Direct Mail Still Works!

Direct Mail Campaigns

Despite the proliferation of communication facilitators--mobile phones, faxes, emails, PDAs--the mail still plays a vital role in successful marketing. Direct mail marketing continues to be one of the leading methods for effectively reaching prospective customers because it can be focused, predictable and economical.

Direct mail is effective and efficient because it is a pinpointed approach. Basically, the campaign is an arrow shot at one individual at an individual location. Through careful mailing-list selection, you can make a personal connection to a consumer who likely needs or wants your product. Mailing lists are the key components to direct mail efforts. The most well-executed mailer or letter will have little effectiveness unless it falls into the hands of an interested or potentially interested person. There are almost endless sources for acquiring a mailing list that is specifically targeted to people or businesses that need or want your product.

In addition, with direct mail campaigning, new sales and contacts are measurable and predictable. There is no need for repeated hit-and-miss guessing and guestimating. Accurate adjustments can be made in subsequent mailings based on tracking responses (i.e. sales, inquiries and reply cards) to each campaign. This ability to track your responses allows you to further refine your mailing list, as well.

Ted Prodromou spent over 25 years in the computer industry working for IBM, Digital, and Cellular one. Today he's the owner of Valiss IT, a consulting firm that provides small business coaching and marketing help. He’s also a certified personal and professional coach.

Ted has created and led many coaching workshops and today is helping small businesses automate their marketing with his latest coaching program, "Attract Clients While You Sleep". For more information visit http://www.valiss.com/specials.

Send Donation Thank-You Letters, Cards and Notes Quickly

The most important thing about your donation thank-you letters is not what you say or how you say it but how quickly you say it.

According to Stephen Hitchcock in Open Immediately!, for many donors, a brief thank-you note pre-printed with just the amount and date of the gift can be more effective than long-winded thank-you letters that arrive long after the donor mailed you a gift.

Your gift acknowledgement notes and cards need to leave your office within 48 hours of receiving a donor’s gift. Never take longer than a week. You need to be prompt with your gratitude for a number of reasons.

1. Being prompt is being polite. We all like dealing with people who are thankful

2. Your donors need to be reminded that they made the right decision in sending you a gift. They have many choices about where they can send their charitable donations. You need to remind them that their donation to your organization was the right choice. The longer you take to send that message, the less likely donors are to feel a kinship with your mission (and give again).

3. One of the prime reasons that donors lapse (stop giving) is that they feel unappreciated. The easiest way to show your appreciation is to thank your donors quickly, appropriately and enthusiastically.

A word about thanking major donors
Donors who send you particularly large gifts in the mail deserve a phone call or a personal visit. Which usually causes a problem with promptness. These donors are usually flagged, taken out of the daily receipting and thank-you process, and placed in a to-do pile for later follow up by the executive director, director of advancement or the person who signed the fundraising letter that prompted the gift.

And that’s where the problem arises. Donors who are taken out of the regular thank-you system tend to be thanked in person, eventually, but much later than is ideal. I recommend that you follow the advice of Stanley Weinstein. In his book, Complete Guide to Fundraising Management, Stanley recommends including major donors in your usual gift acknowledgement process. Mail them the same thank-you letter, note or card that you send to everyone else. That way they are thanked promptly. Then follow up with a more personal thank you note (perhaps hand-written), a phone call or a personal visit.

New Handbook shows you how
Need help with writing terrific thank-you letters? Read Boost Your Revenues and Donor Loyalty with Effective Donation Thank-You Letters. The fifth Handbook in the Hands-On Fundraising Series features tips on common mistakes to avoid, a line-by-line analysis of a donation thank-you letter, and a helpful list of things you can show your gratitude for other than the gift alone. If you need to master the art of writing the single most important letter in direct mail fundraising, this new Handbook is for you. It’s available for immediate download. Learn more by clicking the link below.

