Failure to follow up is a waste of DM money

I am dismayed to find that too many companies are continuing to throw money away on direct marketing, by failing to follow up the enquiries generated by their campaigns.

For the second year running, our survey into fulfilment response times has revealed that over 50 per cent of companies engaging in direct marketing activity are failing to respond to potential customers within five weeks. This again highlights the fact that poor fulfilment is causing million of pounds-worth of leads to go to waste.

However, on a more positive note, we have found that, among those companies that do respond to requests, there is an improving picture. In particular, the fact that nearly half respond within seven days makes for encouraging reading. These companies have obviously woken up to the fact that a fast response is the key to converting leads into sales.

Peter Webb

Creative & marketing director

Response Direct Publishing

London SW18