Return on Intelligence
By Jim Gilbert
About Jim
Jim Gilbert has been creating direct marketing programs that drive superior ROI for almost 30 years. Fluent in consumer or B-to-B, creative, operations, and analytics, he marries the strategic and tactical sides of direct and social media marketing in a seamless fashion that gets results. He's CEO of a multidiscipline direct marketing agency, Gilbert Direct Marketing, Inc., which focuses on direct mail, catalogs, DRTV, telemarketing, print, alternative direct marketing media and social media marketing.
Jim has been involved in start-ups, expansions and turnarounds, and is an expert in helping multichannel marketers get to the "next level." He's a former adjunct professor, teaching direct marketing at Miami International University, and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Florida Direct Marketing Association. Jim loves to talk direct marketing, and has done many lectures on direct and social media marketing.
Retail Rambles
The Lighter Side of Shipping?
Feb 1, 2012Postage rate increases have gone into effect; consumers want — scratch that — expect free shipping; and don't forget about...
Return on Inventory
How Inventory Planning Supports Marketing Decisions
Jan 27, 2012Many smaller retailers simply don’t believe that improvements in inventory planning will provide enough incremental profit gain for a company...
Shipping Insights
Parcel Rate Increases for 2012
Dec 19, 2011UPS has announced 6.9 percent air increases, partially offset by a 2 percent fuel surcharge reduction. It's also announced a...
ThinkAbout: Inspirational Verve for Your Product Line!
Can You Up the Ante on Your Products’ Amusement Factor?
Oct 17, 2011Can you up the ante on any of your products’ amusement factors? Is there some ho-hum aspect of your product...
Retail Rants & Raves
What I Learned at NRF 2012
Jan 20, 2012The National Retail Federation's Annual Convention & Expo (aka Retail's BIG Show) in New York City wrapped up this past...
Creating Positive Customer Experiences
A Little Customer Romance Goes a Long Way
Feb 15, 2011It’s the time of year when everyone’s thinking about romance. But did you ever think about how much romance is...
Consultant, Prosultant or Insultant? Part 1
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Now more than ever, fear is driving the business process. To break it down, business owners/C-levels/boards of directors, terrified of the current economy, are making decisions based on fear.
To make matters worse, their employees, both scared of losing their jobs and of looking bad in their superiors’ eyes, are implementing these fear-based decisions.
The truth is, what I just described is pretty much business as usual.
Even before the economy started to tank, most of the people I'd talk with on a daily basis already were floating through their business tasks with elevated levels of terror. Mix in the current economy and the fear rate goes up exponentially.
Bad decisions executed by terrified employees. Sounds like a disaster in the making, which many could argue is exactly how we wound up in the situation we're in: watching our economy unravel while our politicians fiddle away (that’s a conversation for another day).
At the risk of sounding self-serving, the need for a good consultant, an objective third party, is needed now more than ever.
OK, let me say something here that many of you already know. In my four-plus years of writing for Catalog Success, in print and on the Web, not once have I ever written an article even slightly or indirectly pitching my services (or consulting services in general).
That doesn't mean I'm going to start now. Rather, I'd like to remind you of the benefits of working with one. And mind you, I'm not pitching you for my services. I'm dedicating this week's column to reminding you of the merits of working with a good consultant in these tough times. That could be any other good consultant, not just me.
That said, here are eight things a consultant can do for you right now with a set of fresh eyes to balance out the fear-based decision making:
- Review all of your numbers, from response data to budgets to lifetime value analysis and more.
- Review all of your vendor pricing in search of efficiencies.
- Look for opportunities in your circulation plan, targeting dead weight.
- Review your merchandising plans and prepare square-inch analysis, among other tactics.
- Seek out other marketing opportunities you may not be taking advantage of (e.g., social media/Web 2.0, community, on-site reviews).
- Find advertising media you're not using and recommend structure testing, such as package inserts, print ads, supermarket take-ones, billing statements and so forth.
- Provide ongoing support to keep you focused and on track.
- Review your creative efforts and make recommendations for improvement.
And Now a Word From Our Sponsor
The IT director of a former client used to tell me there's no such thing as a consultant and all of us are actually insultants. Next week, in part two of this series, I’ll discuss some insider tips on the three types of consultants and how to choose the best for your organization.
Jim Gilbert is president of Gilbert Direct Marketing, a full-service catalog and direct marketing agency. His LinkedIn profile can be viewed at www.linkedin.com/in/jimwgilbert or you can post a comment here or e-mail him at jimdirect@aol.com. You can also follow Jim on Twitter at www.twitter.com/gilbertdirect. Read Jim's personal blog at http://gilbertdirectmarketing.wordpress.com/.
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COMMENTS
Click here to leave a comment...Well said, Jim. In these tough economic times, it is more important than ever to step back, review processes and look at all areas of your business with fresh eyes. Finding a good consultant to do this is an investment in the business -- there is nothing like objectivity from a person outside the business "fresh eyes."
Can't agree more!
Having worked with Jim in the past I have had the pleasure of learning from him and seeing him in action. He really knows his stuff. If you're letting fear drive your decisions, stop and stop now. Contact Jim. He will help you make sound, rational, informed decisions that will propel you forward regardless of the economic mess we're in.
Well said, Jim. In these tough economic times, it is more important than ever to step back, review processes and look at all areas of your business with fresh eyes. Finding a good consultant to do this is an investment in the business -- there is nothing like objectivity from a person outside the business "fresh eyes."
Can't agree more!
Having worked with Jim in the past I have had the pleasure of learning from him and seeing him in action. He really knows his stuff. If you're letting fear drive your decisions, stop and stop now. Contact Jim. He will help you make sound, rational, informed decisions that will propel you forward regardless of the economic mess we're in.