Want to double your earnings in mail order? You CAN if you use a very simple method! I've used it for years and still continue to do so. Begin by placing one or two ads in several different mail order publications. When the orders begin coming in, take a full 50% of the profits and invest them in more advertising. Most dealers DON'T do this and wonder why they aren't making any money.
You MUST invest at least half of your profits to DOUBLE your income in this business. When I started in mail order I had $5 to invest. I didn't believe it would be enough to help, but it WAS enough and I showed a profit of over $300 in my first 3 months. That wasn't a bad beginning, but today I bring in many times my original investment EACH DAY. Investment of profits is the secret if you wish to succeed in business, and mail order is no exception.
WARNING! -- Over 90% of the information on the market about "how-to" Get Rich in Mailorder is a bunch of pure Bull-Stuff! (You know what I mean.) -- Not only will you NOT get rich in mailorder using that information ... you will probably lose a bundle of money trying to make it work for you. (If you haven't already.) -- Learn the only proven & repeatable method of making money in mailorder ... almost without fail.
http://www.rightbiz.com/dir/mail-order-business.html
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
HOW TO START AND OPERATE YOUR OWN PROFITABLE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS AT HOME
How much money do you want to make? Do you need a steady second income? Do you want to have your own business, be your own boss, and make your own decisions?
Are you ready to make a commitment to be successful - both financially and personally? The mail order business is the way to succeed in all ways. Whether you're prepared to commit a small amount of time or all your time. Whether you want satisfaction of position, financial security - even social respect, the mail order business is for you.
Today there are hundreds of opportunities to get into the profitable mail order business. And, you don't have to be creative or clever, or have invented something new. You only need the desire and determination to achieve your goals.
What do you want from life? Are you tired of struggling to make ends meet? Maybe you're fed-up with commuting to work and living under a time clock. If you like independence, can make simple decisions easily and are prepared to devote energy to your project, YOU WILL SUCCEED.
The mail order business is not a get-rich-quick scheme. It won't make you a millionaire overnight. But it can build into a steady, profitable business at home - as big or as small as you want it to be.
Some of the mail order companies that gross millions of dollars a year got started in small ways. Not only the well-known distributors such as Sear or Montgomery Wards, but dozens of smaller catalog houses and monthly mail order clubs began slowly, testing ads, testing prices, acquiring customers that buy again and again as each year passes.
Think big and think with confidence. The only way to truly make a mail order business work is to MAKE IT WORK FOR YOU. This is a low-risk, low investment business that can make you HIGH PROFITS.
ACTING ON OPPORTUNITY
It is a proven fact that dozens of small and large companies make great profits from the mail order business. And, although there are some who profit illegally - and get caught - the federal government promote mail order enterprises.
Think about what you receive in the mail. Almost every day you get flyers and brochures from all sorts of companies selling magazines, books, clothing, household items - even vacation packages. Some of them you may toss away without even looking at; some of them you may read; and some of them you may buy from, especially if you know the company and have bought before.
An honest mail order business is something to feel proud about. Just as valid as opening a storefront, this business needs so little investment that, with perseverance, you almost canít help but win.
As in any other money-making enterprise, from working for someone else, to owning and operating your own company, the mail order business requires energy. But it doesn't take away enthusiasm or confidence. As a matter of fact, the more positive thought you put in, the more rewards can be reaped.
Decide on how much you want to earn, how much energy you can devote to this business, and what you want out of it. You can operate a successful mail order business in your spare time with a very low financial investment, but it's up to you to make it work.
WHAT DO YOU NEED?
You can run a small mail order business out of your home from the kitchen table. All you really need is a mailing address, a few dollars for a classified ad, and a PRODUCT THAT SELLS.
If you're just starting in this business, you don't need to invest in elaborate equipment or expensive manufacturing. In fact, you may find several products to sell that require minimum investment and bring in a maximum profit.
Once you get going, you'll need the usual stationery supplies such as a stapler, cellophane tape, mailing envelopes, address labels, and file folders. You may invest in a file cabinet and a desk. And, you'll need to use a typewriter or have somebody do all the typing for you.
Eventually you may need a postal meter, good quality postal scales, and storage areas for the products you sell. But even when you establish a high profit business, you can still operate it from home with limited resources.
HOW TO FIND WHAT SELLS
The basic secret to success in the mail order business is to follow the leader. Especially when you're beginning, why should you spend the money and time to test products, prices, and places to advertise?
Start at your newsstand or library. Study every copy of each magazine that advertises mail order products. Take a good look at the classifieds section. To write to dozens of these offers - especially any offer for something free. Take a look at the sales literature you get back. You may even purchase a few products to see what is sold for the money asked.
See the patterns?
If you review past issues of these magazines in the library, you'll notice the ads that repeat month after month. Advertisers who continue to place ads have PRODUCTS THAT SELL. What are these products? Which ones would you like to promote?
Consider the trends in the various magazines. You may notice several similar ads for the same products listed one after another. THEY ALL SELL. And that is where you should begin.
WHAT TO SELL
What products grab you? Which ones would you like to sell - as a one-shot, and later as a product line. Maybe you already have a sound interest in specific products that are solid mail order products, such as stamps and coins, jewelry or books.
Plans and kits are great to sell to decorating and handicraft publications. You may already make something at home that you can easily write into instructions and manufacture into an inexpensive kit for do-it-yourselfers.
Mail order is an excellent way to distribute stock from a retail enterprise. If you have a store or manufacturing plant, you don't need to invest in stock. A simple brochure or catalog to follow up inquiries is a profitable way to build business.
Specialized information is one of the most profitable products in the mail order business. Whether you sell prerecorded cassettes or small folios or booklets, you can keep overhead down and profits high. Mass producing specialized information can be surprisingly inexpensive - and there's a high demand.
If you want to develop a product line, carefully research what already sells by mail order ads. Don't take the chance to be innovative. Others have tried before you. Take the tried and true path and sell a competitive product at competitive prices in the same publications as everyone else.
There are a few rules to follow when choosing what to sell. First consider the profit margin. Don't work with anything that won't bear a high markup per item. Calculating the advertising costs, product costs and mailing, you have to make a good profit for each order.
Consider the weight of the product and the mailability. Can you place it in a manila envelope and mail it? Padded mailers or small boxes are also easy to mail. Think twice about large or heavy items that are expensive to send.
Is the product a regular in the publications? Do the other mail order businesses carry this product? And does it sell profitably? Get some samples from competitors, then contact the manufacturers and find out about the profit margin.
Don't try to distribute novelties, gadgets or low-cost items through mail order. The catalog houses and other larger mail order enterprises have that market covered.
Can the product be sold in retail store, and is it? Unless the product is special, it won't maintain a high mail order trade if it is readily available at the local stores.
Do outside salespeople sell the product? Even if they are not sold in retail stores, steer away from items that are solicited for by telephone or personal sales calls. Also avoid any items that are distributed by persons from the manufacturing plants to smaller retail outlets.
Your product must be easy to advertise. In order to get inquiries through classifieds or display ads, you must be able to describe the product effectively with a few words. New inventions rarely sell well by mail order.
Finally, consider the potential of the product. If you begin with monogrammed bags, do you want to continue with an entire line of luggage, bags and cases. Where can you go after you have success with your first product? If you are producing and distributing information, what is the potential for more products in the same subject matter?
A basic element of the mail order business is building repeat business. If you keep within a similar line of products, you can sell to the same customers time and again.
Eventually, you'll have distributed many similar products through mail order. You may find one product to be a seller year after year. And you may be content with that. Or, you may substitute your stock to improve the potential sales and actual profit. Think carefully about what type of product line you want to get into. You'll be living with it for a while, and you must have enthusiasm. Because it is through your product that your desires will be fulfilled and from which YOU WILL MAKE MONEY.
DON'T CHEAT
You don't need a special permit or license to sell products by mail order. In some states, you will need a special tax identification number and will be required to collect sales taxes. The mail order business is changing. There was a time when some of the advertisements were come-ons for other products, fell short of their promises, or were just plain frauds.
The federal government and the postal authorities are especially strict with mail order businesses today. Primarily because irate buyers have no other recourse, but also to clean up the industry, any enterprise even slightly suspect is investigated.
If you are serious about operating a mail order business for a long time, don't fall short of the law. The authorities can shut down an operation immediately, and fraudulence is prosecuted.
It is against the law to operate a lottery or chain letter scheme by mail. Both the advertisements and the sales literature for imported products must say that the product was imported. And, you must ship within thirty days of receiving an order or offer a refund. You then have an additional thirty days grace period, but then you must refund the customer's money or ship the product.
Aside from the fundamental laws, the authorities will judge on willful misrepresentation. Almost all advertising points out benefits rather than drawbacks, but your product must reasonable do what is advertised, or be the quality it is supposed to be. Naturally there are shade of gray in all these areas, but if your product lives up to the ads and sales literature, and you do not gyp the customers in any manner, you'll never have trouble.
YOUR PRODUCT
What's the lease expensive way to produce your product and fulfill orders to make a high profit? If you are selling information, first test the market potential with photocopies of the report or booklet. Or, you may be able to revive an out of print publication.
If you want to distribute a product, contact several manufacturers that can make the merchandise and get competitive price quotations. Investigate ways to make the product with less expensive materials without losing quality. And check on the reputation of the firm. Is their merchandise known for quality? How soon can they deliver the goods once you have ordered?
For the first few months of testing, you may have to pay higher prices for the products in small quantities. Don't invest in large quantities until you are sure there is a demand.
You might try to sell a few handmade items first. Keep an adequate stock to fulfill orders, and consider mass production once the orders show the demand.
Or, you can work on consignment with somebody's product that is perhaps sold elsewhere. You try the product and make the sales. You get a percentage and the other people get a percentage. Then you work out a viable business relationship.
WHAT PRICE?
When you investigate the products you want to sell, consider the price you can get for them. Is there an adequate profit margin? How many times might a customer purchase your line of products in a one-year period?
Your profit line is the guide for deciding not only what to price your product at, but also the manufacturing costs and the feasibility of the product itself.
The only way to know how to price the product is to test the highest prices the market will hold. To test prices, you send sales literature with two prices. The results of the sales will tell you which is best. For example, if you get twice as many orders of a product at a lesser price, it will be a higher profit over a long run to keep it at the smaller price. However, if there is no big difference in the number of orders received, go for the higher price.
Consider the potential of your product and the product line. You'll want to expand into similar products and you'll want to make a tidy profit from the time you invest.
WHERE TO ADVERTISE
Advertise where the competition is. If there is another classified with the same or similar product, place your ad in the same publication. Just as you followed the leaders in the choice and pricing of your product, follow the leaders in advertising.
Even though some publications cost more to place ads then others, don't try to save money in less expensive places to advertise. In a long run, your ad will pull the best responses where it's been tested and proven before.
Don't be tempted to place an ad in a magazine that does not have products similar to yours - even if you have a hunch or thing it may bring in stray requests. For a beginners, follow the professionals and list where they do.
There are two types of advertising for publications. Classified ads, which are run together in a section at the back of the publication are only for words, and usually are reasonable inexpensive to place.
Display ads, or space ads, are the advertisements that run throughout the publication. They are best to use if you need to show a drawing of your product. Although they are more expensive than classifieds, your product response may do better with the extra investment.
Classifies ads are the bread and butter winners for the mail order business. Your dollar investment per word in a classified will pull many dollars in responses.
The best way to use classifieds is with a two-part approach. First you place a small ad that describes your product or service. You give a full address and information, but mention free details, or free information. Don't ask for money or give a price.
From the inquiries in response to the ad, send out a direct mail piece describing your product more fully - giving a full sales pitch and a coupon. It is this sales piece that is most effective in generating orders.
Writing classified ads is easy. But again, do what the others do. Read the classified ads.
