Why smart people make big direct marketing mistakes . . .

Pick the winner.  That's the game marketers play every day.  Which offer should I make?  Which medium should I use? Most companies hire smart employees and assume they can "pick up" the skills they need to market directly to their target audiences.  Quite often more money is riding on these decisions than the wages you pay the employee who makes the decision.

Here's the essential problem.  What works in direct marketing is often counter-intuitive.  It's the opposite of what your common sense would tell you.  Maybe it's because we don't know our customers well enough.  But I believe it's also complicated by the likelihood that you and I are probably just not like our customers.  What appeals to us, may not appeal to everyone.

 Direct marketing myths:

• More options increase the chance that the prospect will see something they "like".
  
• We can save money by driving all prospects to the web. Everybody's online now anyway, and it's cheaper to process responses online.
• If you research, you don't have to test. Customers and prospects can tell you what they like and don't like - whether or not they would respond to your offer.
• If you test, you don't have to research.  Testing is measurable and projectable, so it will give me all the data I need to make a decision about what approach I should use.
• Design is about symmetry.  I should color-coordinate my promotions to make them attractive.  If it looks pretty, it will be effective.
• It's all about getting the first purchase, then it's all downhill from there.  If they've purchased once, my work is done, and I can continue look for more new customers to grow my revenue.
• All customers should be treated the same. Besides, it saves money to have large quantities to order, and it simplifies my life.
  
• My major job is to get the lowest bid and save money on the promotion.  If I can cut the costs, I can be more successful.

 What expert direct marketers know:

• Options confuse the prospect.  If you confuse them, you will lose them.
• Prospects will "self select" the method they feel comfortable with.  It's a personality (and age) thing.  If they aren't comfortable, they won't respond at all.
• People lie.  They don't mean to.  They are often trying to "make nice".  But research has to be confirmed through valid testing to determine the best approach.
• If you only test, you've limited your possibilities to the choices you've made for the test.  You won't uncover new data.  Testing tells you "what happened", not "why" or "what else should I know".
• I must immediately get their attention and quickly convey essential benefits and offer information. Design must be used for impact.  Symmetry is not my friend.
• It's all about getting the 2nd and subsequent purchases. The first response may cost me money, the 2nd and subsequent purchases are where my profits lie. I need a multi-buyer and loyalty strategy.
  
• I must reallocate my budget, based on ROI.  The worst thing I can do is to send everyone the same promotion, regardless of their value.
• You can't save your way into a success.  Don't throw away money, but invest wisely in the greatest potential revenue streams.