Overdeliver: Build a Business for a Lifetime Playing the Long Game in Direct Response Marketing

KEY TAKEAWAYS We’ve talked about LTV a lot in this book, and I hope you see that I’ve beat that drum so relentlessly because it’s such a fundamental part of building a thriving business. A product is not a business. A promotion is not a business either. LTV is much more than just a number. Keeping LTV top of mind all the time will save you from mak

KEY TAKEAWAYS Success in business is not just about the numbers. It’s also the result of surrounding yourself with remarkable people who lift you up—and being that kind of person for others. The more proactively you build your connections with other great people, the more growth you will see, both personally and professionally. Be a strategic contr

Read your numbers, listen to your audience, and look for the hidden offer opportunities—and then act on the opportunities that present themselves. Don’t underestimate the impact of how you promote on the kind of customers you will attract. Make sure you can calculate the lifetime value of every new customer based on the promotion they came in on. T

KEY TAKEAWAYS Your customers are the most important people in your business. Keeping them happy—serving them, creating world-class experiences, overdelivering on what you promise, and always innovating for their benefit—is your primary role. Customer service and fulfilment are critical marketing functions. It’s the “marketing after the marketing” t

when they bought, how much they bought, and how much they spent while buying. These values are known as the recency, frequency, and monetary (RFM) scores,

KEY TAKEAWAYS Direct mail (and other offline) success stories have left a lot of clues for all of us to learn from. Your numbers don’t lie, and they will enable you to identify campaigns that aren’t working (and should be killed) as clearly as they will show which campaigns are winners (and should be expanded). Take calculated risks and build off p

As David Ogilvy famously said, “The customer is not a moron. She’s your wife.” He knew that talking down to customers, patronizing them, or doubting their ability to make sound decisions would just hurt a campaign.

RFM is the foundation of basic segmentation, which we were doing with large computers over millions of names back in the 1980s, and it’s still the best way to segment today, whether you have a large list or not.

KEY TAKEAWAYS While this chapter didn’t talk about how to write great copy (see the recommended reading at back of this book for that information), you now understand why the final 20 percent of the 41/39/20 rule is so critical. Your copy and creative shape how your list experiences your offers and are how you connect with them in a meaningful (and