First there is a lead-in, or headline - a work or two that grabs the reader's attention. This is followed by a promise - some benefit the product offers. Then comes the description of the product itself. Finally, offer a guarantee and push for action. Place the classified ad in the publications you choose under the categories that seem most effective for your product. Give it at least three months to test it. Then watch those inquiries turn into orders, and the orders turn into money.
RUNNING DISPLAY ADS
If your product will sell better with a visual representation such as a line drawing or photograph, then you'll do best with a display ad.
Display ads come in all sizes - from one inch to a full two-page spread. And choosing the size to run your ad will be a matter of testing the responses.
You should use a space large enough to include a coupon. It has been proven that people respond faster if there is a space to fill out their name and address and place the order. Whether it is the convenience or the simple indication of the type of information to include, mail order businesses find that three-fourths of the orders from display ads will respond with the coupon.
As with a classified, use a catchy heading with the display ad to grab the reader's attention. Along with the illustration and coupon, describe the product and point out some of the benefits of owning it. And be sure to mention a guarantee.
The rule of thumb for deciding how bug to make the display ad is to test the responses. Increase the size of the ad until it costs more than the profits it brings in. Some products don't sell any better with a larger ad; others do.
OFFER A REFUND
An important element in all advertising, and especially in mail order, is to offer a refund if the customer is not satisfied. The reason is simple. More people will respond to an ad that backs up its claims with a guarantee.
If a buyer can return the product for a refund, them the order is a low risk. Since your product will fulfill the promises in the ad, you will have a low refund rate. For those returns you do have, fulfill the requests promptly. Just because that specific product was returned does not mean you lost a potential customer.
USE AN ADDRESS CODE
Whenever you place an advertisement, whether classified or display, you need to code the address so you know which ad the inquiry came from.
This coding system is called keying the address. Take a look at the classified ads you've been studying. See those codes? Department WD-5; Division 9A; Drawer 4B. These are all address keys to use in recording and tabulating responses. They are most important in testing the pull of your ads.
You can use any combination of letters and numbers to code the address. Most businesses use the words department, suite number, room number, division or drawer. A simple key is the initials of the name of the publication and the number indicating the month of the issue. But you can use any code that's easy to keep track of.
DIRECT MAIL
Once you receive inquiries from classified ads, and start fulfilling orders from display ads, follow through with direct mail pieces that sparkle with inviting offers. The purpose of the two-step approach in classifieds is to get lists of potential buyers to sell to. Just as a salesperson gives a pitch with the product, you should also sell your offer with effective sales literature.
Most mail pieces consist of a sales letter, a brochure or circular, and a reply card or coupon to cut out of the circular. Many people will respond directly to the product alone and order regardless of the sales literature. But for those thousands of others who want to know more about what they're buying, you have to make the difference between throwing it away and sending in the coupon and a check.
The sales letter should be personal and direct. Talk to the potential buyer honestly, telling that person the virtues and benefits of the product. Point out the features and uses. And underscore the appeal for action.
Testimonials are effective ways of selling, especially if you need to convince the potential buyer of the actual results of the product. But be sure these can be backed up by real people who can make these claims.
Writing effective sales literature can be easy because it's standard. Look at all the other direct mail pieces you get. The same letter; the same brochure; the same reply card. These are the proven methods of selling by mail. Follow the experts and do the same.
Start small. Use colored paper to print up several hundred one-piece circulars that describe your product and include a coupon. You don't have to create an elaborate four-color photograph of the product; simply describe and illustrate the benefits and features of the offer.
Whether you use a one-piece circular, a full-color brochure, or a forty-page catalog, INCLUDE AN ORDER COUPON. The coupon is the most important piece in the direct mail literature. It makes it easy to play an order. In a few, simple words, the buyer knows what the product is, understands that it is refundable, and expects to receive what is advertised. Direct mail pieces are the best way to follow up on your customer lists. Any inquiry you receive is a potential buyer regardless of any orders made. If your fits mailing didn't prove a response, follow up with subsequent mailings.
You'll have to test to see how often these follow ups are effective. Some mail order enterprises mail offers several time a year; others only yearly catalogs.
TESTING RESULTS
How do you know which ads pulled best? Which magazine gives you the best dollar-for-dollar response? What price is the most profitable to sell the product at? Which sales pitch works best? Keep a complete record of all the inquiries and orders, and make comparisons to determine the best roads to take.
Testing is the hidden feature in mail order that determines success. And testing doesn't need to be costly or draining to your profits. The best attitude towards testing is as a game.
Draw the limits of your risks and make different turns in the road when it isn't profitable. If you consider testing for mail order like a maze, you'll be the one to find the success. One of the best features of the mail order business is that it doesn't require a large financial investment.
So, each step of the way that you test, going ahead with high responses and discarding low response, you have little to lose and EVERYTHING TO GAIN.
One of the elements you need to test is the pull of the magazine ad. Compare each publication with the next. Which ones are the most profitable?
If you are using display ads, you may be testing for which size pulls the best response for the money you invested. Another element that is tested is the ad copy -especially the headings. You may want to test a few different headlines to see which is the most effective.
The obvious thing that is tested is the product itself. The most clever ad at the most appealing price will do nothing if the product won't sell. And if your product is not successful, drop it and try something else. It's not worthwhile to put in so much effort for something that will never make it.
KEEPING RECORD
The way to determine test results is with a record sheet. Use a separate sheet for each address key you used.
At the top of the paper, include the vital information such as the publication the ad was placed in; what type and size of ad was used; how much the ad cost; which ad copy was used; the name of the product; the price of the product.
Separate the tabulations into two main categories: inquiries and orders. If you use a display ad, you should have fewer inquiries than directly from a classified, but you need to keep track of all responses.
Along the left-hand column, vertically, write numbers consecutively. These will correspond directly to the days you received responses, starting with the first day you received an inquiry or order.
The inquiries section should be divided into three columns of date received, number received and a running total to keep track of how many to date.
The orders section should be divided into day received; daily number of orders; total number of orders; daily number of sales; and totally cash sales. The totals will give you an up-to-date indication of how well your ad is doing.
Satisfy the wants and need of the public by taking products and services directly to them, in their homes and offices. Become a Mailorder Marketer!
http://www.rightbiz.com/dir/mail-order-business.html
Are you ready to make a commitment to be successful - both financially and personally? The mail order business is the way to succeed in all ways. Whether you're prepared to commit a small amount of time or all your time. Whether you want satisfaction of position, financial security - even social respect, the mail order business is for you.
Today there are hundreds of opportunities to get into the profitable mail order business. And, you don't have to be creative or clever, or have invented something new. You only need the desire and determination to achieve your goals.
What do you want from life? Are you tired of struggling to make ends meet? Maybe you're fed-up with commuting to work and living under a time clock. If you like independence, can make simple decisions easily and are prepared to devote energy to your project, YOU WILL SUCCEED.
The mail order business is not a get-rich-quick scheme. It won't make you a millionaire overnight. But it can build into a steady, profitable business at home - as big or as small as you want it to be.
Some of the mail order companies that gross millions of dollars a year got started in small ways. Not only the well-known distributors such as Sear or Montgomery Wards, but dozens of smaller catalog houses and monthly mail order clubs began slowly, testing ads, testing prices, acquiring customers that buy again and again as each year passes.
Think big and think with confidence. The only way to truly make a mail order business work is to MAKE IT WORK FOR YOU. This is a low-risk, low investment business that can make you HIGH PROFITS.
ACTING ON OPPORTUNITY
It is a proven fact that dozens of small and large companies make great profits from the mail order business. And, although there are some who profit illegally - and get caught - the federal government promote mail order enterprises.
Think about what you receive in the mail. Almost every day you get flyers and brochures from all sorts of companies selling magazines, books, clothing, household items - even vacation packages. Some of them you may toss away without even looking at; some of them you may read; and some of them you may buy from, especially if you know the company and have bought before.
An honest mail order business is something to feel proud about. Just as valid as opening a storefront, this business needs so little investment that, with perseverance, you almost canít help but win.
As in any other money-making enterprise, from working for someone else, to owning and operating your own company, the mail order business requires energy. But it doesn't take away enthusiasm or confidence. As a matter of fact, the more positive thought you put in, the more rewards can be reaped.
Decide on how much you want to earn, how much energy you can devote to this business, and what you want out of it. You can operate a successful mail order business in your spare time with a very low financial investment, but it's up to you to make it work.
WHAT DO YOU NEED?
You can run a small mail order business out of your home from the kitchen table. All you really need is a mailing address, a few dollars for a classified ad, and a PRODUCT THAT SELLS.
If you're just starting in this business, you don't need to invest in elaborate equipment or expensive manufacturing. In fact, you may find several products to sell that require minimum investment and bring in a maximum profit.
Once you get going, you'll need the usual stationery supplies such as a stapler, cellophane tape, mailing envelopes, address labels, and file folders. You may invest in a file cabinet and a desk. And, you'll need to use a typewriter or have somebody do all the typing for you.
Eventually you may need a postal meter, good quality postal scales, and storage areas for the products you sell. But even when you establish a high profit business, you can still operate it from home with limited resources.
HOW TO FIND WHAT SELLS
The basic secret to success in the mail order business is to follow the leader. Especially when you're beginning, why should you spend the money and time to test products, prices, and places to advertise?
Start at your newsstand or library. Study every copy of each magazine that advertises mail order products. Take a good look at the classifieds section. To write to dozens of these offers - especially any offer for something free. Take a look at the sales literature you get back. You may even purchase a few products to see what is sold for the money asked.
See the patterns?
If you review past issues of these magazines in the library, you'll notice the ads that repeat month after month. Advertisers who continue to place ads have PRODUCTS THAT SELL. What are these products? Which ones would you like to promote?
Consider the trends in the various magazines. You may notice several similar ads for the same products listed one after another. THEY ALL SELL. And that is where you should begin.
WHAT TO SELL
What products grab you? Which ones would you like to sell - as a one-shot, and later as a product line. Maybe you already have a sound interest in specific products that are solid mail order products, such as stamps and coins, jewelry or books.
Plans and kits are great to sell to decorating and handicraft publications. You may already make something at home that you can easily write into instructions and manufacture into an inexpensive kit for do-it-yourselfers.
Mail order is an excellent way to distribute stock from a retail enterprise. If you have a store or manufacturing plant, you don't need to invest in stock. A simple brochure or catalog to follow up inquiries is a profitable way to build business.
Specialized information is one of the most profitable products in the mail order business. Whether you sell prerecorded cassettes or small folios or booklets, you can keep overhead down and profits high. Mass producing specialized information can be surprisingly inexpensive - and there's a high demand.
If you want to develop a product line, carefully research what already sells by mail order ads. Don't take the chance to be innovative. Others have tried before you. Take the tried and true path and sell a competitive product at competitive prices in the same publications as everyone else.
There are a few rules to follow when choosing what to sell. First consider the profit margin. Don't work with anything that won't bear a high markup per item. Calculating the advertising costs, product costs and mailing, you have to make a good profit for each order.
Consider the weight of the product and the mailability. Can you place it in a manila envelope and mail it? Padded mailers or small boxes are also easy to mail. Think twice about large or heavy items that are expensive to send.
Is the product a regular in the publications? Do the other mail order businesses carry this product? And does it sell profitably? Get some samples from competitors, then contact the manufacturers and find out about the profit margin.
Don't try to distribute novelties, gadgets or low-cost items through mail order. The catalog houses and other larger mail order enterprises have that market covered.
Can the product be sold in retail store, and is it? Unless the product is special, it won't maintain a high mail order trade if it is readily available at the local stores.
Do outside salespeople sell the product? Even if they are not sold in retail stores, steer away from items that are solicited for by telephone or personal sales calls. Also avoid any items that are distributed by persons from the manufacturing plants to smaller retail outlets.
Your product must be easy to advertise. In order to get inquiries through classifieds or display ads, you must be able to describe the product effectively with a few words. New inventions rarely sell well by mail order.
