Streetwise Direct Marketing: the Book
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Proven, hands-on solutions for small business success
by George Duncan
From the basics of direct mail copy and design to workable Web marketing techniques, Streetwise Direct Marketing takes small business owners and their marketing directors out of the dark of response marketing confusion and
into the light of today's
most successful interactive marketing models.
Drawing on his 35 years experience with companies large and small, the author provides step-by-step guidance on direct mail packages and lists, copywriting, response advertising, database marketing, telemarketing, catalogs, trade shows, the Internet and more. Checklists and case studies help to deliver complex points quickly. The so-called "secrets" of direct marketing are exploded and presented in easily usable form. Small business owners, entrepreneurs, solos and startups in every field will save money, maximize profits and avoid costly mistakes with the proven, practical strategies and hands-on techniques spelled out in Streetwise Direct Marketing.
385pp, 8" x 9" Softcover, $19.95
| Table of Contents | |
| Foreword by Pierre Passavant | |
| Preface | |
| Acknowledgments | |
| 1. Introduction -- Direct Mail and the Dynamics of Response | |
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| 2. The Offer - Key to Response | |
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| 3. Interactive Design | |
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| 4. What Does it Cost to Do a Mailing? | |
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| 5. What Kind of Results Can I Expect? | |
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| 6. Finding Your Way Through the Mailing List Swamp | |
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| 7. Writing for Response: Direct Mail Copywriting | |
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| 8. The Direct Mail Package | |
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| 9. Writing and Designing Response Advertising | |
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| 10. Database Marketing -- The Camel in the Dark | |
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| 11. Alternative Print Media: A Low-Cost Prospecting Tool | |
| 12. Telemarketing: Reach Out and Touch Profits! | |
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| 13. Catalogs | |
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| 14. Trade Shows | |
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| 15. Direct Marketing on the Internet: Bringing Your Company Into the 21st Century |
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| 16. E-Mail Marketing: The Other Side of the Net | |
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| Appendix | |
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"George Duncan's breakthrough book is a master's course in direct marketing. It's packed with e-commerce brilliance and effective classic techniques that make it a MUST-have book for every small or large business!"
Don Libey, President
Libey Incorporated
Consultants and Advisors to CEOs of Direct Marketing Companies
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"George is a no nonsense direct marketing professional who is not just talking the talk, he has walked the walk. He provides "go do" directions that produce results. You really can take what George says to the bank, if you follow his approaches. Common sense and real-world judgment are built into every strategy and tactic George provides. You don't need to be a professional marketer to implement what George provides, but you do need to want to make money.
I have known George for years and always delight in the time we spend taking shop. His insights and his ability to cut to the heart of direct marketing challenges are enlightening. I will keep a copy of this text to use as a baseline for direct marketing information."
Tracy Emerick, Ph.D.
Managing Consultant
RMI, Inc.
861 Lafayette Rd #6 PO Box 1620
Hampton, NH 03842
603-926-6233 ext. 100
www.receptive.com
www.tracyemerick.com
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"Contrary to popular myth--and all the Fast Eddies who want to become zillionaires via Internet IPOs--direct mail is still the workhorse of direct marketing. Call it the tortoise of direct marketing, because it is consistently the winning medium.
It was George Duncan who said, "Direct mail is theater in print!" And his work over the years for a wide variety of clients has been SRO. George knows the rules-how and when to follow them and how and when to break them. This book should be memorized cover-to-cover by every direct marketer before spending one more penny on postage."
-- Denny Hatch, DM Consultant, Founder of Who's Mailing What and former editor of Target Marketing magazine.
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George Duncan's new book, Streetwise Direct Marketing, is perfect for showing small businesses and people relatively new to direct marketing how to profitably utilize the best aspects of today's direct marketing technique.
George's book will show how to best use both time-honored and some new methods for maximizing the effectiveness of direct marketing dollars spent. It's a must for those interested in acquiring, retaining and increasing one's customer base--especially if the person is relatively new to the field and/or as limited resources.
George has the practical experience and in-depth knowledge which will help show you how to make the most of your investment in direct marketing.
Bob Kesner, President
Evergreen Direct, Inc.
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"George Duncan's book has a way of cutting directly through direct marketing theory and providing tools the small business owner can use."
"His method of instruction requires only that the reader be eager to learn - no special skills or previous training are needed. Clear explanations, avoidance of "pie-in-the-sky" theory and tons of practical advice make this book not just a good read, it's a tool the marketer can put to good use tomorrow morning at 9:00 am."
"Streetwise Direct Marketing is not only a book that you'll want to read and keep on your bookshelf, you'll want to keep it handy on your desk for reference."
Gary Cloutier, Regional Manager, Small Business Development Center,
Keene, New Hampshire
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Finally, information you can really use from one of the industry's best! I've attended many a seminar in the hopes over uncovering the kind of information that George Duncan reveals here. Whether you're a direct marketing copywriter or in the job of determining and evaluating the approach - this book is for you! I know I'll turn to it every time I start a direct mail campaign.
Mike Poplardo
Circulation Director
Miller Freeman, Inc.
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Streetwise Direct Marketing provides solid, take-it-to-the-bank advice. There's at least $250,000 in revenue I'll make from the lessons in this book. If you're responsible for generating revenue -- READ THIS BOOK! Packed with results-oriented, revenue-generating tactics to improve your marketing today.
Marshall Cooper
Executive Vice President
Kennedy Information, LLC
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"George's book is like attending a one-on-one seminar with a top pro. It's packed with no-nonsense, cut-the-hype how-to's that tell you not just what to do, but why!"
