"This book should be required reading for every direct marketer!" —Karen Quinn, Vice President, Marketing Education and Training American Express
"Something new in relationship marketing. A truly important subject—a vital subject—treated with force and common sense. Shaver has never pulled his punches and he certainly doesn't here. Dick gets to the heart of the matter—a 'segment of one.' He's specific about how this can be done, what it means in dollars and cents and . . . its potential impact on the privacy issue. If nothing else, this book will make you think long and hard about what you're doing now and why." —Richard L. Montesi, President Direct Marketing Educational Foundation
"I've read all the books about our business. This one finally provides a real solution to the two biggest problems in our field: invasions of privacy and protection of the environment. That's why it's a must for everyone in marketing and sales." —Bob Hemmings, Cofounder Smith-Hemmings
"This book will help marketers broaden their focus beyond database segmentation techniques, regression analysis and modeling to . . . the real heart of the matter: What do consumers want, anyway?" —Beth Smith, Cofounder, Smith Browning Instructor, DMA's Basic Institute of Direct Marketing
"After reading this book I recognize it truly is the next step in database marketing for two reasons: not only does it produce unheard of response levels, it also creates an emotional bonding between individuals in the seller's company and each of their customers." —Brent J. Bissell, Senior Vice President and General Manager Colle and McVoy Direct Marketing
The Next Step in Database Marketing
Consumer Guided Marketing(r)
First, there was direct mail. Then came the database marketing revolution. Now comes Consumer Guided Marketing(r)—a new kind of marketing that combines the personal approach of direct mail with the processing power of the modern marketing database to create one-to-one marketing that is far more personal, and consequently much more powerful, than any type of marketing that has preceded it. Solving the privacy problem inherent in the use of third-party databases by involving each customer as an equal partner and co-participant from the very beginning of the marketing process itself, Consumer Guided Marketing predetermines whether a potential buyer is actually interested in the seller's product before the mailing decision is made. The results? Mailing costs drop to all-time lows, response rates rise to all-time highs, and customer loyalty reaches levels never thought possible.
Written by direct mail expert Dick Shaver, this practical resource contains all of the information you need to understand and implement this dynamic new database marketing method. Going beyond the one-shot sell, The Next Step in Database Marketing shows you how to establish and develop an ongoing "Mailing Dialogue" with your customer that maximizes sales both now and in the future. With real-life examples from such well known companies as American Express, General Electric, Marion Merrell Dow, MCI, Reader's Digest and many others, this book takes you, step by step, through every element involved in creating consumer-specific mail:
- The Envelope: how to optimize opening rates during the daily mailsort by creating expectations based on reader eyeflow, how different people react to various kinds of envelope copy, etc.
- The Letter: how to transform envelope expectations into desire and response using every element that makes up the letter—including the salutation, format, length, paragraph structure, signature, and copy style—and how to move from general benefits copy to the consumer-specific copy each individual customer cares most about.
- Putting It All Together: advance planning to create your total mailing package, how to move from "promotions to list segments" to a new consumer-specific, personal Mailing Dialogue with each customer to forge longer and more satisfying buyer-seller relationships.
Whether you are a marketing manager, media analyst, or copywriter, you can lead the way to peak response rates and higher lifecycle profits tomorrow—by taking The Next Step in Database Marketing today.
