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In cubicles around the world, talented direct mail account executives toil with little hope of praise. When the numbers are strong, the credit goes to the list manager, the database executive, the strategist or the creative team. And if the creative behind a project should win awards, don't expect the account exec to be invited to the podium — if she's lucky, she might get a “thank you” sandwiched among a shower of appreciations for mom and that inspiring seventh-grade teacher.

It may seem odd to hear this from a creative guy — a copywriter no less — but I believe that the real secret to great direct mail creative (and I mean measurable, prove-it-with-numbers creative, not the ethereal, impress-the-hipsters-in-black-turtlenecks “creative”) is often not the designer, creative director or even the copywriter, but the unsung account executive working diligently behind the scenes.

Why? Because at two crucial junctures in the direct mail program — the initial project input and the presentation of concepts — account executives have the power to make or break results-generating work.

For starters, the account executive is responsible for the creative brief, the initial document that articulates the mailing's objectives, defines the target audience and sets the overall scope for the specific deliverable at hand. There's little consistency in their depth or quality, however. Some briefs have the heft and substance of winter-weight long johns; others are mere thongs.

In direct mail, the difference matters. The ultimate created work isn't merely a message, it's the virtual equivalent of a salesperson. And like a salesperson, it has to attract attention, make a favorable introduction, appeal to customer desires, tell a compelling story, and ultimately close the sale with an unbeatable offer. In order for the creative team to transform ink and paper into an effective salesperson, they need a lot more than the “wishful thinking” creative brief that simply defines an offer, a message and a targeted response number to aspire to.

This is where heroic account executives save the day. Before they write their briefs, they do a lot of digging to mine the ore the creative team can work into gold.

Great account executives:

• Identify the special characteristics of the product or service that make it distinct from the competition. This might be a previously defined unique selling proposition, or in the case of smaller or less marketing-savvy enterprises, the distinction may have to be invented on the spot through comparative research and a dose of imagination. Combined with the lead benefit and a compelling offer, the product's special qualities help form the root story underlying every element of the mail package, from the outer envelope teaser to the response device.

• Highlight the product's most attractive benefit, the one most likely to resonate deeply with prospects. If the client hasn't done so already, that means transforming features into benefits by applying “What does this do for the customer?” thinking to each feature. The more powerful the benefit, the greater the emotional involvement that can be exploited in the letter/brochure copy and in the accompanying graphics.

• Contact real live salespeople or service representatives to ask them which benefits, features or messages have the most power to draw customers to the close. In a lead-generation project for a university targeting kindergarten through 12th-grade teachers for master's degree programs in education, we cornered a recruiter and discovered that prospects got excited about course outlines loaded with content — books to read, projects to do.

  Teachers like to get ideas they can apply immediately in their own classrooms. In one stroke, we got a cornerstone message — “Our classes make your classes come alive” — and insight into the kinds of material we should include in the envelope, such as lesson plans and activity suggestions.

• Construct a prospect profile that gives insight into the needs, fears and motivations of potential customers. With an understanding of the audience's attitudes, emotions and beliefs, copywriters can speak the language customers want to hear — their own. If the letter's greatest strength lies in its illusion of personal, one-to-one intimacy, then the more we speak the prospects' language, the more easily we can build rapport and trust. With a deeper understanding of their audience, designers can identify graphics and construct looks that will be more liable to get instant recognition from prospects.

• Commit the client to one sharply defined message per deliverable. Like proud parents, clients often can't restrain themselves when it comes to expressing the virtues of their companies: terrific service, personal commitment, superior construction, greater flexibility…what have you. But direct mail is all about rifle shots, not shotgun blasts. You have to commit to one indelible and unambiguous message that's as clear and uncluttered as a cloudless blue sky. Great account executives get clients to focus, then bring that focus to the creative brief.

• Collect evidence or proof points to support every claim. Your gadget out-widgets other gizmos? Prove it. Without specific, concrete evidence to back them up, promises remain empty — and prospects unconvinced. The heroic account executive gathers the proof the creative team can use to buttress their claims and messages.

