A Leader in Direct Mail and Operational Excellence
Women leaders in business took center stage at multiple industry conferences in March, including Marketsmith’s own Chief Operating Officer, Rachel Schulties. Both organizations, NJAWBO and NEMOA, held virtual events to talk about leadership and direct marketing strategies, respectively. Rachel was a prominent speaker at both events – all in the same day; double “brava” on that feat, Rachel!
What is even more impressive about that doubleheader, however, was what Rachel had to say on two equally important topics: operational excellence and direct mail marketing. Participants walked away inspired to lead with excellence, strategize with data, and execute with conviction.
Leading with Operational Excellence: 4 Key ComponentsÂ
First up was the NJ Association of Women Business Owners (NJAWBO) Women & Leadership virtual event. Rachel and her co-panelists, Taryn Abrahams and Bertha Robinson, had a rapt audience for their discussion on women as leaders in today’s unsettled business environment. Rachel spoke to her own experience as the leader of operations at Marketsmith Inc. in her remarks on “Leading Toward Operational Excellence.”
Rachel mentioned 4 key components that contribute to operational excellence:
- Create a space for teams to communicate openly and critically
- Be human by embracing your own strengths and weaknesses
- Listen even more than you speak
- Be a decisive decision maker
That last point is perhaps the key takeaway for women in a business environment: Open communication, humanity, and listening are not weaknesses but rather key traits of strong leaders who solicit honest input to their decisions, and who don’t hesitate to take charge in making the final call.
Direct Mail as Part of an Omnichannel Strategy
After that panel, Rachel Zoomed her way across the internet to get to her next engagement as the keynote speaker at the National Etailing and Mailing Organization of America (NEMOA) Spring Summit 2021. Rachel’s address spoke to how marketers can use direct mail as part of an omnichannel plan that works in conjunction with digital and other channels to drive direct response rates and ROI for direct-to-consumer brands. Rachel’s presentation led to a highly engaging discussion and Q&A session, covering the misconceptions of direct mail and other topics related to her presentation and Marketsmith’s case studies.
We are immensely proud of Rachel’s marathon day of speaking. Yet we also know that sharing ideas on marketing and on leadership is part of the daily conversation at Marketsmith Inc., New Jersey’s largest woman-owned full-service marketing agency. We felt it was important to share some of what Rachel had to say in this post, but we also encourage you to get in touch with her directly. Rachel welcomes the chance to share more of her thoughts on these topics and to hear what you have to say.