How to Write a Fundraising Thank-you Letter for Example (Includes a Free Sample)

Thank-you letters are one of the most important letters that your non-profit mails to donors. They remind donors that they made the right decision in supporting your organization. They show that you are grateful for the donors gift. As a bonus, thank-you letters increase donor loyalty,

Annual Appeal Letter Asks: Four Secrets Of Requesting Donations

In the fundraising profession, the act of requesting funds from a donor is called “the ask.” When you are writing a fundraising letter and you arrive at the place where you must actually, ahem, request a donation, you have arrived at the ask. And the ask, as you probably know, is one of the toughest things to get right in fundraising.

Where in the letter should you mention money?
Early on in your letter you should let your reader know why you are writing. Somewhere “above the fold,” usually in the second or third paragraph, describe the reason for your letter. Here is an example:

“The people of Afghanistan have already suffered 20 years of conflict and three years without rain. One and a half million are dead. Two million are disabled. And now this: the UN is predicting that “the number of Afghans facing hunger and deprivation will soon reach 7.5 million.”

“Something has to give. Or someone has to give. That’s why I’m writing to you during this crisis. Will you give? You can save lives and avert disaster by sending a donation to Doctors Without Borders right now.”

How much should you ask for?
Ah, the perennial question. As fundraising letter expert Mal Warwick would say, “that depends.” How much money you request of each donor depends on many variables, including:

• size of the donor’s last gift
• size of the donor’s average gift
• amount that most organizations like yours ask for
• specific need that you are presenting to the donor
• size of your donor base
• donor’s capacity to give (assuming you know it)
• donor’s affiliation with your organization (is the donor a brand new supporter or one of your board of directors?)
• length of time the donor has supported you (is it one year or ten?)

As you can see, the amount of money that you request in your direct mail fundraising letters depends on too many variables for me to give you an average figure to aim for in every appeal.

How many times should you request a donation?
Ask for a gift more than once in your letter. At a minimum, bring up the topic early on, and ask again for a donation in your conclusion. Another good place to request funds is in your postscript (your P.S.). Some of your asks can be hard asks (“Give today”) and others can be soft asks (“Your gift will make a difference.”).

What’s the best way to actually ask for the gift?
Here we come to the topic of this Handbook. As you will discover, there are at least one-hundred and one ways to make your ask on paper. Some are forceful, others are subtle. Some are for capital campaigns, others for endowment campaigns and still others for year-end appeals. I recommend that you read all of the asks, putting a checkmark in the margin next to the ones that will work for your unique organization, your unique donors, your unique case for support and your unique writing style.

Donation Thank-You Letters, Cards And Notes Should Never Ask For A Gift

The most important letter in direct mail fundraising never asks for a gift. Ever.

The thank-you letters that you mail to donors have one goal: to thank your donors for their generosity and support. Yes, your gift acknowledgement letters, notes and cards strengthen relationships and build donor loyalty. And yes, if mailed soon enough and if worded sincerely enough, they do increase your chances of receiving more gifts. But these things are secondary benefits. The main benefit of a thank-you letter is that your donor knows that you are thankful. Because you said so.

So don’t ask for another gift in your thank-you letter. Ignore the consultants who say that the thank-you letter is the perfect place to solicit a second gift. It’s not. It’s the worst possible place. You haven’t earned the right to another gift when you haven’t even spent the first one yet. But there are better reasons to avoid this blunder.

Are you thankful . . . but?

Asking for money in a thank-you letter is like receiving an apology from someone who says, “I’m sorry . . . but.” I think you'll agree with me that an apology followed by a “but” is no apology at all. Apologies should be unequivocal and absolute. “I was wrong. I’m sorry.” End of apology. No clauses, no excuses.

The same goes for your thank-you letters. They should say “thank you” and nothing more. Extending your thanks and extending your tin cup at the same time is plain rude. And bad for business.

In a study conducted by Penelope Burk and Cygnus Applied Research, Inc., 53% of individual donors surveyed said asking for another gift in the body of a thank-you letter is rude. Eight percent said they stop giving if this happens.

