Direct Marketing

What the BBB Complaint Reports Didnt Say

(EDITOR'S NOTE The following was originally written as a letter to the editor in response to an article in DM News. Additional Editor's Notes have been added to the story to confirm certain allegations.) I'm surprised at DM News. Your July 16 article, Five Firms Pull Most Mail Order Complaints, played right into the Better Business Bureau* hot little hands. The article simply parroted the BBB* latest report, which as usual was filled with gross inaccuracies and false innuendoes designed to...

How to Go from Zero to Maximum Credibility

If we wanted an example of an industry with near-zero credibility, we need look no further than the people and businesses behind the automobile sitting outside in the driveway. Automobile salespeople are distrusted by everybody. My own informal but I think fairly accurate survey shows that, ranked at the very bottom of the credibility ladder by the public are medical doctors, then lawyers, then, still worse, politicians, then, worst of all, car salesmen. And, quite frankly, in my opinion, they...

Than I used to make in a week

I started my own business part-time as a Von Schrader Associate, got step-by-step help and success beyond my dreams. This is how it really happened. A true story Jay William Turnbow 1 got ured ot punching a time clock, having somebody always telling me todothis and do that. I wanted to be my own boss So I took ihe plunge That's how WiHiam Turnbow describes a decision that changed his lite Let me backtrack a bit -1 was always a (arm boy bom and raised on a farm Evenhadmyownlarm alter doing a...

The Three Best Ways to Target Market

First and most commonly used is geographic targeting, just like my friend in the carpet-cleaning business did. Most businesses that need their customers to come to their store or office or that need to schedule appointments and send salespeople out obviously need to restrict the geography of their marketing. They advertise only in the local newspaper or shopper, use coupon decks mailed to their own or adjacent zip codes, direct-mail to those same zips. There's nothing wrong and many things...