operating and producing, whereas consumers are not obliged to buy anything and everything that hits the marketplace shelves. This is a key point for us to remember!

A perfect example of business-to-business marketing can be seen in the promotional incentive item industry. Thousands of companies and individual distributors sell those rubbery squeezable tension toys that come in hundreds of shapes, sizes, and colors. There is a tension toy for any company that wants to promote itself and someone has to make and sell these items! Anyone who attends tradeshows and job fairs can count the number of companies handing out those colored balls, sharks, animals, bananas, trucks, cellphones, and computers with company contact information stamped on them. I've got many of them adorning my office to remind me of the companies I do business with (or would like to!).

Bly provides a wealth of workable solutions to effectively market businesses through traditional and hi-tech methods such direct mail advertising, polished correspondence, brochures, newsletters, press releases, speaking engagements, multimedia presentations, telemarketing, and the Internet. All of these require talent and commitment. Bly will help prepare you to face these challenges!

This is a heavy hitting book - definitely not for beginners. This book is recommended for companies and business consultants who have already established themselves in the marketplace who want to promote themselves as truly professional. This is top-notch advice from someone who knows his business. Do you know how to effectively market your business? This book will get you results!

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Business-to-Business Direct Marketing, January 1, 2002

By 

Roscoe Barnes III (Baltimore, Maryland United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Business-to-Business Direct Marketing: Proven Direct Response Methods to Generate More Leads and Sales, Second Edition (Paperback)

Get the jump on the competition! Guaranteed! This book is a proven way to boost the sales and increase the bottom line of any business! I have the track record to prove it.In the summer of 2000, it helped me close deals with three b-to-b clients. It also, after reading it five times in two months, enabled me to increase the sales and visibility of three other clients. And I did it all within the space of about five months.In no uncertain terms, the book helped me to increase the response rate to a number of direct marketing campaigns for myself and both service and produt oriented businesses.In this hefty volume, Bly explains the differences between consumer and b-to-b marketing. He shows the relation between "features" and "benefits" in copy as well as the effective use of technical info to sell various products in catalogs, ads, brochures and direct mail.Bly is the preeminent authority on b-to-b marketing who successfully writes for some of the largest businesses in the United States. His wealth of knowledge shines through.Besides showing you how to sell through direct marketing, he explains in detail how to measure and track your results. He gives tips on testing and explains what you should do before, during and after a campaign.His information on technical writing and selling technical products is especially useful, given the fact that he is an engineer.If you are serious about starting or improving a b-to-b direct marketing campaign, and you want details about the vital tools and mechanics of marketing, this is the book you should have.Be sure to get it before your competition does.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Resource for B2B Salespeople too!, January 4, 2003

By 

M. McMahon "booksonbooks" (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Business-to-Business Direct Marketing: Proven Direct Response Methods to Generate More Leads and Sales, Second Edition (Paperback)

This book is well worth the cover price. It will make you think about every single word you put on your marketing material. I encourage sales professionals to read it too. Reason: So many of the Salespeople I consult with are responsible to write their own letters and are sending numerous emails to clients. The more you can understand the art of persuasion and word power, the better your sales!