Finally, consider the potential of the product. If you begin with monogrammed bags, do you want to continue with an entire line of luggage, bags and cases. Where can you go after you have success with your first product? If you are producing and distributing information, what is the potential for more products in the same subject matter?
A basic element of the mail order business is building repeat business. If you keep within a similar line of products, you can sell to the same customers time and again.
Eventually, you'll have distributed many similar products through mail order. You may find one product to be a seller year after year. And you may be content with that. Or, you may substitute your stock to improve the potential sales and actual profit. Think carefully about what type of product line you want to get into. You'll be living with it for a while, and you must have enthusiasm. Because it is through your product that your desires will be fulfilled and from which YOU WILL MAKE MONEY.
DON'T CHEAT
You don't need a special permit or license to sell products by mail order. In some states, you will need a special tax identification number and will be required to collect sales taxes. The mail order business is changing. There was a time when some of the advertisements were come-ons for other products, fell short of their promises, or were just plain frauds.
The federal government and the postal authorities are especially strict with mail order businesses today. Primarily because irate buyers have no other recourse, but also to clean up the industry, any enterprise even slightly suspect is investigated.
If you are serious about operating a mail order business for a long time, don't fall short of the law. The authorities can shut down an operation immediately, and fraudulence is prosecuted.
It is against the law to operate a lottery or chain letter scheme by mail. Both the advertisements and the sales literature for imported products must say that the product was imported. And, you must ship within thirty days of receiving an order or offer a refund. You then have an additional thirty days grace period, but then you must refund the customer's money or ship the product.
Aside from the fundamental laws, the authorities will judge on willful misrepresentation. Almost all advertising points out benefits rather than drawbacks, but your product must reasonable do what is advertised, or be the quality it is supposed to be. Naturally there are shade of gray in all these areas, but if your product lives up to the ads and sales literature, and you do not gyp the customers in any manner, you'll never have trouble.
YOUR PRODUCT
What's the lease expensive way to produce your product and fulfill orders to make a high profit? If you are selling information, first test the market potential with photocopies of the report or booklet. Or, you may be able to revive an out of print publication.
If you want to distribute a product, contact several manufacturers that can make the merchandise and get competitive price quotations. Investigate ways to make the product with less expensive materials without losing quality. And check on the reputation of the firm. Is their merchandise known for quality? How soon can they deliver the goods once you have ordered?
For the first few months of testing, you may have to pay higher prices for the products in small quantities. Don't invest in large quantities until you are sure there is a demand.
You might try to sell a few handmade items first. Keep an adequate stock to fulfill orders, and consider mass production once the orders show the demand.
Or, you can work on consignment with somebody's product that is perhaps sold elsewhere. You try the product and make the sales. You get a percentage and the other people get a percentage. Then you work out a viable business relationship.
WHAT PRICE?
When you investigate the products you want to sell, consider the price you can get for them. Is there an adequate profit margin? How many times might a customer purchase your line of products in a one-year period?
Your profit line is the guide for deciding not only what to price your product at, but also the manufacturing costs and the feasibility of the product itself.
The only way to know how to price the product is to test the highest prices the market will hold. To test prices, you send sales literature with two prices. The results of the sales will tell you which is best. For example, if you get twice as many orders of a product at a lesser price, it will be a higher profit over a long run to keep it at the smaller price. However, if there is no big difference in the number of orders received, go for the higher price.
Consider the potential of your product and the product line. You'll want to expand into similar products and you'll want to make a tidy profit from the time you invest.
WHERE TO ADVERTISE
Advertise where the competition is. If there is another classified with the same or similar product, place your ad in the same publication. Just as you followed the leaders in the choice and pricing of your product, follow the leaders in advertising.
Even though some publications cost more to place ads then others, don't try to save money in less expensive places to advertise. In a long run, your ad will pull the best responses where it's been tested and proven before.
Don't be tempted to place an ad in a magazine that does not have products similar to yours - even if you have a hunch or thing it may bring in stray requests. For a beginners, follow the professionals and list where they do.
There are two types of advertising for publications. Classified ads, which are run together in a section at the back of the publication are only for words, and usually are reasonable inexpensive to place.
Display ads, or space ads, are the advertisements that run throughout the publication. They are best to use if you need to show a drawing of your product. Although they are more expensive than classifieds, your product response may do better with the extra investment.
Classifies ads are the bread and butter winners for the mail order business. Your dollar investment per word in a classified will pull many dollars in responses.
The best way to use classifieds is with a two-part approach. First you place a small ad that describes your product or service. You give a full address and information, but mention free details, or free information. Don't ask for money or give a price.
From the inquiries in response to the ad, send out a direct mail piece describing your product more fully - giving a full sales pitch and a coupon. It is this sales piece that is most effective in generating orders.
Writing classified ads is easy. But again, do what the others do. Read the classified ads.
First there is a lead-in, or headline - a work or two that grabs the reader's attention. This is followed by a promise - some benefit the product offers. Then comes the description of the product itself. Finally, offer a guarantee and push for action. Place the classified ad in the publications you choose under the categories that seem most effective for your product. Give it at least three months to test it. Then watch those inquiries turn into orders, and the orders turn into money.
RUNNING DISPLAY ADS
If your product will sell better with a visual representation such as a line drawing or photograph, then you'll do best with a display ad.
Display ads come in all sizes - from one inch to a full two-page spread. And choosing the size to run your ad will be a matter of testing the responses.
You should use a space large enough to include a coupon. It has been proven that people respond faster if there is a space to fill out their name and address and place the order. Whether it is the convenience or the simple indication of the type of information to include, mail order businesses find that three-fourths of the orders from display ads will respond with the coupon.
As with a classified, use a catchy heading with the display ad to grab the reader's attention. Along with the illustration and coupon, describe the product and point out some of the benefits of owning it. And be sure to mention a guarantee.
The rule of thumb for deciding how bug to make the display ad is to test the responses. Increase the size of the ad until it costs more than the profits it brings in. Some products don't sell any better with a larger ad; others do.
OFFER A REFUND
An important element in all advertising, and especially in mail order, is to offer a refund if the customer is not satisfied. The reason is simple. More people will respond to an ad that backs up its claims with a guarantee.
If a buyer can return the product for a refund, them the order is a low risk. Since your product will fulfill the promises in the ad, you will have a low refund rate. For those returns you do have, fulfill the requests promptly. Just because that specific product was returned does not mean you lost a potential customer.
USE AN ADDRESS CODE
Whenever you place an advertisement, whether classified or display, you need to code the address so you know which ad the inquiry came from.
This coding system is called keying the address. Take a look at the classified ads you've been studying. See those codes? Department WD-5; Division 9A; Drawer 4B. These are all address keys to use in recording and tabulating responses. They are most important in testing the pull of your ads.
You can use any combination of letters and numbers to code the address. Most businesses use the words department, suite number, room number, division or drawer. A simple key is the initials of the name of the publication and the number indicating the month of the issue. But you can use any code that's easy to keep track of.
DIRECT MAIL
Once you receive inquiries from classified ads, and start fulfilling orders from display ads, follow through with direct mail pieces that sparkle with inviting offers. The purpose of the two-step approach in classifieds is to get lists of potential buyers to sell to. Just as a salesperson gives a pitch with the product, you should also sell your offer with effective sales literature.
Most mail pieces consist of a sales letter, a brochure or circular, and a reply card or coupon to cut out of the circular. Many people will respond directly to the product alone and order regardless of the sales literature. But for those thousands of others who want to know more about what they're buying, you have to make the difference between throwing it away and sending in the coupon and a check.
The sales letter should be personal and direct. Talk to the potential buyer honestly, telling that person the virtues and benefits of the product. Point out the features and uses. And underscore the appeal for action.
Testimonials are effective ways of selling, especially if you need to convince the potential buyer of the actual results of the product. But be sure these can be backed up by real people who can make these claims.
Writing effective sales literature can be easy because it's standard. Look at all the other direct mail pieces you get. The same letter; the same brochure; the same reply card. These are the proven methods of selling by mail. Follow the experts and do the same.
Start small. Use colored paper to print up several hundred one-piece circulars that describe your product and include a coupon. You don't have to create an elaborate four-color photograph of the product; simply describe and illustrate the benefits and features of the offer.
Whether you use a one-piece circular, a full-color brochure, or a forty-page catalog, INCLUDE AN ORDER COUPON. The coupon is the most important piece in the direct mail literature. It makes it easy to play an order. In a few, simple words, the buyer knows what the product is, understands that it is refundable, and expects to receive what is advertised. Direct mail pieces are the best way to follow up on your customer lists. Any inquiry you receive is a potential buyer regardless of any orders made. If your fits mailing didn't prove a response, follow up with subsequent mailings.
You'll have to test to see how often these follow ups are effective. Some mail order enterprises mail offers several time a year; others only yearly catalogs.
TESTING RESULTS
How do you know which ads pulled best? Which magazine gives you the best dollar-for-dollar response? What price is the most profitable to sell the product at? Which sales pitch works best? Keep a complete record of all the inquiries and orders, and make comparisons to determine the best roads to take.
Testing is the hidden feature in mail order that determines success. And testing doesn't need to be costly or draining to your profits. The best attitude towards testing is as a game.
Draw the limits of your risks and make different turns in the road when it isn't profitable. If you consider testing for mail order like a maze, you'll be the one to find the success. One of the best features of the mail order business is that it doesn't require a large financial investment.
So, each step of the way that you test, going ahead with high responses and discarding low response, you have little to lose and EVERYTHING TO GAIN.
One of the elements you need to test is the pull of the magazine ad. Compare each publication with the next. Which ones are the most profitable?
If you are using display ads, you may be testing for which size pulls the best response for the money you invested. Another element that is tested is the ad copy -especially the headings. You may want to test a few different headlines to see which is the most effective.
The obvious thing that is tested is the product itself. The most clever ad at the most appealing price will do nothing if the product won't sell. And if your product is not successful, drop it and try something else. It's not worthwhile to put in so much effort for something that will never make it.
KEEPING RECORD
The way to determine test results is with a record sheet. Use a separate sheet for each address key you used.
At the top of the paper, include the vital information such as the publication the ad was placed in; what type and size of ad was used; how much the ad cost; which ad copy was used; the name of the product; the price of the product.
Separate the tabulations into two main categories: inquiries and orders. If you use a display ad, you should have fewer inquiries than directly from a classified, but you need to keep track of all responses.
Along the left-hand column, vertically, write numbers consecutively. These will correspond directly to the days you received responses, starting with the first day you received an inquiry or order.
The inquiries section should be divided into three columns of date received, number received and a running total to keep track of how many to date.
The orders section should be divided into day received; daily number of orders; total number of orders; daily number of sales; and totally cash sales. The totals will give you an up-to-date indication of how well your ad is doing.
Satisfy the wants and need of the public by taking products and services directly to them, in their homes and offices. Become a Mailorder Marketer!
http://www.rightbiz.com/dir/mail-order-business.html
MAIL ORDER HOW-TO'S
Listing names of Big Mail Requesters, and sending out packages of Big Mail is an easy way to get your start in the business of selling by mail.
There are a number of mail order operators pulling in an easy, extra thousand dollars a month, by what you'd hardly call work - doing nothing more than receiving money for advertising a list of people's names interested in receiving Big Mails, and sending out envelopes stuffed to overflowing with Big Mail.
Regardless of where you live - your age - teenager or senior citizen - man or woman - there is no reason you can't do the same - pull in extra thousand dollars a month, with the same idea.
Getting started is not as easy as turning on a water tap, but then your initial investment will amount to practically nothing - and the requirements upon your time should not amount to more than a few hours a week.
