One of the most important – and often overlooked – aspects of an effective B-to-B direct marketing piece is strong offer or “call to action”. Targeted lists, clever copy, and a uniquely styled piece are all important but you cannot forget your main goal: action. Let your literature and website do the heavy lifting for information, your direct piece needs to get your audience to act.

According to many marketing gurus, 40% of a direct marketing piece’s impact comes from the value of the offer. That percentage is equal to the importance of sending to the targeted list in the first place, with the last 20% coming from the design/writing of the piece itself.

Unfortunately, I’ve seen too many B-to-B marketers place a majority of the importance (70%) on how the piece is designed and written, followed far behind by purchasing a list (20%) instead of building one, and lastly (10%) on a compelling call-to-action. Many times wonderful creative and a targeted list have failed to return a response because there was no importance put on the plan of action or none included in the first place.

Keep in mind: it’s a good bet that most of your audience members will skim, or skip around. It's critical to tell them how to respond, and as soon as possible. After that first call to action, give readers more great reasons to respond and keep a call to action in sight. Making sure your offer connects with your audience, and they have an easy way to respond, will help get them to the next level in the buying process.