n an article published by iMedia Connection on March 23, 2007 and entitled “The 2007 Direct Marketing Forecast,” Denise Zimmerman wrote the following.

Disruption is fundamental to all communications, not just selling. Every time we ask a question or talk to someone, we are disrupting his thought process or something he is doing.

I believe that most of us in the direct marketing field concede that online is here, it’s growing fast, and we need to inculcate our deep knowledge of what makes people respond into this emerging medium.

Direct mail does not support branding as far as most branders would like for good reason according to James Rosenfield in his excellent article entitled “BRAND AND BRANDING, REVISITED YET ONE MORE TIME AGAIN.”

According to TNS Media Intelligence, Internet marketing spending should grow by 13.4% in 2008. But strikingly, the research also confirms that the total marketing dollars spent on the Internet represents only 7.2% of the total amount spent on all U.S. advertising. The total US advertising budget is expected to hit $153.7 billion.

Here I am sitting at a Starbucks Coffee shop in Coppell, TX having a Grande French Roast with a small amount of milk and a few grains of sugar after a successful client presentation for new business.

It seems strange to lead with such a headline. Yet some of my clients expect me to get sales results for them with platitudes.

Traveling to Europe or other foreign lands serves as a benchmark for just how well American businesses do in the area of customer service. Customer convenience is the main focus for longterm customer retention in this service-driven economy.

After nearly 25 years of selling consulting services, it surprises me to find so many clients that have no idea about whether or not they are paying appropriate fees.