B-to-B

Get Creative As You Prospect
October 1, 2006

Take the road less traveled. Cataloging, by its very nature implies acquiring customers via renting lists. For some, that’s prospecting in a nutshell. But most catalogers eventually go beyond lists as a means to not only grow the business, but also to combat limited list universes, or as part of an overall expansion into multichannel marketing. But which directions make sense for your business? There are so many traditional choices, such as co-op databases, inserts, space ads, solo mailings, television or radio advertising. Compound that dilemma with the influx of newer online methods, such as paid search, Amazon.com, eBay and

Cataloger Spotlight: Modern Postcard
October 1, 2006

In the rapidly evolving world of multichannel marketing, the print catalog’s role isn’t only changing on the consumer side. Consider how business postcard printer Modern Postcard, which for years provided its postcards to many business-to-business (B-to-B) marketers, has evolved into a cataloger: In mid-September, the Carlsbad, Calif.-based Modern Postcard rolled out a 24-page, 10.375-inch-by-8-inch B-to-B catalog that mailed to about 200,000 prospects (80 percent) and existing customers (20 percent). “We felt that our product and service offerings were amenable to the catalog channel, and we saw the creation of a catalog as a unique means for us to differentiate ourselves, elevate our brand and continue

Business-to-Business Transactions Grew 13 percent in 2005
September 19, 2006

Business-to-business transactions increased by 13 percent in 2005, according to a report released last week by Abacus. Despite this double digit growth in transactions, B-to-B sales grew just 9 percent. Other details revealed in the report: * Small businesses made purchases accounting for 81 percent of revenue, an increase of 11 percent from 2004; * Small businesses accounted for a 16 percent increase in Web sales; * Small business customers spent $566 million in direct transactions in 2005; * Medium businesses spent $52 million; * Large businesses spent $77 million; and * 40 percent of B-to-B sales took place on the Web in 2005,

Safely Ahead of the Game
September 1, 2006

In just a year, safety and industrial supplies cataloger Northern Safety has acquired a competitor, added an outside sales force, nearly doubled its staff and opened the doors of a new distribution center. In the process, the company has increased its annual sales by more than 70 percent. Sal Longo, president of the Frankfort, N.Y.-based business-to-business (B-to-B) catalog, says this growth is the result of aggressive prospecting, strategic partnerships and empowering employees to get the job done on their own terms. Not that growth is new to Northern Safety. In its nearly 23 years in business, the cataloger never has had a negative

E-mail Marketing: Four E-mail Strategies to Implement NOW
August 29, 2006

While e-mail marketing is nothing new, many catalogers still aren’t using it to its fullest potential, said consultant Reggie Brady, president of Reggie Brady Marketing Solutions in a session at the recent List Vision conference in New York. Following are a few areas Brady feels that catalogers should improve upon. * Send triggered messages. If customers try to put items in their carts that are out of stock, first tell them the products aren’t available; then e-mail them when the products are back in stock, Brady advised. E-mails sent a few days after an abandoned shopping cart also are important because customers tend to comparison

B-to-B Copywriting: 10 Modern and Classic Techniques
July 25, 2006

Copywriting consultant Bob Bly, with the Dumont, N.J.-based Center for Technical Communications, offered up a slew of B-to-B copywriting tips during his session at the recent MeritDirect Business Mailer’s Co-op Conference in White Plains, N.Y. Among them, he emphasized modern touches as well as some classics, such as the 45-year-old unique selling proposition (USP). Below are 10 of his pointers: 1. The secret of the big promise is to get the buyer’s attention. Make a big promise that offers to improve customers’ business or save them money. Don’t make a little promise. 2. Give statistical proof with your big promises. Customers will be skeptical, so proof

B-to-B Marketing: Four Quick Tips
July 25, 2006

What conference would be complete without a 50 ideas in 50 minutes session? Terry Jukes, former CEO of G. Neil Cos., who heads up Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based consulting firm, B2B Direct Marketing Intelligence, reeled off close to that many tips for B-to-B catalogers during his session at the recent MeritDirect Business Mailer’s Co-op Conference in White Plains, N.Y. Here are some of his more noteworthy tips: * Margin is king, and you must know the king: Track by category, item, catalog mix and maintain both margin dollars and percentages. Because order volume is a balancing act, more volume seldom replaces less; go a for higher

Growth the Smart Way
July 1, 2006

The concept of home automation may call to mind futuristic visions of robotic butlers and a retinal scanner for your home security system. But for Smarthome Direct, real-life home automation products have helped create a multibillion dollar business that’s seen its 12-month housefile double over the past four years. And Smarthome has done so by leveraging its unique and growing line of electronic home automation products against the home improvement craze that’s engulfed the nation in the past few years, says Rajeev Kapur, president of the Irvine, Calif.-based cataloger. Kapur notes that the company has sought to capitalize on the popularity of the ABC-TV

Strategy: Sharpen Your Circulation Skills
March 1, 2006

As circulation professionals, we know that when sales are good, it’s the merchandise. Yet, when sales are off plan, we tend to feel responsible. Is it the lists mailed to, the mail date or the way the merge was run? Just what’s causing the sales shortfall, and what can be done to avoid this in the future with proper advanced planning? In this column, I identify some pitfalls circulation professionals may encounter in the planning and forecasting stages, and provide tips on how to reduce the risk of failure. 1. Manage Outside Prospect List Usage List testing and usage should be based on

Special Report: Matchbacks
March 1, 2006

Introduction A matchback is the process of matching order records back to mailing-tape records to determine the actual sources of those orders. Matchbacks have been used for years on a limited basis to try to pinpoint the source of unknown orders: typically 5 percent to 20 percent of orders. With the advent of the Web and the increase in multichannel marketing, understanding where your orders and customers are coming from has become harder to learn — and yet more critical to know — than ever. This shift has brought matchbacks into the limelight of customer order-tracking and results analysis. This Special Report will outline for