Robert J. Moreau is Executive Vice President in charge of Sales, Marketing and Client Solutions for Rubicon Marketing Group (www.rubiconway.com).  Rubicon is one of the nations leading business to business marketing firms specializing in strategic marketing, demand generation, lead nurturing and marketing auotmation solutions.  Robert has authored many articles and has presented at conferences all over the United States on topics including optimizing lead generation, sales and marketing effectiveness and the "new" convergence of strategy + creativity + technology. 

He can be reached at [email protected] and also publishes a blog - B2B Marketing Best Practices.

50 Lead Generating Tip

by Robert Bly - Freelance Copywriter and Author

What should you know when planning a lead-generating direct mail program? Here are a few pointers to guide you in the right direction:

1. How many steps are there in the buying process for this product? Where in this process does my mailing fit?

2. What can I tell my prospect that will get him to take the next step in the buying process?

3. Can I reduce selling costs by creating a mailing designed to produce a direct sale (a mail order) instead of any inquiry?

4. How many leads do I want to generate? Do we want a large quantity of "soft" leads? Or are we better off getting a smaller number of more highly qualified leads?

5. What happens if the mailing produces too many leads? Too few?

6. Is there a geographic region that my sales force does not cover? How can I respond to inquiries from this region?

7. What is the primary market for my product or service? (Which industry needs it most?)

8. Are there any secondary markets for the product large enough to justify a custom-tailored version of the mailing?

9.  Who is my primary prospect within the target industry? What is his or her job title? Function?

10. Who are the other people (by job title) involved in the purchase decision for this product? What are their roles? (Who recommends the the product? Who specifies it? Who has authority to approve the purchase?)

Read the rest of  50 Lead Generating Tips - by Robert Bly - Freelance Copywriter and Author.

Robert W. Bly is a freelance copywriter and the author of more than 60 books including The Copywriter's Handbook (Henry Holt & Co.). His e-mail address is [email protected] and his Web site address is www.bly.com.

Telephone: The Most Valuable Tool for B-to-B Direct Marketers

By Ruth P. Stevens

B-to-B direct marketers spent $28 billion on telephone marketing in 2006, says The DMA in its 2006-07 Power of Direct Marketing study. Big bucks, bigger even than direct mail, which logged in at $21.4 billion in investment. And certainly bigger than Internet marketing, which soaked up $10.9 billion.

The bulk of the phone spending, $17.5 billion, was used to generate sales leads. Another $8.6 billion went to driving direct order business. Looking at the sales that resulted, the DMA study reports that the phone generated $143.1 billion in revenue from phone-based lead generation and $64.4 billion in direct merchandise sales in B-to-B. Wow, this thing is a dynamo!

Why is the phone such a powerhouse for B-to-B marketers? Well, in short, it's brilliant.

The phone is the most versatile, flexible and consistently reliable tool in the B-to-B toolbox. It is the closest thing to face-to-face selling, but without the expense of a physical sales call. Best of all, it  can be applied at nearly every stage of the sales and marketing process.

Read the rest of Telephone: The Most Valuable Tool for B-to-B Direct Marketers - By Ruth P. Stevens.