The Works of Marketing with Ray INDEX
July 22, 2003 • Volume 3 Issue 6
E-mail, spam & paper
Buck Rogers, Dick Tracy and others from the WWII era, told us of wonders of the future.
Some of them actually happened. Some.
As the main frame computer business developed during the 1960's the big boys of the time told us of the “paperless society”. That has not happened. And it won’t ... not in your grandchildren’s grandchildren’s lifetime. Maybe never.
“Yes”, I know ‘never’ and ‘always’ get one in trouble. Been there, done that ... not going there again. See the word ‘maybe’? Still, we do like paper.
I’m writing this away from my Arizona office. Have set up shop in another location for a few days. Have a printer with me ... just in case. Half way through my stay I’m out of ink - out of paper. Stuff happens. Paper is the answer. A down hill run is scheduled in the morning for another load of hard copy supplies.
Earlier today, in a conference call with a client out of the country, I asked if they’d please re-send what they’d sent a dozen days ago. Why? Because my hard copy is in my Arizona office, and my E-mail file decided to freeze and loose everything. The electronic record was gone. When the second sending arrived today, I downloaded and printed it immediately. Now I have three copies...one with me, one in my office, and one electronically in my laptop. Ah, what a comfort level.
Where am I going with this? Am I beating up on the E-age? Or is it because of spam I’m pushing the value of paper?
Well, I am not beating up on electronic marketing and communication. No way. Since 1989, my first days with Prodigy, I’ve been hooked. Since the middle ‘90's webmaster Bill Blinn has kept me in line and up to date.
Sure, I live way out in the country, with no cable, no DSL and no future with anything similar. Where cell phones work ... sometimes. Where there is no local radio (true story, our location is such that we do not get radio ... walk 100 yards in any direction and a buzz fills your ear - drive half a mile and you hear a station. Or maybe two. Sometimes.)
We get a big laugh when city folks come and share all the things they’re going to do for us with satellite. Big time laugh. As even thou we do get decent television by satellite, it is yet to provide reliable service for anything else. Our dial-up 28.8 is it for a while. A long while. That’s just the way it is.
Yet, I’m not beating up on anything “E”.
As paper, too has limitations. During the days when I lived with a telephone and fax machine, and that was about it, I was never as efficient as I am now. There were just so many fax messages I could read and respond to in a day.
Much of my business comes from places outside my local base - fax was a great way to communicate. Particularly when I followed-up the telephone conversation with a short fax, and then a full paper direct mail package. Maybe including an audio or video tape. The one-two-three punch of phone/fax/mail was good.
That all changed with the laptop, eFax and E-mail. Today quick, fast and efficient communication is just about as good as it gets. Not that it won’t get better. It will.
Let’s go back a generation or so - and look at history. I still remember the time when overnight delivery was just an idea Fred Smith (FedEx founder) dreamed. His university prof told him it would not work - he did not get a great grade on that paper. Yet, it did work. And what use to take 2-3-4-5 days is now “overnight”.
Today E-mail takes 2-3-4-5 seconds. And it is good. Very good. So, I’m not being negative on electronic.
Yet, we do have this problem; spam. Not the stuff you eat, the stuff that eats up band width and fills servers with stuff we don’t want or like or need. Sounds like vegetables I don’t like, either. Not sure what you think of the spam you can eat ... yet, it’s certainly agreed the other kind is not good for you. Or your business health.
A few months ago Michael C. Dorf, a professor at Columbia Law School, wrote an interesting article for USA Today. About E-mail and spam. And paper. Part of what he shared was this;
“...annoying and wasteful as spam is, scattershot e-mail from
strangers poses a smaller danger than targeted missives from
friends, relatives and co-workers. Deleting spam takes seconds.
By contrast, I don’t think the one to two hours a day I spend
responding to e-mail from people I know is all that unusual.”
The professor is right. He continues;
“That figure does not include time spent using e-mail productivity
to perform tasks that once would have been accomplished by
a letter, telephone, or - of all things - a face-to-face conversation.
... e-mail has created its own demands. Rather than save time,
e-mail is a giant sinkhole for time.”
Here I both agree, and disagree, with Mr. Dorf. There is no doubt E-mail takes time ... lots of it. Those of us in the communications industry, or needing to communicate within the business world, have made E-mail one of two ways we get to other people ... the other being the telephone. And E-mail is winning, because so often when I phone you, you are not there! Yet, when you return, you will receive my E-mail.
What would happen if we inserted paper back into the mix? Plan to include paper as part of our messaging? Instead of using E-mail for your meeting announcement or minutes, to confirmation an appointment, to send a thank-you card, reminder note, or birthday card - what if you returned to paper? And did it with pen, paper, a real envelope and a “live” stamp from the post. WOW - would that be moving backwards into the 20th Century? I don’t think so.
More from the professor;
“This is not to say e-mail lacks advantages or even that its costs necessarily outweigh its benefits. If one disciplines oneself to check e-mail only two or three times a day, to reply only to messages that cannot go unanswered and then to be succinct, perhaps e-mail can provide the convenience it promises.”
This is good theory - and something only someone not in the business world day after day would say. Looking at E-mail two or three times an hour is more like it for me. Yet, again, the good gentlemen from Columbia has made a point. And I like it.
Paper hasn’t yet and won’t any time soon, be out of vogue. You may wish to consider including it in your next marketing program.
