Quill, a subsidiary of Staples, primarily acquires customers through direct mail. As with other direct mailers, customer response rates decreased and it became more challenging and expensive for Quill to acquire customers through catalogue mailings. In 2001, Quill mailed over 80,000,000 direct mail pieces to virtually every business in the United States. Unfortunately the amount of customers that responded was less than 300,000. Quill was looking for another channel to acquire customers - one that would achieve acquisition goals, yet be cost effective. In addition, it needed a partner that would provide speed-to-market and flexibility.

To achieve Quill's new customer acquisition goals, the strategy was to deploy 235 full-time sales and marketing reps. We were able to deploy a team of this size quickly, relieving Quill from the need to invest in an in-house sales and marketing force and related infrastructure. Additionally, Quill did not have experience managing a large sales force in the small business market and it was important to have a partner with expertise in this area. Acquiring profitable customers was given priority. Based on market segmentation studies, we were able to identify the most profitable customers, which provided a road map to the acquisition strategy. Quill's reputation for world-class customer service is very well documented. It was critical that any partner selected to acquire Quill's customers would reflect the professionalism, integrity, and the customer-first attitude that Quill is known for.

Today, we bring Quill over 80% of its new business customers. With over 700 reps working on this campaign, we are helping them achieve their goal of grossing over $2 Billion dollars per year.

Check out Quill's website at www.Quill.com