Susan Berkley
Owner, Berkley Productions, Inc.
Industry and professional reviews of Streetwise Direct Marketing:
'Streetwise' Is Street Smart
What we like best about George Duncan's "Streetwise Direct Marketing" (Adams Media Corp., $19.95) is its subtitle: "How to Use the Internet, Direct Mail and Other Media to Generate Direct Sales." The phrase not only neatly captures what direct marketing should be about, but also epitomizes truth in advertising. Duncan, founder and president of Peterborough, NH-based Duncan Direct Associates, has been involved with direct marketing for more than 26 years. He's worked with such DM greats as Sheldon Sachs, Richard Steeg, Leon Henry and Maxwell Sroge. He even won a Caples Award in 1978. Little wonder Pierre Passavant wrote the foreword.
The format is delivered in a conversational, easy-to-read tone covering relevant issues. Callouts highlight key points, case studies illustrate how things are done (or not done), and checklists provide quick-start guides for businesses that have to do it themselves.
Duncan begins by explaining direct mail and the "dynamics of response" and goes on to describe how to put together a DM campaign. He lists the costs of such an effort, provides a guide ("Finding Your Way Through the Mailing List Swamp") and outlines the procedure of writing and designing packages.
Other chapters include catalogs, telemarketing and alternative media (here, called "alternative print media"). The final chapters detail marketing on the Internet and by e-mail.
For readers who have a sense of marketing in general, "Streetwise Direct Marketing" could be an invaluable one-stop shop for how to launch a campaign of their own. For entry-level DMers, it might supplement — if not replace — in-house training.
DIRECTIONS: Book Review
by Jonathan Boorstein
DIRECT Magazine, April 1, 2001
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A Great Primer in Direct Marketing
You may be Internet-savvy, book-smart or have a head for numbers, but are you streetwise? If you know you aren't, or even if you're unsure, take a look at the latest book in the Adams Streetwise series, "Direct Marketing: How to Use the Internet, Direct Mail and Other Media to Generate Direct Sales," authored by industry veteran George Duncan. It's a great primer or refresher course in direct marketing, covering topics from the dynamics of response and the cost of a mailing, to tips on copywriting and going after multiple channels.
From touting benefits, to tailoring your offer ands calculating break-evens, the information is valuable, whether you're dealing with traditional print media or marketing on the Web. Helpful checklists and case studies pepper this book, and heavy-duty resources section take up the back end. "Streetwise Direct Marketing" is $19.95 and available through Adams Media, Corp., Holbrook, MA or from Amazon.com.
Target Marketing Magazine, April 2001
Excels in Explaining in Detail the Dynamics of Direct Response…
I am increasingly convinced that sales of products and services via the Internet are more closely related to the discipline of direct marketing than any other paradigm. We speak of e-tailing, implying that B2C sales via the Web are using a retailing model, but it isn't really true. The model is much closer to the catalog model that direct marketers perfected during the 20th Century. If you can master the principles of direct marketing, then you are likely to do well with Internet marketing -- and in particular, e-mail marketing. If you can't wrap your mind around direct marketing, then you are doomed to meager results.
The trick is to translate direct marketing principles to the realities of Internet media, primarily the Web and e-mail. Streetwise Direct Marketing excels in explaining in detail the dynamics of direct response, how to craft an "offer," and how to package the entire message in such a way as to involve the recipient -- exactly the same skills the Internet marketer must master in order to succeed in writing and presenting e-mail and Web copy that sells effectively. Another important section of Streetwise Direct Marketing discusses the intricacies of database marketing, which is increasingly being applied to e-mail marketing through opt-in lists. Duncan explains how to test the quality of rented lists, estimate costs and results, and build your own house list.
We Internet purists may sneer at post office delivery as "snail mail," but the truth is that most businesses will need to use both Internet marketing and traditional marketing to promote themselves. I found Streetwise Direct Marketing a book I could learn from, and I recommend it to you, too.
--Dr. Ralph Wilson, WilsonWeb.com
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A Great Resource…
If you want to learn more about direct marketing or need to brush up your skills, make sure to get a copy of George Duncan's new book, Streetwise Direct Marketing: How to Use the Internet, Direct Mail, and Other Media to Generate Direct Sales. Published by Adams Media Corp., it covers a wide range of topics including structuring the offer, choosing the right mailing list, writing copy to increase response, combining direct mail with alternative media, and succeeding with e-mail marketing. It's a great resource, chock-full of informative case studies and checklists. It's available from Amazon.com and major bookstores.
-- NEDMA News, New England Direct Marketing Association,
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The Most User-Friendly 'Text Book' …
As a newcomer to the world of direct marketing, I really appreciate your new book on Streetwise Direct Marketing. As you may be aware, more than 100 people on our company are participating in an internal, 17-week 'Direct Marketing 101' course that is built around your book; all of us are reading your book as the text for this course. I also ask outside writers to read your book before I give them writing assignments for Accudata publications. It is an excellent book -–truly the most user-friendly 'text book' I have ever read"
– Mary Klem, Public Relations Director, AccuData America
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A Fantastic Book…
"George Duncan has written a fantastic book. Streetwise Direct Marketing does a great job of eliminating much of the useless hype about selling through direct mail and helps the reader understand the process as a science. It has given me some wonderful ideas for improving my direct marketing efforts."
Todd Long , President, Pacific Coast Marketing