First, let's define the market - Who wants Big Mails, and why they want it... Big Mails are wanted or should be wanted, by just about every person in business, especially those involved in selling a product via the mails, in order to keep himself abreast of who's doing what, how they're doing it, the new offers being made and the newcomers to the business. The reasoning is because of the time and postage saved by automatically receiving all of this information, as opposed to writing and mailing letters to each individual offer you see that arouses your interest, not to mention the time saved in searching through all the different publications to discover these things. Some people -the dreamers and the lonely - like to receive Big Mails simply for the sake of having mail delivered to them every day. There's no sure way of determining which of your Big Mail Requesters these people are - so you just forget about it, and send your Big Mails to everybody on your list. Besides, the actual number of people in this category are fewer than you might suspect.
Now, let's define what's inside a Big Mail Package you or your buyers - Big Mail Requesters - will be receiving in the mail... Generally, you'll find at least one, but usually several publications: ad sheets, tabloid mail order newspapers, and an occasional newsletter. The rest is almost always a collection of various product advertising circulars. At least two of these circulars will be from the person sending the package to you in the first place.
Many, if not most of the beginners in this business, first get their name listed as a Big Mail Requester, on as many Big Mails Wanted lists as possible. They even save the mail they receive, and once a week, every other week, or once a month, they stuff their accumulated Big Mail into individual envelopes and send it to the names on their lists of people who have paid to be listed as Big Mail Requesters.
Don't forget - All Big Mail suppliers always include at least a couple of two-sided circulars of their own. These are usually Commission Circulars - product advertising circulars, sometimes provided by a prime source or distributor with a blank space on the reply coupon for the dealer doing mailing to rubber stamp his business name and address. More often than not, the distributor furnished the dealer with "camera ready" copies of circulars to use. The dealer takes these C/R's to a quick print shop, and has several thousand copies made up with his business name and address imprinted on each circular.
Every time you send out a package of Big Mail, always include two advertising circulars of your own - circulars that may interest the recipient and cause him or her to send to you for the product or service offered.
These can be commission - dropship - products, or products that you have devised, produced and are selling.
Incidentally, the best way to go with commission circulars is to ask for or get a camera-ready copy of the original, and have a large quantity of them printed locally with your name in place of the supplier. This will save you hours of very boring work entailed in rubber-stamping your name on several thousand circulars. If for whatever reason it's too expensive to get your circulars printed locally, then check around for a printer who does business by mail, and will make your circulars for you with your name and address on the ordering coupon. Also, it will almost always pay for you to have the printer fold your circulars for you before he ships them to you - he can do it all in about an hour, while it could take you a couple of days to a week or longer to fold 5,000 circulars yourself.
You can include as many product circulars in your package of Big Mail as you want, but It's been proven time and time again that three very good - outstanding -circulars, all related to the same idea, bring back more responses than an envelope overflowing with circulars. What I'm saying is that a circular inviting the recipient to send for Book #317, "How to Make Money Writing & Selling Simple Information," plus a circular on Book #365, "$50,000 a Year from Mail Order Ads," will pull far more inquiries than 10 or 12 different circulars inviting the recipient to send for a mixture of related items.
The reason is quite simple - After about 3 circulars, you begin to overwhelm the recipient with opportunities. In reality, he'd like all of the books you are offering, but he only wants to spend so much and therefore, he's faced with a decision of which ones to send for - and more often than not, he ends up not sending for any of them.
Including a mini-catalog listing of your offerings if quite different, and generally acceptable to most people receiving big mail packages, or product advertising in the mail. Generally, this is regarded as not so much loose paper and something they can hang onto for awhile and maybe order from, much the same as they order from a Wards or JC Penny catalog.
When you've got your name listed on a number of lists as a Big Mail Requester, and after you've got a steady supply of this kind of mail coming to you, start placing ads of your own in some of the larger circulation ad sheets and other mail order publications as a Big Mail Supplier. For ideas on ads to use, glance through any mail order publication and come up with one you think will bring the most replies in.
Now you're on your way with the basic plan and "know-how" for a fast start as a Big Mail Supplier.
In order to expand your big mail operations into a real money-making business, compile a list of magazines, newsletters, mail order tabloids and ad sheets.
Then draft a letter to these publishers, advising them that you can supply them with several hundred prospective subscribers each month. Explain that your prospects come from responses to national advertising, which you run at no cost to them, the publishers: Go on to explain that your national advertising offers Free Trial Subscriptions to the nation's leading money-making publications, and that you feel your list will be incomplete without his publication...
Sweeten the pot further by detailing how you'll be sending the names and addresses of these fresh prospects on peel 'n stick labels - that these mailing lists will belong to him on receipt - and that you encourage him to copy them for follow up mailings...
You charge each of these publishers $100 a year for this service, and even when you have 100-150 signed, keep looking for and attempting to sign more publishers. Don't ever stop soliciting publishers, and go after the biggest as well as the very smallest of them.
With a number of accounts signed and paid, you place an ad such as the following, in several national publications:
FILL YOUR MAILBOX WITH OPPORTUNITY! World's leading Money-Making publications! Free trial subscriptions! $2 for processing to: (Your name & address).
When the responses to your ads come in, type the names and addresses onto "master" sheets or put them into your computer systems as respondents to your advertising. Sometime around the 15th of each month, copy your masters onto the number of customer sheets of labels you need, and send them out. You bank the money from your advertising respondents.
One hundred publishers times $100 each means $10,000 per year... A minimum of 200 respondents to your advertising each month means another $4,800 per year And then, by contracting with a reputable list broker such as Group One Communications, 2321 NE Dixie Hwy, Jensen Beach, FL 33457 - to handle the rental of the "HOT" names you accumulate each month, you should be able to double or triple these figures... And $30,000 income your first year in the Big Mail business is nothing to "cry about" at all!!!
Meanwhile you've got all these new prospects, to whom you can send your own sales materials You can also expand your services and become a subscription agency, a publications distributor, or even a mail order publications Advertising Agency...
You could compile, publish and sell directories of newsletters, tabloids and ad sheets... Directories of Mail Order Associations... Mailing lists of people wanting Big Mails... or mailing lists of people wanting Commission Circulars.
Learn the Cold-Blooded Secret Truths about Mailorder MArketing.
http://www.rightbiz.com/dir/mail-order-business.html
There are a number of mail order operators pulling in an easy, extra thousand dollars a month, by what you'd hardly call work - doing nothing more than receiving money for advertising a list of people's names interested in receiving Big Mails, and sending out envelopes stuffed to overflowing with Big Mail.
Regardless of where you live - your age - teenager or senior citizen - man or woman - there is no reason you can't do the same - pull in extra thousand dollars a month, with the same idea.
Getting started is not as easy as turning on a water tap, but then your initial investment will amount to practically nothing - and the requirements upon your time should not amount to more than a few hours a week.
First, let's define the market - Who wants Big Mails, and why they want it... Big Mails are wanted or should be wanted, by just about every person in business, especially those involved in selling a product via the mails, in order to keep himself abreast of who's doing what, how they're doing it, the new offers being made and the newcomers to the business. The reasoning is because of the time and postage saved by automatically receiving all of this information, as opposed to writing and mailing letters to each individual offer you see that arouses your interest, not to mention the time saved in searching through all the different publications to discover these things. Some people -the dreamers and the lonely - like to receive Big Mails simply for the sake of having mail delivered to them every day. There's no sure way of determining which of your Big Mail Requesters these people are - so you just forget about it, and send your Big Mails to everybody on your list. Besides, the actual number of people in this category are fewer than you might suspect.
Now, let's define what's inside a Big Mail Package you or your buyers - Big Mail Requesters - will be receiving in the mail... Generally, you'll find at least one, but usually several publications: ad sheets, tabloid mail order newspapers, and an occasional newsletter. The rest is almost always a collection of various product advertising circulars. At least two of these circulars will be from the person sending the package to you in the first place.
Many, if not most of the beginners in this business, first get their name listed as a Big Mail Requester, on as many Big Mails Wanted lists as possible. They even save the mail they receive, and once a week, every other week, or once a month, they stuff their accumulated Big Mail into individual envelopes and send it to the names on their lists of people who have paid to be listed as Big Mail Requesters.
Don't forget - All Big Mail suppliers always include at least a couple of two-sided circulars of their own. These are usually Commission Circulars - product advertising circulars, sometimes provided by a prime source or distributor with a blank space on the reply coupon for the dealer doing mailing to rubber stamp his business name and address. More often than not, the distributor furnished the dealer with "camera ready" copies of circulars to use. The dealer takes these C/R's to a quick print shop, and has several thousand copies made up with his business name and address imprinted on each circular.
Every time you send out a package of Big Mail, always include two advertising circulars of your own - circulars that may interest the recipient and cause him or her to send to you for the product or service offered.
These can be commission - dropship - products, or products that you have devised, produced and are selling.
Incidentally, the best way to go with commission circulars is to ask for or get a camera-ready copy of the original, and have a large quantity of them printed locally with your name in place of the supplier. This will save you hours of very boring work entailed in rubber-stamping your name on several thousand circulars. If for whatever reason it's too expensive to get your circulars printed locally, then check around for a printer who does business by mail, and will make your circulars for you with your name and address on the ordering coupon. Also, it will almost always pay for you to have the printer fold your circulars for you before he ships them to you - he can do it all in about an hour, while it could take you a couple of days to a week or longer to fold 5,000 circulars yourself.
You can include as many product circulars in your package of Big Mail as you want, but It's been proven time and time again that three very good - outstanding -circulars, all related to the same idea, bring back more responses than an envelope overflowing with circulars. What I'm saying is that a circular inviting the recipient to send for Book #317, "How to Make Money Writing & Selling Simple Information," plus a circular on Book #365, "$50,000 a Year from Mail Order Ads," will pull far more inquiries than 10 or 12 different circulars inviting the recipient to send for a mixture of related items.
The reason is quite simple - After about 3 circulars, you begin to overwhelm the recipient with opportunities. In reality, he'd like all of the books you are offering, but he only wants to spend so much and therefore, he's faced with a decision of which ones to send for - and more often than not, he ends up not sending for any of them.
Including a mini-catalog listing of your offerings if quite different, and generally acceptable to most people receiving big mail packages, or product advertising in the mail. Generally, this is regarded as not so much loose paper and something they can hang onto for awhile and maybe order from, much the same as they order from a Wards or JC Penny catalog.
When you've got your name listed on a number of lists as a Big Mail Requester, and after you've got a steady supply of this kind of mail coming to you, start placing ads of your own in some of the larger circulation ad sheets and other mail order publications as a Big Mail Supplier. For ideas on ads to use, glance through any mail order publication and come up with one you think will bring the most replies in.
Now you're on your way with the basic plan and "know-how" for a fast start as a Big Mail Supplier.
In order to expand your big mail operations into a real money-making business, compile a list of magazines, newsletters, mail order tabloids and ad sheets.
Then draft a letter to these publishers, advising them that you can supply them with several hundred prospective subscribers each month. Explain that your prospects come from responses to national advertising, which you run at no cost to them, the publishers: Go on to explain that your national advertising offers Free Trial Subscriptions to the nation's leading money-making publications, and that you feel your list will be incomplete without his publication...
Sweeten the pot further by detailing how you'll be sending the names and addresses of these fresh prospects on peel 'n stick labels - that these mailing lists will belong to him on receipt - and that you encourage him to copy them for follow up mailings...
You charge each of these publishers $100 a year for this service, and even when you have 100-150 signed, keep looking for and attempting to sign more publishers. Don't ever stop soliciting publishers, and go after the biggest as well as the very smallest of them.
With a number of accounts signed and paid, you place an ad such as the following, in several national publications:
FILL YOUR MAILBOX WITH OPPORTUNITY! World's leading Money-Making publications! Free trial subscriptions! $2 for processing to: (Your name & address).
When the responses to your ads come in, type the names and addresses onto "master" sheets or put them into your computer systems as respondents to your advertising. Sometime around the 15th of each month, copy your masters onto the number of customer sheets of labels you need, and send them out. You bank the money from your advertising respondents.
