15 Must-Have Software Tools for Direct Response Business Marketers! (Part 1)

Since all successful business owners know they’re in the marketing business, it’s critical to have the right tools to get the job down when it comes to creating profitable marketing, products and services in this direct response business of ours.

This week I am going to give you 8 of my 15 TOP “lesser known” software tools, I use on a regular basis in my direct response business. These are software products aside from the more common ones I use like Photoshop, Camtasia, etc. that have proven to be a big benefit in my marketing for my direct response business.

In next week’s article I am going to follow up with my final 7 software tools for improving your direct response business and I suggest you peruse both lists and see if you can find any helpful applications.

Note – all the links I am providing below go directly to the product source. I have no motives here other than sharing tools that work for me and my direct response business – so enjoy (and make sure you add a comment with your favorite software tools to help your direct response business)!

1. AoA Audio Extractor (http://www.aoamedia.com/audioextractor.htm) – provides you a handy tool to extract audio/sound or background music from video files. I like using this software application to extract the audio from various videos I have so I can add them to my MP3 player for listening to in the car, etc.

2. AoA DVD Ripper (http://www.aoamedia.com/dvd_ripper.htm) – provides a fast and easy way to convert your non-protected DVD movies to digital files you can use on your computer for your direct response business.

3. Direct WAV MP3 Splitter (http://www.pistonsoft.com) – an easy to use, fast tool to split or cut MP3 and WAV files. This is a great way to create a customer-friendly audio CD that has all 60 – 80 minutes of audio broken into smaller chunks of time (I cannot stand when I receive an audio CD that contains only one single audio file you can’t navigate through).

4. FinePrint (http://fineprint.com/fp) – a universal print previewer that allows you to delete unwanted pages, blank pages, text, and images from a file. You can also convert to grayscale and print multiple pages on a single sheet to save paper. I showed this excellent tool on Episode 5 of my 3 in 3 Web TV show (http://www.mikecapuzzi.tv/mike-capuzzi-tv-3-software-tools-you-should-use-every-day) and highly recommend it!

5. Handbrake (http://www.handbrake.fr) – is a free video transcoder that allows you to convert videos to MP4 format for universal streaming on the Web. I showed this Handbrake on Episode 5 of my 3 in 3 Web TV show (http://www.mikecapuzzi.tv/mike-capuzzi-tv-3-software-tools-you-should-use-every-day) – it’s a great tool for your direct response business!

6. PDF to Image Converter Pro (http://www.pdf-convert.com) – is a batch image converter that convert PDF documents to image files. I do this often when creating PowerPoint slides and need an image that is found within a PDF file I created for my direct response business marketing.

7. PPTool Image Exporter (http://www.pptools.com/imageexport) – is a fast, easy way to export high quality graphics from PowerPoint slides. I just found this tool and love it. I use it to create print-quality slide images from my PowerPoint presentations to create course books for my direct response business. Standard PowerPoint export does not create high-resolution image for quality printing. I then use the next product to create the final books in Microsoft Word.

8. MS Word Insert Multiple Pictures (http://www.sobolsoft.com/wordinsertpicture) – This tool automatically inserts images into a blank Word document. When you have 100 PowerPoint slide images, manually inserting them into Word would take forever. This simple app does it in seconds.

I guarantee these software tools will make your direct response business more productive. I have been using some of them for years on a day-to-day basis.

Stay tuned for this blog next week to find out the remaining 7 software tools I cannot live without in my direct response business!

P.S. I’d love to hear what types of software tools you’re currently using in your direct response business, so please leave your comments below!

About Mike Capuzzi

Mike is a publisher, Amazon # best-selling author, and coach for business owners, entrepreneurs and corporate leaders looking to stand out from the competition by authoring, publishing and leveraging short, helpful books. He is the author of 19 books, including two Amazon #1 Best Sellers. Learn more about his publishing opportunities at BiteSizedBooks.com.

11 Comments

  1. Greg Colosi on April 15, 2011 at 5:23 am

    Mike–I use SnagIt.com on a regular basis to capture images, pages, and text on the web or anywhere on my computer to use in my documents. SnagIt has a bunch of tools (kinda like some copydoodles) to enhance your captures. It saves me a ton of time when I’m creating sales letters, powerpoint presentations and training documents. Thanks for your blog and info. –Greg Colosi

    • Mike Capuzzi on April 15, 2011 at 7:25 am

      Greg – thanks! I use SnagIt every day and find it extremely useful. I didn’t include it on this list because its so well known. I mentioned them on Episode 2 of my 3 in 3 web TV show.

  2. john on April 15, 2011 at 8:43 am

    I love AZZ cardfile -an amazingly simple program that really helps you organize your thoughts and clutter in your life!Check it out.

    • Mike Capuzzi on April 15, 2011 at 9:57 am

      Thanks for the tip John! I’ll check it out.

  3. mighty joe on April 15, 2011 at 9:22 am

    Good stuff as always, Mike!

    I regularly use http://www.gimp.org/ for photo editing that goes beyond the stock programs on my pc…

    http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ for audio recording/editing/etc (http://www.verbalink.com when I need ’em transcribed)…

    http://www.formatit.com to format my plain text email broadcasts…

    and since it’s web-based and I’ll count it as ‘software’, I’m just starting to use send out cards to create a physical-mail auto-responder series.

    -JS-

  4. mighty joe on April 15, 2011 at 9:36 am

    oh… and a couple more I use from time to time:

    http://www.cueprompter.com/ – it beats the rustling of papers when recording a scripted message.

    http://www.nakedalarmclock.com – when I need to stay focused on time.

    • Mike Capuzzi on April 15, 2011 at 9:57 am

      Wow! Great list – Thanks Joe!

  5. Kim Doyal-The WordPress Chick on April 15, 2011 at 12:16 pm

    Hey Mike,

    Great list (looking forward to part 2!).
    I found this via someone I’m working with about a month ago- it’s a great solution for project mgmt & invoicing. You can’t upload files, but you can share links, set to-do’s, milestones, reminder for invoices, recurring pmts, etc.
    The invoices are sent via a link that opens in their web browser then they can download a pdf as well as pay via paypal (you can send a quote to be approved first too!).
    The fab thing is that it’s only $14/mo.! (maybe 14.99- don’t remember)- but they also have a 30 day trial!

    It’s called subernova (no affiliate program- but so worth it!);
    http://subernova.com/

    Thanks!
    Kim

    • Mike Capuzzi on April 15, 2011 at 3:06 pm

      Thanks Kim!

  6. Stacey on April 15, 2011 at 1:15 pm

    Thanks so much for posting this, and all of the comments. What a great list !

  7. chris on April 17, 2011 at 2:12 pm

    Great, thanks Mike very helpful.

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