Choosing the right audience and the right message are two of the three most important factors (the other being a compelling offer) in the success of your direct marketing campaigns.

For some companies, particularly in B2C markets, these choices are more intuitive. For others, particularly high-tech companies in emerging B2B categories, the audience decision in particular is a difficult one. For example, if you're marketing a new breed of enterprise software, is the best target:

• the IT manager who approves the selection of enterprise technology?
• the department VP responsible for the relevant business function?
• the finance director looking to save money/increase return on IT investments?
• the end user most likely to be feeling the pain or frustration that your product solves?

In the absence of hard data or test results from past campaigns, marketers often make these decisions based on the sales process. They examine 1) where the sales force is having the greatest success penetrating accounts and/or closing sales, and 2) what messages are achieving the greatest traction with this audience - and then construct their campaign accordingly.

However, sales success doesn't always translate into direct marketing success, for two reasons:

1. the individual that buys your product, or the person who has primary influence on the selection of your company, isn't always the person most likely to respond to a campaign. Your most likely respondent is someone who feels the pain that your product can solve. That could be the decision-maker, but more likely it's someone further down the food chain.

2. "reasons to buy" and "reasons to respond" are very different animals. For example, how your product or service differs from the competition may help you win sales. It's unlikely, however, to cause someone to respond to your campaign, unless that person is already in the process of actively evaluating vendors.

Instead, test your assumptions. Pit key benefits against each other in competing subject lines or headlines or envelope copy. Split lists based on company size, job title, gender, age group, etc. to find out precisely the group that responds best to your message.