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A business-to-business client recently wanted to run an integrated campaign with one clear goal: Get 500 qualified leads. Not 500 responses, mind you, but 500 leads — qualified by title, size of company and purchasing time frame. And the client asked that it be done sooner rather than later.

We didn't get the 500 leads; we got 1,200, representing $1.2 million in new business off a marketing investment in the low five figures. Why did it work? And why have subsequent similar efforts succeeded? Because we maintained a relentless focus on the offer while making appropriate adjustments for each medium in the mix: mail, collateral, e-mail, Web and print.

It's downright weird: Direct marketers who know how to craft an outstanding mail program often go weak in the knees as soon as the campaign opens up into multiple channels. The mail stays focused on the offer, but the print ads, Web site, collateral and other pieces drift into the foggy mists of branding. The offer evaporates as wisps of “market visions” and “corporate philosophies” take its place. Instead of a provocative call to action, these pieces invite prospects to “get more information.” As if…

Stop. Don't let this happen to you or your client. Stand by your offer and make it the axis around which your other channel efforts will revolve.

Sell the value of the offer. Not the brand. Not the company. Not the vision. The offer. Think in terms of phrases like these:

• “Discover the five most successful franchise strategies for 2008.”

• “See what the top Fortune 50 CIOs have to say about data management.”

• “Compare your HR policies with our free regulatory checklist.”

• “Hear hedge fund expert Nancy Bigbucks pick her favorites for Q2.”

It would be nice (and cheap!) if everyone simply went to your Web site to fill out a form, etc. But you're mailing anyway, so include a prepaid response device to capture prospects who simply won't go to the trouble of typing your URL into their browsers.

Typically, collateral has meant brochures about products, services and businesses — in other words, filler for our prospects' recycling bins. Instead, let's think of our collateral as an opportunity to satisfy authentic needs, a chance to give prospects material they actually want to read. Why not create material that positions your company as a credible, expert resource prospects can trust? For starters, here are three things to consider:

• Case studies, based on real-life success stories, showing how your company solved problems, created opportunities, overcame obstacles and achieved results for people just like your prospects.

• How-to articles that give readers insights into accomplishing things that matter to them — while, by the way, demonstrating both your firm's brilliance and its eagerness to be useful.

• E-books that discuss trends, introduce new ideas and dismiss conventional myths in a comprehensive way that ultimately sends one clear message: Your organization is the thought leader in its field.

Most collateral eschews the call to action in favor of a mere recitation of contact information. Break the rules! At the conclusion of your pieces, invite readers to take the next step and respond to your offer.

Your prospects are as impatient as you are. With the exception of e-newsletters customers choose to subscribe to, e-mail just isn't the forum for telling a long story or communicating lots of information. Many of the most successful marketing e-mails are little more than fat hyperlinks; the message is merely a vehicle for the link (your offer) with a brief list of reasons why the recipient should click on the link or graphic button to accept. Make it short, make it simple — and many of your prospects may make it all the way to your site to accept or download your offer.

Instead of thinking of your Web site as a package of information, think of it as a place. You, the voice of the site, are the host. And just as you wouldn't welcome guests to your home by talking about yourself, you shouldn't welcome visitors to your company's site by barraging them with information about your business, your unique products, your uncompromising commitments, etc.

Just as good hosts acknowledge their guests and extend hospitality (“May I take your coat? Would you like something to drink?”), you should do the same on your corporate site. Talk about their needs and concerns, then point to resources that can help them, including your offer. For example:

Like many smart investors, you may be bewildered by the conflicting claims of investment funds and brokerage houses. We can help. Here, you'll find a glossary of investment terms, a real-time market tracker, and a free guide you may download, “10 Simple Steps to Selecting the Best Investment Strategy for You…”

Make your offer the hero: Give prospects a picture of it; tell them why it's desirable; and show them how to get it.

JONATHAN KRANZ (jonkranz@kranzcom.com) is the principal of Boston-based Kranz Communications and the author of “Writing Copy for Dummies.”

Forget key chains. Premiums like guidebooks — reader-friendly 14- to 24-page booklets offering advice and recommendations — can turn the freebie into another channel for your company's integrated marketing effort.

Here's how to find material:

• Look within for wisdom. You're probably sitting on a treasure you don't realize you have. Think about your recent customer success stories. Then list all the things you had to know — the experience and expertise you brought to the table — that made success possible. That's the source of great content.

• Apply the power of numbers. To organize your thoughts and to attract readers, think in terms of numerical titles, like “10 Ways to Streamline Your Supply Chain,” “8 Secrets for Flipping Real Estate — Fast” or “5 Negotiating Mistakes You Can't Afford to Make.”

• Create a consistent format. Don't write an essay. Break your content into easily digested pieces that follow a consistent format page by page. Consider using direct quotes from customers or industry experts; callouts highlighting ideas from the body copy; sidebars with mini case studies; and graphics, charts and illustrations to support your points.

• Conclude with a strong call to action. Distill your guide into a list of ideas and invite readers to check “yes,” “no” or “sometimes” to whether or not these thoughts apply to their situations. Now you can ask them to take the next step: Talk to an expert (you or a representative of your business) about how these issues affect their lives and what they can do about it. In one stroke, your brief quiz reinforces the value of your knowledge, forces readers to apply it to themselves, and encourages them to see you or your business as a resource for further insight, not just another salesperson at the door.
  — JK