One hundred publishers times $100 each means $10,000 per year... A minimum of 200 respondents to your advertising each month means another $4,800 per year And then, by contracting with a reputable list broker such as Group One Communications, 2321 NE Dixie Hwy, Jensen Beach, FL 33457 - to handle the rental of the "HOT" names you accumulate each month, you should be able to double or triple these figures... And $30,000 income your first year in the Big Mail business is nothing to "cry about" at all!!!
Meanwhile you've got all these new prospects, to whom you can send your own sales materials You can also expand your services and become a subscription agency, a publications distributor, or even a mail order publications Advertising Agency...
You could compile, publish and sell directories of newsletters, tabloids and ad sheets... Directories of Mail Order Associations... Mailing lists of people wanting Big Mails... or mailing lists of people wanting Commission Circulars.
Learn the Cold-Blooded Secret Truths about Mailorder MArketing.
http://www.rightbiz.com/dir/mail-order-business.html
HOW TO MAKE BIG PROFITS IN MAIL ORDER STARTING FROM SCRATCH...
A lot of people are going to tell you that there are "no more secrets" to making the big profits in mail order. These same people will laugh at you and call you a "fool" for wasting your time chasing rainbows that don't exist...
But, don't you believe them, or even listen to them! The opportunities for wealth beyond your wildest dreams - via the direct mail sales of a product or service - have never been greater!
If you have an idea - a product or service - now is the time to capitalize on it via mail order selling. You can definitely start "on your kitchen table" and parlay it into millions of dollars... others have done it, are doing it... and now, it's your turn for a piece of the pie.
As with any other profitable business, the procedure of making "profits" by mail has its own set of rules. Learn these rules, adhere to them, adjust them to your own circumstances - draw up a "battle plan" and work your plan... Persevere, be aware of other people's marketing methods, continue upgrading your own product or service, and with determination, you can become a millionaire in our own right... And then, you can look over your shoulder at those who were laughing at you, and perhaps help them in some small way...
Knowledge, and the ability to use that knowledge, are the basic keys to success. You must know what heights you want to attain, understand what it takes to attain those heights, and then dedicate yourself to getting there.
The rules to achievement of success in direct mail success have to do wit l) Market Research, 2) The use of the "right" mailing lists, 3) Customer follow-up... If you can understand the "hows and whys" of these rules, then there's virtually no way you help but succeed in the field of mail order, even starting from scratch...
Market Research has to do the selection of the proper product, identifying your "most-likely" buyers, and getting your product-offer to these people.
Product selection is very basic, and thus the most important first step. Stop and think - look around yourself - and listen to what the "people" are clamoring most for...
In this day and age, much of the noise in the air has to do with: How can I find a job... How can I put together a resume that will get me a job when I spot an opening... Where are the jobs... With these thoughts in mind, the person who writes, publishes, and gets an instructional manual or even a newsletter relative to these questions, to the people, will sell as many as he can produce...
So, step one is to "listen" to what the people are wanting, and then to satisfy those wants. You do this by spending some time researching the subject. Visit your local public library, interview a number of people involved who have succeeded in satisfying their wants, conduct a few "dry runs" for personal experience and then write your manual.
The "secret" to ultimate wealth is the capability of producing a product that can be duplicated an unlimited number of times for pennies, and sold for dollars. A great many people get "bogged down" within this "rule" because they don't under stand "time and motion" requirements.
As an example, if you were to stage seminars for the unemployed in your area, to help them to find and land jobs, you would undoubtedly make a fortune very quickly. But, you would be committed to a certain expenditure of time every time you prepared for, and staged a seminar. Thus, you would be making a lot of money for yourself, but at the same time, you'd sustain a loss of time to enjoy your wealth doing the things you always wanted to do, once you became rich. The only way around this would be to train and hire other people to prepare for, and stage the seminars which would mean you would then be dividing your profits.
At the bottom-line then, the "only way" is to write something which can be duplicated as often as necessary, and sold virtually forever. Look at it this way, you spend a full month organizing your material and writing a manual that costs you $1 per copy to produce in quantity. You sell it for $20 a copy, and over a period of three years, you sell three million copies - in essence, that amounts to $60,000,000 for one month's work!!!
So, writing something "the people want," is the only way to go... But, be careful... Make sure you've done your homework and what you write about is what the majority of the people "will stand in line to buy..." Listen to what the people want, and then give it to them... This is the product selection part of your market research...
By listening to the cries for help, and catering to them, you will not only have "discovered" the proper product, you will have also "identified" your buyers. Do not try to interest the people in something that does not specifically fulfill one of their wants. Don't mistake a casual interest or complaint as "the voice" of the masses. Spend some time "listening," and then write to satisfy what "the people" want.
Once you've got your product ready for customers to buy, you should spend some time creating the proper sales letter and/or circular you'll use in presenting it to your potential customers. Above all else, your sales materials must radiate an image of professionalism and sell - sell - sell...
Use quality paper and printing in presenting your sales message. Present what you have to say, not in manner that tells the prospect who you are, how well qualified you are to write on the subject, or how much work you put into the project; but from a stand point of how the customer is going to benefit from buying a copy of your manual.
As an example - General Motors doesn't advertise cars by telling you how they were designed and engineered - built by college graduates or union workers - nor have you ever heard of someone walking up to a car in a dealer's showroom, kicking the tire and exclaiming, "By, this sure looks like a safe one..." In fact, new cars are sold by the smell and the image of the prospective owner sitting in the driver's seat and showing off by driving through his neighborhood - just climb in there behind the wheel and see how she feels to you - go ahead and take it for a test drive - drive it home and see what your neighbors think...
The benefits your prospective buyer is going to receive, that's the starting point from which all "winning" sales letters are written, circulars designed, and the "secret" of getting people to spend money on a product or service.
Students from the advertising classes at your local college, free-lance advertising agency personnel, and - believe it or not - automobile dealership advertising managers, are the people to turn to for ideas and help.
Next, is your follow-up piece. Ideally, this is a simple one page listing of other "related" materials for your customers. So, assuming you've sold him a manual on how to land a job - your follow-up piece might list manuals on how to dress to project a winning image, how to breeze through job interviews, and/or what to do after the interview, perhaps an opportunity for your buyer to subscribe to a quarterly newsletter listing job availabilities.
It's important that you have your follow-up piece put together, and ready before you make your primary offer available to the public. Then, when you start receiving orders, along with the manual the customer has ordered, simply also enclose your follow-up listing of other materials available.
Thus, you make one sale and as a result of he first sale, you make further sales of related materials - the kind of "back end" sales that will keep you in business, and your profits multiplying. Don't neglect the follow-up piece.
Getting your offer to your most likely buyers is going to cost you money, and here's where most direct mail beginners drop the ball. Do not try to save money, and send your offer out to just any old list of names. Contact a reputable mailing list broker - visit your public library and ask the librarian for a copy of the Standard Rate & Data Services directory pertaining to mailing list brokers - tell the mailing list broker about your offer and ask for his help in choosing a mailing list that will be profitable for you.
You'll probably have to rent a minimum of 5,000 names at a cost ranging between $35 and $95 per thousand, but in the end - you'll save a lot of time and money because with a good offer and a good mailing list you count on a tremendous response.
For instance, the one time rental of a good mailing list may cost you $475 at $95 per thousand... But then, a 20% response from such a list on a $20 manual, would mean $20,000 in your pocket...
To spend your time compiling names and addresses from incoming mail order offers, or to rent and use a mailing list from any source other than a reputable broker, is not only foolish but a shortcut to the poor-house! Identify your most-likely buyers, contact a reputable mailing list broker, match your "buyer profile" to his most responsive list, and you'll make money - lots of money - every time. Anything less is just an exercise in futility!
There you have it - short & sweet - cut & dried - and, the "easy way" to the big profits in mail order starting from scratch... These are the basics - the secrets to how others have done it, and how you can do it too - organize yourself, follow these guidelines and it'll be next to impossible for you not to succeed...
Remember though, your best product will be "how-to" information. Something the people "want" to learn. Something you can research, write about, and produce for pennies, and then sell for dollars.
And don't forget, once you're ready to start taking orders, make sure that you get your offer to the most likely buyers. Get out of the "mail order circle" and to the people who want and will spend money for your product.
It's easy - it's simple - and it can be very rewarding! Understand the requirements, position yourself to succeed and do it! This time next year, you could be a millionaire!
Will you be the next Mail Order Millionaire?
http://www.rightbiz.com/dir/mail-order-business.html
But, don't you believe them, or even listen to them! The opportunities for wealth beyond your wildest dreams - via the direct mail sales of a product or service - have never been greater!
If you have an idea - a product or service - now is the time to capitalize on it via mail order selling. You can definitely start "on your kitchen table" and parlay it into millions of dollars... others have done it, are doing it... and now, it's your turn for a piece of the pie.
As with any other profitable business, the procedure of making "profits" by mail has its own set of rules. Learn these rules, adhere to them, adjust them to your own circumstances - draw up a "battle plan" and work your plan... Persevere, be aware of other people's marketing methods, continue upgrading your own product or service, and with determination, you can become a millionaire in our own right... And then, you can look over your shoulder at those who were laughing at you, and perhaps help them in some small way...
Knowledge, and the ability to use that knowledge, are the basic keys to success. You must know what heights you want to attain, understand what it takes to attain those heights, and then dedicate yourself to getting there.
The rules to achievement of success in direct mail success have to do wit l) Market Research, 2) The use of the "right" mailing lists, 3) Customer follow-up... If you can understand the "hows and whys" of these rules, then there's virtually no way you help but succeed in the field of mail order, even starting from scratch...
Market Research has to do the selection of the proper product, identifying your "most-likely" buyers, and getting your product-offer to these people.
Product selection is very basic, and thus the most important first step. Stop and think - look around yourself - and listen to what the "people" are clamoring most for...
In this day and age, much of the noise in the air has to do with: How can I find a job... How can I put together a resume that will get me a job when I spot an opening... Where are the jobs... With these thoughts in mind, the person who writes, publishes, and gets an instructional manual or even a newsletter relative to these questions, to the people, will sell as many as he can produce...
So, step one is to "listen" to what the people are wanting, and then to satisfy those wants. You do this by spending some time researching the subject. Visit your local public library, interview a number of people involved who have succeeded in satisfying their wants, conduct a few "dry runs" for personal experience and then write your manual.
The "secret" to ultimate wealth is the capability of producing a product that can be duplicated an unlimited number of times for pennies, and sold for dollars. A great many people get "bogged down" within this "rule" because they don't under stand "time and motion" requirements.
As an example, if you were to stage seminars for the unemployed in your area, to help them to find and land jobs, you would undoubtedly make a fortune very quickly. But, you would be committed to a certain expenditure of time every time you prepared for, and staged a seminar. Thus, you would be making a lot of money for yourself, but at the same time, you'd sustain a loss of time to enjoy your wealth doing the things you always wanted to do, once you became rich. The only way around this would be to train and hire other people to prepare for, and stage the seminars which would mean you would then be dividing your profits.
At the bottom-line then, the "only way" is to write something which can be duplicated as often as necessary, and sold virtually forever. Look at it this way, you spend a full month organizing your material and writing a manual that costs you $1 per copy to produce in quantity. You sell it for $20 a copy, and over a period of three years, you sell three million copies - in essence, that amounts to $60,000,000 for one month's work!!!
So, writing something "the people want," is the only way to go... But, be careful... Make sure you've done your homework and what you write about is what the majority of the people "will stand in line to buy..." Listen to what the people want, and then give it to them... This is the product selection part of your market research...
By listening to the cries for help, and catering to them, you will not only have "discovered" the proper product, you will have also "identified" your buyers. Do not try to interest the people in something that does not specifically fulfill one of their wants. Don't mistake a casual interest or complaint as "the voice" of the masses. Spend some time "listening," and then write to satisfy what "the people" want.