"It IS What's Next!"
It's become known as "the story".
I've shared it with a number of health care organizations, a database marketing business, a direct marketing firm, a publishing organization, a DM association - and several others. And I'm ready to bring it to your group. (Visit It IS What's Next!)
When you have a need for a 40-60 minute program, I'll give you this different, interesting, meaningful, warm and true action presentation. If you want a half-day interactive seminar, that can happen, too. For your club. Your company. Your organization. Your association. Your school or University. Any group you have. At any place. At any time. For any reason.
It IS What’s Next! is available to you as a Keynote Address. As a special program. As an opening or closing presentation. As a different / unique session.
Interested? Visit the web site @ It IS What's Next! And E-mail me Ray@RayJutkins.com and let's make it happen. I look forward to hearing from you. Soon.
Thank you!
Baker’s Dozen
13 Platinum Prospecting Ideas
No person - no company - no individual - no business has too much business.
They may have too much business on Tuesday. Or the last week of the month. Or the first quarter of the year. Yet, no one has too much business.
Even when you're busy - putting in 7 day weeks and 12-14 hour days - it does not mean you have too much business. It may mean it's "your season".
So, since every company, every organization must find new business to not
only survive, but also to grow - “click” here for 13 Platinum
Prospecting Ideas ...
http://www.rayjutkins.com/baker/baker21.htm.
. . . a loose thought
Mistakes
From birth we’re taught no human is perfect. That we make mistakes.
Here are several definitions of mistakes. EnJoy!
If an engineer makes a mistake, it’s a new venture.
If a scientist makes a mistake, it’s a new invention.
If an explorer makes a mistake, it’s a new discovery.
If a driver makes a mistake, it’s an accident.
If a politician makes a mistake, it’s a new law!
If a professor makes a mistake, it’s a new theory.
If a hairstylist makes a mistake, it’s a new style.
If a tailor makes a mistake, it’s a new fashion.
If parents make a mistake, it’s a new generation!
If the boss makes a mistake, it’s our mistake.
If an employee makes a mistake, now, that is a "MISTAKE!"
... another Idea
New business friend Gerry Sacks of Houston, Texas sent me here. It turns out this leading information resource from the financial world offers a collection of marketing & sales ideas. Still, no matter your business, you will find good material here. Offered by 80+ experts (including me!) ... visit ProducersWEB.com
Anonymous
Earlier I spoke - in a fun way - about mistakes.
Mistakes happen. Especially when trying something new. There is a theory that says something like “work smarter, not harder”. I think that is nonsense. You must do both! And Anonymous agrees;
“Hard work is the yeast that raises the dough.”
"Quotes with Direction" has been a part of my web site collection from day one. If you like quotes visit the archives ... www.rayjutkins.com/quotes/. There's a new batch up every 4 weeks.
More Speaking of Speaking
Thursday evening, September 26 Ray kicks off an annual event for the Los Angeles Direct Marketing Association.
His opening night topic for this 9-week school is 40-30-20-10 ... Blast Off with Direct Marketing into the 21st Century.
You can go to the web site (Los Angeles Direct Marketing Association) for the complete schedule, or E-mail coordinator Bob Hughes (BHughes@bertco.com).
In November Ray will be back in Central Europe, teaching DM to those formerly behind the Iron Curtain. Watch this space for details.
A Big Bonus Offer
Full time I'm consulting. Writing. And speaking!
So, now is a good time to tell you about my special BONUS:
When you invite me to speak at your special event,
conference, corporate meeting or association gathering, you get your
choice of 100 FREE copies of either my book, or the audio/booklet
direct mail package titled Magic Marketing Minutes!
For details and to place your product order, OR to book Ray to speak and thus get your BONUS!, visit Marketing Products. Or fax 1+810+815-2520. For questions on quantity orders phone Ray at 1+928+785-9400.
In the between time you may find a visit to my speaking web pages worthy of a few minutes of your time. Surf to Power Direct Marketing.com and take a look around. A visit to ItISwhatsNext.com might also be interesting to you. And ... then let me hear from you. Let's work a deal!
Magic Marketing Minutes
Why Direct Mail?
Direct mail works as a business tool. Either solo with no other tools...or as a complementary medium. Especially with advertising, marketing, merchandising and public relations disciplines.
Here are 10 reasons why Direct Mail can work for you:
1. Direct mail allows you to identify your audience specifically and to talk to them personally.
2. Direct Mail allows you to segment to only your very best prospects and customers.
3. Direct Mail allows you to position your product in the marketplace, to fulfill a specific market need.
4. Through Direct Mail you can speak in the language of your identified and segmented audience.
5. Direct mail permits you room to tell your whole story...and to sell your product or service.
6. Direct Mail provides you the opportunity to use the effective emotional appeal, combined with reason, that is so necessary in gaining any sale.
7. Direct mail provides you with an action device to get your audience to respond. A response card, an application, coupon, telephone number, a fax number, some way for the audience to respond.
8. Direct mail provides you with a means to build long term customer relationships. With repeat contacts to your best audience. You will begin to build customer service through direct mail.
9. Direct mail allows you to test new ideas, new offers, new concepts, new products, new marketplaces, new everything.
10. Through direct mail you may analyze your results by individual market segments. You will know what happens because
Direct mail gives you the means to know what happens.