Gilbert Direct Marketing

I got lots of feedback to my column last week on the USPS and its brainstorm about going to a five-day workweek. Most of the comments showed up in my inbox or on my blog (which gets heavily promoted throughout the blogosphere). And most of them were pro-mailer, agreeing that the USPS needs to wake up. 

It's no secret by now that Postmaster General John Potter told Congress that in order for the USPS to survive, it needs to switch to a five-day-a-week delivery schedule. Does anyone else think this is a disaster waiting to happen? And does anyone out there actually believe that five days will be enough for this bloated bureaucracy to survive? What's next, mail one day a week? Mail on alternate Tuesdays? Leap year mail, anyone?

In the meantime, if you're looking to grow your housefile, there are a number of ways to generate new catalog requests and orders beyond the traditional list rental model. I've successfully used the following three services many times in the past. 

Last week, I offered a request to my readers to post their comments regarding their adoption of social media. Based upon the results of a recent poll we conducted at CatalogSuccess.com, many of you aren’t jumping on the bandwagon, as compared with pure-play e-retailers and other Internet marketers.

This week, I continue my look at the trends that'll shape multichannel marketing in 2009, in particular how social media and customer reviews can benefit your business.

As I mentioned in my most recent column — a recap of the National Center for Database Marketing conference last month — it’s not good enough to just serve your customers anymore. You must cement them emotionally to your brand, your products and your customer service.

Having attended many of the sessions and keynotes at the 2008 National Center for Database Marketing (NCDM) conference in Kissimmee, Fla., last week, I came away with three key points that proved to be the overriding themes of the three-day event.

If you aren’t in full networking mode in this economy, let this week’s column be a call to action for you.
(For more about why, see last week’s column.)
These days, I’m always networking. I’m on MySpace and Facebook, and have just started to play around with Twitter and other less known networking sites like Schmoozii. Even Plaxo has gotten into the social and business networking game.
But I find LinkedIn to be the best networking tool to use by far. Most LinkedIn users already know how to link to other people in and out of their networks. I wrote about the beginner stuff

A little more than a year ago, I dedicated this space to the wonders of LinkedIn and all it can do for you in the business world. At that time I was a beginning user. But I’ve learned a lot since then, and there are many more advanced functions. In fact, LinkedIn recently added some killer networking tools that, when harnessed in this economy, can really help anyone out.
My dad was a C.P.A. who worked for the same accounting firm for 35 years. He had a typical career path: He started at a low-level manager position, worked hard and eventually became partner.
These

You have voted!
If not, stop reading here. Walk out of your office, home or wherever you are, and proceed directly to your assigned polling station.
There’s too much at stake this time around. I implore you to get out and vote. Republican, Democrat, who cares? Just go vote. Sure, there may be long lines, but this election is so big that your vote could be your opportunity to make the biggest difference possible in your lifetime.
And one thing’s for sure: Your vote will count in the history books! Either the first black presidential or female vice presidential candidate will be elected to