And yet 66% of individual donors say they have received requests for another gift within the body of thank-you letters. Thanks to disrespectful fundraisers, that is.

Let me put it this way. Do you want to be rude to over half of your donors? Of course not. So don’t say, “Thank you, but.” If you are going to say anything in addition to a sincere thank you, say this:

• say what you are doing with the donor’s gift
• praise them for their involvement
• tell them the difference their donation is making right now
• thank them for participating in your cause

You may be thinking that asking for another gift in the thank-you letter is cost effective because you don’t need to mail another appeal. You say thanks and solicit a gift with one stamp. I admit, you might raise more money that way. But you’d lose more donors.

Real Estate Post Card Marketing; Million Dollar Mailings

Real Estate Post Card Marketing is an underutilized real estate marketing strategy known by many, but used by few. The test? How many agents do you know market real estate with postcards. Not many - that's what I thought!

Yet, those that do maintain high visibility with their prospects. From useful tips to delicious recipes, customized real estate marketing post cards can leave positive and lasting impressions about you and your services at affordable prices.

I like marketing real estate with post cards for several reasons:

1. They're inexpensive - you can cast a wide net and reach a lot of people for a little of nothing. And as you know, or will soon learn, repeat contact with prospects is key to identity branding. You want buyers and sellers to think of you when they're ready to make a real estate transaction; which you can accomplish easier when you have repeated contacts with them. A series of real estate marketing post cards will do that for you.

2. They're easy to set into motion - it takes little time to reach hundreds to thousands of prospects via real estate post card marketing.

Here's a great way to use them. Chose a neighborhood to farm; condos, high end homes, country estates, move up homes, or whatever.

Then, mail post cards to the homeowners on a routinely scheduled basis. Perhaps it's once a month, with special emphasis on holidays. Or maybe it's every other month.

However frequent it is it your post cards should be interesting enough that your prospects look forward to receiving them, but not so often that they are annoying.

Fortunately, you don't have to spend time or energy designing and printing your own post cards. There are several companies that produce impressive Real Estate Postcards; ready for addressing and mailing. They're cute, charming and near deadly effective.

Even if you're a do it yourself type and like the idea of owning a software program to design your own you can't go wrong with ready made ones.

As a real estate agent you need to generate leads; buyers for listings and sellers wanting to list their properties. You should also be taking advantage of every opportunity to brand yourself. With real estate post card marketing you can:

use your real estate marketing post cards like an extension of your Business Cards. You could include your real-world address, phone number, and website address if you're comfortable with that. The key is to include information that makes it easy for someone to get in touch with you.

use your real estate marketing post cards to Announce New Listings. For example, announce your $2 million dollar listing to a $750,000.00 neighborhood. Heck, it doesn't even have to be your listing, and you can still implement this idea.

Here's what I mean! Select 4-5 one million dollar homes you'd like to sell, which can be any body's listings in any agency. Get to know them like they're your own listings.

Then, select a neighborhood, or neighborhoods, of 200-500 homes where the values are $500,000.00, or so. More or less is okay, but the idea is to seleect homes that are several hundred thousand dollars or more less in value. The idea won't work if there's only a $20,000.00 difference.

Select a a series of real estate post cards to send to the owners in the targeted neighborhood(s). A series of letters will work, but you can make a bigger and more lasting impression with postcards. Check out some Real Estate Postcards and you'll see what I mean. The post cards should appeal to their desire to "move up" into larger and/or more expensive homes.

Send a post card once a month.

Then, get ready for some business. You'll get potential buyers interested in what you've got to sell that will also be prospects for new listings. Can you see getting sales this way? How about listings?

When you use this strategy you'll begin to create relationships with people that'll translate to sales and listing, and reap the benefits of your efforts over and over.

A real estate post card marketing campaign will enable you to frequently and inexpensively market Real Estate Postcards to the masses, and as you know the more frequent your contacts with prospects the better your results will be.

101 Ways to Improve Your Direct Mail Response

Direct mail can be a powerful way to reach your customers. However, it is only powerful if used effectively. Here are some tips to help your direct mail campaign be successful.