Once you've got your product ready for customers to buy, you should spend some time creating the proper sales letter and/or circular you'll use in presenting it to your potential customers. Above all else, your sales materials must radiate an image of professionalism and sell - sell - sell...
Use quality paper and printing in presenting your sales message. Present what you have to say, not in manner that tells the prospect who you are, how well qualified you are to write on the subject, or how much work you put into the project; but from a stand point of how the customer is going to benefit from buying a copy of your manual.
As an example - General Motors doesn't advertise cars by telling you how they were designed and engineered - built by college graduates or union workers - nor have you ever heard of someone walking up to a car in a dealer's showroom, kicking the tire and exclaiming, "By, this sure looks like a safe one..." In fact, new cars are sold by the smell and the image of the prospective owner sitting in the driver's seat and showing off by driving through his neighborhood - just climb in there behind the wheel and see how she feels to you - go ahead and take it for a test drive - drive it home and see what your neighbors think...
The benefits your prospective buyer is going to receive, that's the starting point from which all "winning" sales letters are written, circulars designed, and the "secret" of getting people to spend money on a product or service.
Students from the advertising classes at your local college, free-lance advertising agency personnel, and - believe it or not - automobile dealership advertising managers, are the people to turn to for ideas and help.
Next, is your follow-up piece. Ideally, this is a simple one page listing of other "related" materials for your customers. So, assuming you've sold him a manual on how to land a job - your follow-up piece might list manuals on how to dress to project a winning image, how to breeze through job interviews, and/or what to do after the interview, perhaps an opportunity for your buyer to subscribe to a quarterly newsletter listing job availabilities.
It's important that you have your follow-up piece put together, and ready before you make your primary offer available to the public. Then, when you start receiving orders, along with the manual the customer has ordered, simply also enclose your follow-up listing of other materials available.
Thus, you make one sale and as a result of he first sale, you make further sales of related materials - the kind of "back end" sales that will keep you in business, and your profits multiplying. Don't neglect the follow-up piece.
Getting your offer to your most likely buyers is going to cost you money, and here's where most direct mail beginners drop the ball. Do not try to save money, and send your offer out to just any old list of names. Contact a reputable mailing list broker - visit your public library and ask the librarian for a copy of the Standard Rate & Data Services directory pertaining to mailing list brokers - tell the mailing list broker about your offer and ask for his help in choosing a mailing list that will be profitable for you.
You'll probably have to rent a minimum of 5,000 names at a cost ranging between $35 and $95 per thousand, but in the end - you'll save a lot of time and money because with a good offer and a good mailing list you count on a tremendous response.
For instance, the one time rental of a good mailing list may cost you $475 at $95 per thousand... But then, a 20% response from such a list on a $20 manual, would mean $20,000 in your pocket...
To spend your time compiling names and addresses from incoming mail order offers, or to rent and use a mailing list from any source other than a reputable broker, is not only foolish but a shortcut to the poor-house! Identify your most-likely buyers, contact a reputable mailing list broker, match your "buyer profile" to his most responsive list, and you'll make money - lots of money - every time. Anything less is just an exercise in futility!
There you have it - short & sweet - cut & dried - and, the "easy way" to the big profits in mail order starting from scratch... These are the basics - the secrets to how others have done it, and how you can do it too - organize yourself, follow these guidelines and it'll be next to impossible for you not to succeed...
Remember though, your best product will be "how-to" information. Something the people "want" to learn. Something you can research, write about, and produce for pennies, and then sell for dollars.
And don't forget, once you're ready to start taking orders, make sure that you get your offer to the most likely buyers. Get out of the "mail order circle" and to the people who want and will spend money for your product.
It's easy - it's simple - and it can be very rewarding! Understand the requirements, position yourself to succeed and do it! This time next year, you could be a millionaire!
Will you be the next Mail Order Millionaire?
http://www.rightbiz.com/dir/mail-order-business.html
Sunday, October 19, 2008
HOW TO START YOUR OWN MAIL ORDER PUBLICATION
If you are an old hand at mail order, or a newcomer to the business, sooner or later you are going to want to try your lick at having your own publication.
There are some pro's and con's to running your own publication.
The good points - - -
Prestige - You are the Editor and Publisher You can get free advertising for your products. You can earn profits on the publication. You can get a name in the mail order field. You can write articles and editorial opinions.
Some of the con's - - -
You have to be careful in selecting a format. Too many people spend all their money trying to start a publication and don't plan far enough ahead to keep it going.
It takes time - doing layouts, collecting material to use, pasting up ads. You will learn more about tricks of the trade in this report.
So, if the scale of interest tips toward your desire to give it a try, be prepared to put some time and dollars into getting it off the ground.
Your best format, and the cheapest, is to use 8 1/2 x 11 standard letter size sheet. Fold it in half, making a folder of 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 size. You now have what is termed as a 4-pager publication. An 8-pager would be using a second sheet, folded to the 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 size and placed inside of the first sheet.
Then after you have your publication launched, you will make things easier by having some layout sheets printed in non-reproducing blue ink. The layout sheets are divided into two columns per page, and column inches. There are sixteen 1-inch spaces per page (eight per column). This is the starting point in determining the cost and selling price per column inch for ads. Take a layout to your local quickie printer, and get a price for 1,000 copies of your 8 1/2 x 11 sheet, printed two sides.
For an example, let's assume your printer wants $20.00 for 1,000.
On a four page publication, you reserve the front page for your masthead (name of the publication) and three pages for advertising.
You have 16 one-inch spaces per page times three pages, so you have 48 spaces available to sell. If you sell each space at $5.00 net to you, you will generate 48 x $5.00 or $240.00 in revenue for one sheet folded into a four pager.
Remember, if you use an eight pager, you are generating $80.00 per page from advertising, so every ad of your own (or articles that use up ad space) reduces your income. An eight pager, less the front page, generate 7 pages of advertising revenue, or $560.00. Your cost for an eight pager for printing would be approximately $40.00 for 1,000 quantity, leaving you a profit of $520.00
Start by putting together a layout - a four pager. Select a name that tells it all, in one or two words if possible, i.e. "The Mail Box". Decide how often you are going to publish - once a month - bi-monthly - quarterly. Write your editorial copy for the front pate; a typewriter is all you need. Type your copy on separate sheets in two columns and paste it up.
Tell all about your publication...what, where, when, who, etc., and be sure to tell the circulation you will have 1,000, 2,000, etc. The more circulation you have, the more you can ask per inch. When you are first starting out, with only 1,000 circulation, you may not be able to get $5.00 per column inch. It may be necessary to charge only $2.50 per inch to get advertisers to buy your space.
Your next step is to past up some ads. If you have products that you sell by mail order, use them to fill the pages. You may also write to some who are advertising in other publications and offer them an introductory ad at a reduced rate for the first issue. The back page should be reserved for your advertising order blank, calling attention to the special price, and inviting potential advertisers to complete it and mail it in with payment.
When pasting up ads, make sure to keep them in a neat column width. And if someone submits an ad on colored paper, dip it in household bleach and place it on a paper towel to dry. The bleach will take out the color background so that your printer can handle the reproduction.
CO-PUBLISHING
Most publications in mail order are co-publishing publications. This means that is you are the prime publisher, you insert a box on the front page with "Co-Publisher" printed above it. Co-publishers are your advertisers. Each may run an ad in your publication one time, paying the full rate, and agreeing to mail 25, 50, or more copies with his name stamped in the Co-publisher box. The Co-publisher mails out his copies, and since it is a Co-publisher publication, the prime publisher does not solicit ads directly, but refers all ads through a Co-publisher. The Co-publisher sells ads by mailing out copies. If you establish a rate of $6.00 per 1-inch ad, your Co-publisher keeps 50% and sends the ad to be run, along with your 50% to you.
This is a method of distributing your publication without having to mail it yourself. However, experience has proven that only about 40% actually mail their copies, so your publication may not get distributed and results would be very discouraging to you and the advertiser, (even though they did not do what they agreed to do).
The best idea is to get your hands on as many other publications as possible. Type up labels will all advertisers, and prepare your own mailing list; you may wish to supplement this with a list of mail order buyers that can be purchased from list houses for $30 per 1,000. Inquire at your local post office for information/instruction on bulk mailing. Current ruling is a minimum of 500 pieces, and if you get up to 2,000, you should really consider bulk mailings. You will find that a permit is necessary, which involved a fee, but bulk will cut your cost tremendously. You do have to sort and tie your mail by zip codes, but rate per piece is currently 19.8 for up to 3.8 oz. - - compared to 29 cents for the first ounce and 23 cents for each additional ounce first class.
To improve your professional touches, learn more about graphics by purchasing books on graphics, layouts and techniques available from many sources - or go to your public library. You will learn about reproducing photos, reducing, enlarging, using press-on type for headlines. These are elements you will learn quickly when you put out your own publication. If you have a local printer, you might be surprised to find he is willing to help your own publication. If you have a local printer, you might be surprised to find he is willing to help you be sharing information and shortcut tips. Also, study other publications for style and format, and make notes as to how you could improve them.
When you have progressed to a circulation of 5,000 or more, you should look into a changeover to tabloid format (newspaper style) which is printed on Webb press - the savings are tremendous. But for starters, stay with the 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 format.
WARNING! -- Over 90% of the information on the market about "how-to" Get Rich in Mailorder is a bunch of pure Bull-Stuff! (You know what I mean.) -- Not only will you NOT get rich in mailorder using that information ... you will probably lose a bundle of money trying to make it work for you. (If you haven't already.) -- Learn the only proven & repeatable method of making money in mailorder ... almost without fail.
http://www.rightbiz.com/dir/mail-order-business.html
There are some pro's and con's to running your own publication.
The good points - - -
Prestige - You are the Editor and Publisher You can get free advertising for your products. You can earn profits on the publication. You can get a name in the mail order field. You can write articles and editorial opinions.
Some of the con's - - -
You have to be careful in selecting a format. Too many people spend all their money trying to start a publication and don't plan far enough ahead to keep it going.
It takes time - doing layouts, collecting material to use, pasting up ads. You will learn more about tricks of the trade in this report.
So, if the scale of interest tips toward your desire to give it a try, be prepared to put some time and dollars into getting it off the ground.
Your best format, and the cheapest, is to use 8 1/2 x 11 standard letter size sheet. Fold it in half, making a folder of 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 size. You now have what is termed as a 4-pager publication. An 8-pager would be using a second sheet, folded to the 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 size and placed inside of the first sheet.
Then after you have your publication launched, you will make things easier by having some layout sheets printed in non-reproducing blue ink. The layout sheets are divided into two columns per page, and column inches. There are sixteen 1-inch spaces per page (eight per column). This is the starting point in determining the cost and selling price per column inch for ads. Take a layout to your local quickie printer, and get a price for 1,000 copies of your 8 1/2 x 11 sheet, printed two sides.
For an example, let's assume your printer wants $20.00 for 1,000.
On a four page publication, you reserve the front page for your masthead (name of the publication) and three pages for advertising.
You have 16 one-inch spaces per page times three pages, so you have 48 spaces available to sell. If you sell each space at $5.00 net to you, you will generate 48 x $5.00 or $240.00 in revenue for one sheet folded into a four pager.
Remember, if you use an eight pager, you are generating $80.00 per page from advertising, so every ad of your own (or articles that use up ad space) reduces your income. An eight pager, less the front page, generate 7 pages of advertising revenue, or $560.00. Your cost for an eight pager for printing would be approximately $40.00 for 1,000 quantity, leaving you a profit of $520.00
Start by putting together a layout - a four pager. Select a name that tells it all, in one or two words if possible, i.e. "The Mail Box". Decide how often you are going to publish - once a month - bi-monthly - quarterly. Write your editorial copy for the front pate; a typewriter is all you need. Type your copy on separate sheets in two columns and paste it up.
