Cross-Training Join the multichannel marketing revolution, and get ready to pump up your sales.

Alert TV viewers who catch the on-screen tag--"call, click,come by"--at the end of Office Depot spots don't realizethey're witnessing a marketing revolution. And the emergingleader is an integrated approach called multichannel marketing.

Customers decide where, when and how they want to shop. Butunlike the old days, when each marketing channel might take adifferent approach and in-house groups maintained unique customerdatabases, now all channels strive to present one point ofinformation for and about customers. Broadcast, direct mail, e-mailand print campaigns are linked. Instead of multiple customerdatabases, companies view customers as individuals, taking intoaccount their buying activities and preferences to customize offersand increase sales.