"Junk Mail is Alive and Growing," read a New York Times headline a couple weeks ago. By growing, they mean that direct mail is both replacing telemarketing and defying expectations after many observers predicted its demise to the Internet.

We at Call Center HQ had a five minute discussion about whether or not to mention it as a part of our January Outbound Trends article. We're not going to, and here's why: the growth in junk mail only shows that direct mailers are making the same fatal mistake that got telemarketers in hot water a few years ago.

That faulty scattershot approach annoyed consumers enough to provoke the government to come up with the Do Not Call (DNC) legislation that completely restructured outbound. Are direct mailers making a big mistake? Even as marketers are poised to spend $15 billion more on direct mail this year than they did in 2000, the Direct Marketing Association admits that a mere 2.15% of mailings lead to sales or any other acknowledgement from consumers.

The point we'd like to make is that, if the Times is to be believed, direct mail is increasing but it isn't getting any more targeted, creative, or effective. But dialing is. That's the focus of our January feature. DNC may have led to a boffo increase in junk mail, but the more compelling trend to look at is how it also led to smarter, more innovative and more consumer-friendly telemarketing practices:

1. By following the DNC guidelines, telemarketers reach fewer unreceptive consumers.
2. By focusing on the customers they already have, businesses are offering their customers things they may actually want.
3. By using outbound to keep customers informed about their accounts -- order status, flight changes, appointment reminders, etc. -- businesses stay in touch with their clients in ways that constantly remind them of their benevolence.