Tell all about your publication...what, where, when, who, etc., and be sure to tell the circulation you will have 1,000, 2,000, etc. The more circulation you have, the more you can ask per inch. When you are first starting out, with only 1,000 circulation, you may not be able to get $5.00 per column inch. It may be necessary to charge only $2.50 per inch to get advertisers to buy your space.
Your next step is to past up some ads. If you have products that you sell by mail order, use them to fill the pages. You may also write to some who are advertising in other publications and offer them an introductory ad at a reduced rate for the first issue. The back page should be reserved for your advertising order blank, calling attention to the special price, and inviting potential advertisers to complete it and mail it in with payment.
When pasting up ads, make sure to keep them in a neat column width. And if someone submits an ad on colored paper, dip it in household bleach and place it on a paper towel to dry. The bleach will take out the color background so that your printer can handle the reproduction.
CO-PUBLISHING
Most publications in mail order are co-publishing publications. This means that is you are the prime publisher, you insert a box on the front page with "Co-Publisher" printed above it. Co-publishers are your advertisers. Each may run an ad in your publication one time, paying the full rate, and agreeing to mail 25, 50, or more copies with his name stamped in the Co-publisher box. The Co-publisher mails out his copies, and since it is a Co-publisher publication, the prime publisher does not solicit ads directly, but refers all ads through a Co-publisher. The Co-publisher sells ads by mailing out copies. If you establish a rate of $6.00 per 1-inch ad, your Co-publisher keeps 50% and sends the ad to be run, along with your 50% to you.
This is a method of distributing your publication without having to mail it yourself. However, experience has proven that only about 40% actually mail their copies, so your publication may not get distributed and results would be very discouraging to you and the advertiser, (even though they did not do what they agreed to do).
The best idea is to get your hands on as many other publications as possible. Type up labels will all advertisers, and prepare your own mailing list; you may wish to supplement this with a list of mail order buyers that can be purchased from list houses for $30 per 1,000. Inquire at your local post office for information/instruction on bulk mailing. Current ruling is a minimum of 500 pieces, and if you get up to 2,000, you should really consider bulk mailings. You will find that a permit is necessary, which involved a fee, but bulk will cut your cost tremendously. You do have to sort and tie your mail by zip codes, but rate per piece is currently 19.8 for up to 3.8 oz. - - compared to 29 cents for the first ounce and 23 cents for each additional ounce first class.
To improve your professional touches, learn more about graphics by purchasing books on graphics, layouts and techniques available from many sources - or go to your public library. You will learn about reproducing photos, reducing, enlarging, using press-on type for headlines. These are elements you will learn quickly when you put out your own publication. If you have a local printer, you might be surprised to find he is willing to help your own publication. If you have a local printer, you might be surprised to find he is willing to help you be sharing information and shortcut tips. Also, study other publications for style and format, and make notes as to how you could improve them.
When you have progressed to a circulation of 5,000 or more, you should look into a changeover to tabloid format (newspaper style) which is printed on Webb press - the savings are tremendous. But for starters, stay with the 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 format.
WARNING! -- Over 90% of the information on the market about "how-to" Get Rich in Mailorder is a bunch of pure Bull-Stuff! (You know what I mean.) -- Not only will you NOT get rich in mailorder using that information ... you will probably lose a bundle of money trying to make it work for you. (If you haven't already.) -- Learn the only proven & repeatable method of making money in mailorder ... almost without fail.
http://www.rightbiz.com/dir/mail-order-business.html
WHAT REALLY SELLS IN THE MAIL ORDER MAGAZINES?
You can only make money with the Mail Order Magazines if you understand exactly WHO reads them. The Mail Order Magazines are trade papers read almost exclusively by Mail Order Dealers, or by "Opportunity Seekers", who are in reality aspiring Mail Order Dealers. They will only buy merchandise that will help them in the operation of a Mail Order Business.
It is almost always a waste of money to advertise merchandise which is intended for general public consumption in the Mail Order Magazine - unless you are offering it on a wholesale or drop-ship basis.
Below is a brief description of twenty-two products or services that can be sold successfully through the Mail Order Magazines!
1. RUBBER STAMPS - Every Mail order Dealer purchases at lease one name and address rubber stamp. He also purchases "stock stamps" with slogans such as "Big Mails Wanted", "Commission Circulars Wanted", "Third Class Mail, "Your Ad Solicited", etc. Rubber Stamps sell well in the Mail Order Magazines because dealers use them in the conduct of their business.
2. MAILING LISTS - Mail Order Dealers constantly buy mailing list of Opportunity Seekers, New Mothers, Book Buyers, Gift Buyers, etc. You can sell mailing lists on plain paper or on gummed labels. Naturally, you can charge more for the lists on gummed labels.
3. BIG MAILS - Anyone who regularly advertises "Big Mails" in the Mail Order Magazines will get orders for them. Big Mails consists of envelope full of Mail Order Magazines, Ad Sheets, and Circulars of every imaginable kind. The "Big Mail Order Dealer" earns his profit by selling ad space and subscriptions in the publications which he co-publishes. He also makes money from the items offered on the circulars which he includes in his Big Mails.
4. CIRCULAR MAILING SERVICE - Set up an efficient, dependable circular mailing service so that dealers can get their circulars into the hands of real Mail Order buyers, advertise it regularly in the Mail Order Magazines, and you will soon have all the circular mailing business you can possibly handle!
5. PRINTING - Every Mail Order Dealer buys printing. He buys circulars, envelopes, sales letters, booklets, catalogs, ad sheets, brochures, price lists, letterheads, Mail Order Magazines, and a thousand other things. If you do mimeographing, letterpress or offset printing, advertise your service in the Mail Order Magazines! It is probably the Mail Order Magazine's Number One All Time Profit Maker!
6. INFORMATION FOLIOS - Mail Order Dealers will always buy information that will help them succeed in the Mail Order business. Folios that deal with any practical aspect of Mail Order selling can be sold through the Mail Order Magazines. If you have produced your own folio and are willing to drop-ship orders for other dealers, you will definitely make money!
7. DROP-SHIP AND WHOLESALE OFFERS - If you have a large stock of merchandise which is suitable for Mail Order sales, and are willing to supply it on a drop-ship (single order at wholesale prices) or on a wholesale basis, then you should advertise in the Mail Order Magazines. Dealers are constantly looking for new products to sell by mail. If you plan to sell on a wholesale basis only, you should offer your product in very SMALL wholesale lots, if possible. Most Mail Order Dealers are part-timers and do not have vast sums of money to invest in untested merchandise.
8. SAMPLE COPIES OF MAIL ORDER MAGAZINES - Mail Order Dealers have an insatiable appetite for new mail trade magazines, which is why hundreds of them come into existence and then disappear every year. If you publish or co-publish a Mail Order Magazine, advertise sample copies of it in other publications and you will get requests for it. Regard your sample copy as a "leader item", or as a "good-will builder". It should be your way of getting your other offers into the hands of prospective Mail Order buyers. You will probably sell some ads, but do not expect to sell too many subscriptions. Except for a few of the leading publications, very few people subscribe to Mail Order Magazines.
9. GUMMED LABELS - Labels of any kind are "naturals" for the Mail Order Magazines. (Name and address labels, shipping labels, addressing labels, slogan labels, etc.)
10. NAME LISTING SERVICE - Whether he admits it or not, every Mail Order Dealer is a "Big Mail Addict". If you compile mailing lists or work with another dealer who does, dealers will pay you to put their names on the lists. You can advertise your name listing service in almost any Mail Order Magazine and get orders for it!
11. COMMISSION CIRCULARS - There are circular mailers who watch every issue of every Mail Order Magazine looking for new sources of commission circulars. There is no better way to advertise commission circulars than by placing ads in the Mail Order Magazines.
12. COPY WRITING SERVICE - If you have a natural flair for writing ads, circulars, and sales letters - and if you have a basic knowledge of Mail Order SELLING, you can sell your services through the better Mail Order Magazines. There are very few good Mail Order Copy Writers at present. Here is a very basic NEED - can you fill it?
13. AD DESIGN - Another service which is greatly in demand is for the commercial artist who can create eye-catching ads and circulars which dealers can use to sell their products. There are only two or three dealers who are now offering this service, but there is room for a dozen more!
14. TYPESETTING - Most Mail Order printers and magazines now require "Camera ready" copy. This has created a big demand for dealers who can offer typesetting service. At present there are dealers who do Mail Order typesetting that have so much business they don't even bother to advertise!
Related to typesetting are the "clip art" books which are used by dealers who prepare their own "camera ready" copy.
15. PEN PAL, LONELY HEARTS MAGAZINES - For some reason, the Mail Order Magazines have always been good places to sell these types of publications. It may be because they are the only kinds of magazines, other than the Mail Order Magazines, that are co-publishable.
Most Mail Order Magazines will accept ads for legitimate pen pal and matrimonial magazines; however, very few will accept any "adults only" ads. Too many readers object and some Mail Order dealers are minors.
16. HOBBY MAGAZINES - You can sell almost any kind of hobby publications through the Mail Order Magazines. This is because many dealers handle merchandise and are always looking for new ways to sell it. Many dealers and readers are hobbyists and collectors themselves.
17. FORMULAS - Dealers buy formulas for two reasons. First, some dealers reprint the formula and sell it by running ads in national publications. ("Sure way to kill cockroaches", etc.) Some even manufacture the product itself and sell it by mail.
Closely related to formula selling is recipe selling. If you can create new recipes which dealers can sell to their customers, then advertise your services in the Mail Order Magazines.
18. CATALOGS - Of you can produce LOW COST catalogs which dealers can mail to their customers offering books, novelties, gift items, baby merchandise, printed forms, etc., you would be well advised to offer your services in the Mail Order Magazines.
19. UNPRINTED DEALER'S MERCHANDISE - If you can supply merchandise which the dealer can use in HIS MAIL ORDER BUSI NESS, at bargain prices, you can sell it profitably in the Mail Order Magazines. For example: unprinted envelopes, typewriter ribbons, addressing labels, stencils, scratch pads, etc. There are a few successful dealers who even sell large, bulky items like typewriters, mimeograph machines, file cabinets, paper cutters, and printing presses by mail.
20. AD SPACE - Every Mail Order Dealer buys ad space. If you publish or co-publish a Mail Order Magazine, you can sell ad spaces by advertising it in other Mail Order Magazines.
21. ADS TO RUN UNDER YOUR OWN NAME - Can you supply ready made ad copies which other dealers can run under their own name and fill their orders on a drop-ship basis? If so, print up your ads and sell them through the Mail Order Magazines. If you can supple "camera ready" ads and circulars, so much the better!
22. MAIL ORDER PLANS - Opportunity Seekers are always looking for new Mail Order Plans. If you have some practical, legitimate, workable plans that others can use to make money by mail, print them up and advertise them in the Mail Order Magazines.
You will find that 99% of all the ads in the Mail Order Magazines fall into one of the categories listed above. If you are selling a product or service that fits into one of these categories, you can safely advertise it in the Mail Order Magazines!
Satisfy the wants and need of the public by taking products and services directly to them, in their homes and offices. Become a Mailorder Marketer!
http://www.rightbiz.com/dir/mail-order-business.html
It is almost always a waste of money to advertise merchandise which is intended for general public consumption in the Mail Order Magazine - unless you are offering it on a wholesale or drop-ship basis.
Below is a brief description of twenty-two products or services that can be sold successfully through the Mail Order Magazines!
1. RUBBER STAMPS - Every Mail order Dealer purchases at lease one name and address rubber stamp. He also purchases "stock stamps" with slogans such as "Big Mails Wanted", "Commission Circulars Wanted", "Third Class Mail, "Your Ad Solicited", etc. Rubber Stamps sell well in the Mail Order Magazines because dealers use them in the conduct of their business.
2. MAILING LISTS - Mail Order Dealers constantly buy mailing list of Opportunity Seekers, New Mothers, Book Buyers, Gift Buyers, etc. You can sell mailing lists on plain paper or on gummed labels. Naturally, you can charge more for the lists on gummed labels.
