The 50 Best Tips

— Susan McIntyre, McIntyre Direct, Catalog Doctor column, “Intense, Competitor Analysis,” May, Catalog Success

✱ One mailer’s ‘disciplined’ approach to prospecting.

“For each catalog title, we calculate breakevens by season and maintain models of short- and mid-term customer value. We then determine, based in part on risk, an acceptable cutoff for each source. These values are continually adjusted. We run the same analysis whether we’re looking at prospects from one of our catalogs or from an outside source.”