Got the following email from a reader:

The Marketing update Meeting:

CEO: Hi Dave, how did we do this month.

Dave: I got 136 click throughs from IQS and 22 from Thomas and some more from Google adwords and overture.

CEO: How much did that cost us ?

Dave: Let me check ! (fumbling for calculator) Total yearly cost / 12 = monthly cost. Monthly cost / 136 for IQS cost per click and / 22 for TR cost per click and the same formula for google and overture. $XXX dollars.

CEO: How many sales did we get from those clicks ?

Dave: I'm not sure

CEO: You mean we are paying for clicks with no way to find out if they became a sale ?

Dave: Uh, I guess so.

CEO: Well, at least you got some contact info for our direct mailing list.

Dave: Uh no, click throughs do not provide contact information.

CEO: Why are we using click throughs then ?

Dave: Well, I know that our customers will find our web site on their own.

CEO: Dave, I hope your right. I just hate losing all those click throughs with no way to follow up with them.

My measured reply:
The CEO's got Dave cornered with the classic "what's the ROI on our advertising budget" sting. Will he survive? Will he bluff his way out like marketing managers before him or just take it in the pants? Perhaps he can pull a Captain Kirk and get out of the impossible. Tune in to find out!

Okay, I'm stalling. I come up with a real answer later.