3. BIG MAILS - Anyone who regularly advertises "Big Mails" in the Mail Order Magazines will get orders for them. Big Mails consists of envelope full of Mail Order Magazines, Ad Sheets, and Circulars of every imaginable kind. The "Big Mail Order Dealer" earns his profit by selling ad space and subscriptions in the publications which he co-publishes. He also makes money from the items offered on the circulars which he includes in his Big Mails.
4. CIRCULAR MAILING SERVICE - Set up an efficient, dependable circular mailing service so that dealers can get their circulars into the hands of real Mail Order buyers, advertise it regularly in the Mail Order Magazines, and you will soon have all the circular mailing business you can possibly handle!
5. PRINTING - Every Mail Order Dealer buys printing. He buys circulars, envelopes, sales letters, booklets, catalogs, ad sheets, brochures, price lists, letterheads, Mail Order Magazines, and a thousand other things. If you do mimeographing, letterpress or offset printing, advertise your service in the Mail Order Magazines! It is probably the Mail Order Magazine's Number One All Time Profit Maker!
6. INFORMATION FOLIOS - Mail Order Dealers will always buy information that will help them succeed in the Mail Order business. Folios that deal with any practical aspect of Mail Order selling can be sold through the Mail Order Magazines. If you have produced your own folio and are willing to drop-ship orders for other dealers, you will definitely make money!
7. DROP-SHIP AND WHOLESALE OFFERS - If you have a large stock of merchandise which is suitable for Mail Order sales, and are willing to supply it on a drop-ship (single order at wholesale prices) or on a wholesale basis, then you should advertise in the Mail Order Magazines. Dealers are constantly looking for new products to sell by mail. If you plan to sell on a wholesale basis only, you should offer your product in very SMALL wholesale lots, if possible. Most Mail Order Dealers are part-timers and do not have vast sums of money to invest in untested merchandise.
8. SAMPLE COPIES OF MAIL ORDER MAGAZINES - Mail Order Dealers have an insatiable appetite for new mail trade magazines, which is why hundreds of them come into existence and then disappear every year. If you publish or co-publish a Mail Order Magazine, advertise sample copies of it in other publications and you will get requests for it. Regard your sample copy as a "leader item", or as a "good-will builder". It should be your way of getting your other offers into the hands of prospective Mail Order buyers. You will probably sell some ads, but do not expect to sell too many subscriptions. Except for a few of the leading publications, very few people subscribe to Mail Order Magazines.
9. GUMMED LABELS - Labels of any kind are "naturals" for the Mail Order Magazines. (Name and address labels, shipping labels, addressing labels, slogan labels, etc.)
10. NAME LISTING SERVICE - Whether he admits it or not, every Mail Order Dealer is a "Big Mail Addict". If you compile mailing lists or work with another dealer who does, dealers will pay you to put their names on the lists. You can advertise your name listing service in almost any Mail Order Magazine and get orders for it!
11. COMMISSION CIRCULARS - There are circular mailers who watch every issue of every Mail Order Magazine looking for new sources of commission circulars. There is no better way to advertise commission circulars than by placing ads in the Mail Order Magazines.
12. COPY WRITING SERVICE - If you have a natural flair for writing ads, circulars, and sales letters - and if you have a basic knowledge of Mail Order SELLING, you can sell your services through the better Mail Order Magazines. There are very few good Mail Order Copy Writers at present. Here is a very basic NEED - can you fill it?
13. AD DESIGN - Another service which is greatly in demand is for the commercial artist who can create eye-catching ads and circulars which dealers can use to sell their products. There are only two or three dealers who are now offering this service, but there is room for a dozen more!
14. TYPESETTING - Most Mail Order printers and magazines now require "Camera ready" copy. This has created a big demand for dealers who can offer typesetting service. At present there are dealers who do Mail Order typesetting that have so much business they don't even bother to advertise!
Related to typesetting are the "clip art" books which are used by dealers who prepare their own "camera ready" copy.
15. PEN PAL, LONELY HEARTS MAGAZINES - For some reason, the Mail Order Magazines have always been good places to sell these types of publications. It may be because they are the only kinds of magazines, other than the Mail Order Magazines, that are co-publishable.
Most Mail Order Magazines will accept ads for legitimate pen pal and matrimonial magazines; however, very few will accept any "adults only" ads. Too many readers object and some Mail Order dealers are minors.
16. HOBBY MAGAZINES - You can sell almost any kind of hobby publications through the Mail Order Magazines. This is because many dealers handle merchandise and are always looking for new ways to sell it. Many dealers and readers are hobbyists and collectors themselves.
17. FORMULAS - Dealers buy formulas for two reasons. First, some dealers reprint the formula and sell it by running ads in national publications. ("Sure way to kill cockroaches", etc.) Some even manufacture the product itself and sell it by mail.
Closely related to formula selling is recipe selling. If you can create new recipes which dealers can sell to their customers, then advertise your services in the Mail Order Magazines.
18. CATALOGS - Of you can produce LOW COST catalogs which dealers can mail to their customers offering books, novelties, gift items, baby merchandise, printed forms, etc., you would be well advised to offer your services in the Mail Order Magazines.
19. UNPRINTED DEALER'S MERCHANDISE - If you can supply merchandise which the dealer can use in HIS MAIL ORDER BUSI NESS, at bargain prices, you can sell it profitably in the Mail Order Magazines. For example: unprinted envelopes, typewriter ribbons, addressing labels, stencils, scratch pads, etc. There are a few successful dealers who even sell large, bulky items like typewriters, mimeograph machines, file cabinets, paper cutters, and printing presses by mail.
20. AD SPACE - Every Mail Order Dealer buys ad space. If you publish or co-publish a Mail Order Magazine, you can sell ad spaces by advertising it in other Mail Order Magazines.
21. ADS TO RUN UNDER YOUR OWN NAME - Can you supply ready made ad copies which other dealers can run under their own name and fill their orders on a drop-ship basis? If so, print up your ads and sell them through the Mail Order Magazines. If you can supple "camera ready" ads and circulars, so much the better!
22. MAIL ORDER PLANS - Opportunity Seekers are always looking for new Mail Order Plans. If you have some practical, legitimate, workable plans that others can use to make money by mail, print them up and advertise them in the Mail Order Magazines.
You will find that 99% of all the ads in the Mail Order Magazines fall into one of the categories listed above. If you are selling a product or service that fits into one of these categories, you can safely advertise it in the Mail Order Magazines!
Satisfy the wants and need of the public by taking products and services directly to them, in their homes and offices. Become a Mailorder Marketer!
http://www.rightbiz.com/dir/mail-order-business.html
THE SECRET MAIL ORDER PRODUCT THAT CAN MAKE YOU RICH
Everyday more and more people are jumping on the "mail order" bandwagon -starting their own, or getting involved in some kind of mail order selling endeavor - and hoping to get rich. At the same time, there are just as many people "giving up and throwing in the towel" because they can't even make expenses in mail order.
The bottom line is simply this: If you don't have the "right" product, and know how to promote it properly, you're doomed to failure before you begin!
People are stimulated to become involved in mail order selling by advertising. These people are for the most part, looking for a vehicle that will enable them to supplement their present incomes, and or an angle that will enable them to get rich quick. In times of economic hardship, the people promoting and selling these plans and/or schemes become unbelievably rich.
Selling ideas or plans on how a person can make extra income - without really working - or become rich almost overnight, is a billion dollar a year business! Most of the buyers of these plans are disappointed, but their ambitions and desires for more money are not thwarted. They continue to look for new plans, ideas and help that will fulfill their dreams.
If you fully understand what I've told you thus far, then you now know "the secret mail order product that can make you rich!" What I'm talking about is the follow-up information and how-to reports that explain in precise detail all that's involved, and how to make one of these "plans for ideas" work profitably.
In other words, books and articles that tell how other people make their fortunes are almost worthless because they really explain the point-by-point details involved in starting, operating and keeping a business profitable. Someone buys a book, How To Get Rich In Mail Order, and it tells how the author made a fortune, but it doesn't tell the reader explicitly how - without a lot of money to begin with - can build a mail order empire.
The very first thing to know, and never to forget, is the fact it takes money and time to build a successful business. Besides money and time, it also takes business acumen or know-how. This is where most people fall down. They just don't have the proper know-how to start and run a successful business. And this is "the secret mail order product" that you can sell and become rich from selling. Everybody want to become rich -most people have some sort of vehicle - but they're lacking the "inside secrets" to make these plans work profitably, and as a result, they will stand in line to buy this information from you.
My suggestion is that you start by selling business success reports. These reports have always been the staple of the direct mail business, and appeal to a large audience of eager buyers.
Say you run a small classified ad and a hundred people buy just one of these reports from you for $30 each - with that, you've just made a cool $3000 (less the cost of the reports).
The thing to do from there is to take this money to place more classified ads in more publications. Remember, the more people who see your ads for your reports, the more people you'll have "standing in line" to buy them from you.
If you were to sell just 1,000 copies of one of these reports each year - that would give you an annual income of $30,000 and that ain't chickenfeed...
Don't worry about competition in selling these reports. Unless you've got enough money to reach the 60 million opportunity seekers in this country all at once, there will always be people wanting to buy the inside secrets you have to sell.
Learn the Cold-Blooded Secret Truths about Mailorder MArketing.
http://www.rightbiz.com/dir/mail-order-business.html
The bottom line is simply this: If you don't have the "right" product, and know how to promote it properly, you're doomed to failure before you begin!
People are stimulated to become involved in mail order selling by advertising. These people are for the most part, looking for a vehicle that will enable them to supplement their present incomes, and or an angle that will enable them to get rich quick. In times of economic hardship, the people promoting and selling these plans and/or schemes become unbelievably rich.
Selling ideas or plans on how a person can make extra income - without really working - or become rich almost overnight, is a billion dollar a year business! Most of the buyers of these plans are disappointed, but their ambitions and desires for more money are not thwarted. They continue to look for new plans, ideas and help that will fulfill their dreams.
If you fully understand what I've told you thus far, then you now know "the secret mail order product that can make you rich!" What I'm talking about is the follow-up information and how-to reports that explain in precise detail all that's involved, and how to make one of these "plans for ideas" work profitably.
In other words, books and articles that tell how other people make their fortunes are almost worthless because they really explain the point-by-point details involved in starting, operating and keeping a business profitable. Someone buys a book, How To Get Rich In Mail Order, and it tells how the author made a fortune, but it doesn't tell the reader explicitly how - without a lot of money to begin with - can build a mail order empire.
The very first thing to know, and never to forget, is the fact it takes money and time to build a successful business. Besides money and time, it also takes business acumen or know-how. This is where most people fall down. They just don't have the proper know-how to start and run a successful business. And this is "the secret mail order product" that you can sell and become rich from selling. Everybody want to become rich -most people have some sort of vehicle - but they're lacking the "inside secrets" to make these plans work profitably, and as a result, they will stand in line to buy this information from you.
My suggestion is that you start by selling business success reports. These reports have always been the staple of the direct mail business, and appeal to a large audience of eager buyers.
Say you run a small classified ad and a hundred people buy just one of these reports from you for $30 each - with that, you've just made a cool $3000 (less the cost of the reports).
The thing to do from there is to take this money to place more classified ads in more publications. Remember, the more people who see your ads for your reports, the more people you'll have "standing in line" to buy them from you.
If you were to sell just 1,000 copies of one of these reports each year - that would give you an annual income of $30,000 and that ain't chickenfeed...
Don't worry about competition in selling these reports. Unless you've got enough money to reach the 60 million opportunity seekers in this country all at once, there will always be people wanting to buy the inside secrets you have to sell.
Learn the Cold-Blooded Secret Truths about Mailorder MArketing.
http://www.rightbiz.com/dir/mail-order-business.html
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