It's amazing how much junk mail we continue to receive, considering the cost and waste associated with each mailing that gets tossed into the recycle bin daily. In many cases, I get the same letter from the same company about a dozen times. If I haven't responded after the first five mailings, you'd think they might cease efforts. And, worse than junk mail are the evening phone calls from telemarketers with non-relevant offers.

A long-time e-commerce colleague reached out to me for a "cocktail and complaining" session while she was in town recently. Seems her new role as "Guru of All Things CRM" at a big retailer was becoming a bit of a hazard, thanks to her boss in the corner office who might be reading a few too many white papers.

We're coming up on the end of the holiday sales season, and every emarketer has one objective in mind: sell. Sell as much as possible, as quickly as possible. And it's working: a recent report by Custora says that by Dec. 5, sales were up 13% over last year.

Evaluating customer relationship management from a total cost of ownership perspective

Every year, the holidays seem to come earlier and earlier and now they are approaching fast. As a business owner, it's important to get ahead of planning as there are several big decisions and considerations when it comes to how to approach the holiday season. Whether its holiday parties or corporate gift giving, the holiday season is an important time to show appreciation for employees and clients alike, but it can be tricky. There are cost dilemmas, the challenge of finding the right, gender-neutral gifts and ethical considerations as to what is appropriate to give and receive.

I finally said goodbye to an outdoor retailer in my inbox who sent the same email three times in two days. I have not bought anything from them recently and decided I needed a break from the "we are too cool for real marketing" tone. So, while they were busy skiing on their lunch breaks, so they claim, I hit "Unsubscribe" that was (font size 2) at the bottom of their last email.

In an earlier column here, I talked about how few email marketers are actually optimizing their emails and websites for mobile, despite "knowing" that it's the right thing to do, even despite numbers showing that it's becoming the only thing to do. And as we round out 2014, the situation hasn't changed dramatically.

While the holiday season is a time to spend with family and friends, it is also a prime opportunity for companies to reach their customers. As the number of online videos produced and viewed increases and the use of video capabilities on social media platforms like Instagram and Vine grows, online video continues to be an ideal format to engage with customers.

For years, companies have been seeking to find and use a simple way to quantify customer loyalty. One example is Net Promoter Score (NPS), which identifies three customer categories: promoters, passives and detractors. Keeping things simple, both for the customer and the company, is a big advantage of NPS and similar models. Asking a single question, such as "how likely are you to recommend our company to your friends," can help identify which of your customers are your brand promoters, passives and detractors.

I have a new car, and I took my baby in for its first oil change and "once-over" at the dealership that's close to my office. It's not where I bought the car but it is convenient to me for servicing, with a fab wifi lounge and coffee bar so I can get some work done while my hot tamale gets a checkup.