Lillian Vernon’s mail order business has grown from a black-and-white space ad to nine catalogs

By Alicia Orr , Editor In Chief and Catalog Success

Another marketing tool the company uses in selling is the telephone. But it doesn’t engage in outbound telemarketing because it is concerned about its customers’ privacy. “We do cross-selling and upselling on incoming calls only. Offers are tailored to the merchandise the customer just ordered. The rep has a few choices in a pop-up window and can offer those to the customer,” Green says, adding that if a customer really seems uninterested, the rep respects that choice.