B-to-B Prospecting: Dig Deeper for Better Names
To meet your file growth goals, you’ll probably need to use several prospect list selection techniques and strategies. And by selecting the best lists from a variety of sources, you can develop a robust prospecting plan — even for small, vertical niche catalogers.
Many B-to-B mailers focus on their response rates and get frustrated by lists that respond with fractions of percentages. But that metric only tells part of the story. “You go for your lifetime value for customers,” Lowenthal says. “A list that didn’t seem to perform very well might look pretty good after 18 months.”
A columnist for Retail Online Integration, George founded HAGUEdirect, a marketing agency. Previously he was a member of the Shawnee Mission, Kan.-based consulting and creative agency J. Schmid & Assoc. He has more than 10 years of experience in circulation, advertising, consulting and financial strategy in the catalog/retail industry. George's expertise includes circulation strategy, mailing execution, response analysis and financial planning. Before joining J. Schmid, George worked as catalog marketing director at Dynamic Resource Group, where he was responsible for marketing and merchandising for the Annie's Attic Needlecraft catalog, the Clotilde Sewing Notions catalog, the House of White Birches Quilter's catalog and three book clubs. George also worked on corporate acquisitions.