After the creative team has digested the rich and filling creative brief the heroic account executive has served, they usually produce three concepts — three different ways to approach copy, design and format to fit the mailing's objectives. Once approved in-house, they're presented to the client. This is the moment that truly separates the mediocre from the mighty. Mediocre account executives simply “present” the creative, walking clients through headlines and visuals the clients can read and see for themselves. It's a passive approach in which the account executive acts only in response to client questions or requests. The mood may be mellow and the atmosphere is “nice,” but unfortunately it doesn't give the agency an opportunity to lead, and it doesn't give the concepts their chance to shine.

The alternative is to sell, not tell — just as we're supposed to do in the mailing itself. When presenting concepts, heroic account executives:

• Create a context for each concept that helps demonstrate why the concept has a meaningful chance of succeeding. Let's face it: Many clients see agency people as hustlers. The words may sound good and the pictures may be pretty, but it's all fairly arbitrary, right? One of the best ways to suspend disbelief and encourage support is to explain the reasoning behind the concepts. Great account executives explain why a photo of friendly looking people is being used to build empathy with the prospect; why, in a competitive field of similar products, the copywriter chose to emphasize the discount offer in the Johnson box; why a self-mailer with a startling graphic might work well with a 20-something target market. The reasons will be as varied as the assignments and concepts, but the important thing is that they be openly discussed.

• Link each concept to objectives in the creative brief. Once approved, the brief is not only a guide for the creative team, but a virtual contract with the client. The presentation is no time to forget the brief — it can and should be used to provide a rationale for the concepts. It demonstrates follow-through on client objectives, and an ability to create work rooted in strategic thinking. For example, the heroic account executive might say to the client, “One of your goals is to reduce customer service costs by driving customers to your Web site. That's why we've highlighted your URL in the Johnson box and created an annotated screen-shot in the brochure to illustrate your site's convenience.”

• Counter objections with reason, not retreat. Contemporary technologies, such as overnight express services and Internet connections, have made it possible for many agencies to conduct presentations off site: The client gets the boards or PDFs by truck or electronics, then the discussion proceeds via conference call. However, the increased convenience comes with a loss of control — the client can review the work prior to the call, without the guiding influence of agency staff. Too often, these conference calls begin on a sour note, with the client saying he “just doesn't feel comfortable with any of the concepts.”

Here, finally, is the true test of the account executive's mettle. Responding to the sudden tension in the conference room, many execs immediately will backpedal. In an understandable yet regrettable attempt to reassure the client, they will dismiss the hard work that's been done by saying, “These are just preliminary concepts,” and that the team will certainly do everything necessary to make things right. But in effect, they've let all the air out of the balloon. They've just told the client that they were ready to present concepts they didn't really believe in, and they've made it difficult to have a productive conversation about the current concepts.

Heroic account executives take the bull by the horns. Instead of denying the validity of the concepts, they can acknowledge the client's concerns, then build a case for the work. (After all, the further quality work veers from the usual order of business, the more discomfort it's likely to cause — which may, in fact, be a good sign.)

Brave account executives say something like this: “We hear your concerns and certainly will be attentive to them. But before we dismiss these concepts, we want to have the opportunity to discuss each one. As you'll see, each is the product of careful thought, and each has a rationale rooted in your marketing goals. We can make changes, of course, but let's begin by remembering your objectives and seeing how these concepts speak to them.”

At its root, great account management is about much more than pleasing clients — it's about leading them to a higher level of performance. We salute the heroic account executives who dig deep to find the raw material for quality creative execution, and are subsequently prepared to champion great work. They may not receive the plaudits, but they deserve much of the credit for truly outstanding, results-generating direct mail creative.

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Jonathan Kranz (jonkranz@comcast.net) is the principal of Kranz Communications in Melrose, MA and author of the recently published “Writing Copy for Dummies.”