1. Mail to your customers more often. If you are now mailing 4
times a year, increase the frequency of your mailings to 6 or 8
times. If you increase your mailings by 25%, you should
increase your sales by at least the same percentage.

2. Use a P.S. on every direct mail letter. This is second in
importance only to the headline.

3. Don't forget to thank your customer for their order. Enclose a
message with orders... and include another merchandise offer
with the "thank you" message.

4. Vary your mailing format. Use self-mailers, lettergrams,
computer letters, envelope formats, catalogs. Change your
format so that prospects don't get in the habit of recognizing
your mailing piece.

5. Ride on the coattails of current events, e.g. energy crisis,
elections, cold winters, etc. When inflation increases, have an
"inflation-cutting" special, etc.

6. Look for other products you can successfully sell to your
customers. Information on how to make and save money is the
best prospect.

7. Include more offers in your mailing package than you already
are. Study the mailings of firms who
packs a volume of material into their envelopes. See if you can
adapt the idea to your own mailings.

8. Think about using simulated handwriting for emphasis in your
letters. Occasionally test a handwritten letter, particularly
if you are soliciting funds for charity.

9. Try an unusual format you've never used before.

10. Test selective distribution to your list. Maybe only a portion
of your list should receive more mailings. Other mailings
should go to the entire list.

11. Stimulate off-season business by asking for it. If you normally
have a summer slump, have a special "summer sale" mailing in the
summer. You can boost your sales any time of the year you need a
boost through effective direct mail.

12. Word your offer differently. Put a unique twist into it by
offering a baker's dozen instead of a regular dozen. Or sell
110 instead of 100.

13. You can even add a smell to your envelopes. Check with your
envelope manufacturer about the special inks that can be used to
make your envelope "smell" the way your product does.

14. Change the size of your mailing package frequently to create
interest and appeal.

15. Test credit terms. You'll find that accepting Master
Charge/Visa will result in larger orders than cash terms.

16. Let people "peek" into your envelope with multiple windows on
the face and back.

17. Test buck slip routing for addressing, and use it to reach
multiple prospects.

18. Try using illustrated letterheads and test them against
conventional letterheads.

19. Put a simulated check into your mailing to emphasize a discount.

20. Consider using stamps, coupons, early order bonuses, Etc.

21. Pack order starters - a special offer that will get a person
started on his order - into your catalog.

22. If you can sample your product, including one in your mailing.

23. Make more sophisticated use of your own list and the lists you
rent by looking for those segments of people who... and forget
the rest of them.

24. Test simulated telegrams, mailgrams, and other imitation formats
similar to the mailgram.

25. Test a tiny letter with a tiny pencil accompanying it. Test a
jumbo letter in your envelope, maybe even mail it in a jumbo
envelope.

26. What is your "wastebasket readability factor" - and what can you
do to get people to read your mailing piece when it is sitting
on somebody else's desk... or has it already landed in their
waste basket?

27. Put a wraparound on your catalog. It gives you two covers
instead of one.

28. Test your catalog approaches and mailing dates.

29. Use teaser copy on your outer envelope and test it vs. a blind
envelope.

30. Acknowledge orders promptly and include additional sales
literature with your acknowledgment.

31. Periodically send a statement to your customer that shows he's
been missed... even if he doesn't owe you any money.

32. Follow up inquiries promptly and persistently. Make it easy to
buy from you by giving the inquirer a return envelope to send
his order back in.

33. Tie in a timely topic (current events, special problems, etc.)

34. Get to know your printers... not printer, printers. Every
direct marketer needs different types of printers with different
capabilities to come up with different printed pieces.

35. Test multiple premiums with your offer and give your prospects a
choice of the one(s) he prefers.

36. Remail your mailing to your better customers three or four weeks
later. You'll do 60-75% as well on the second mailing.

37. Remember the 5 basic rules... test, test, test, test, and test.

38. Don't be afraid to run without a test if your gamble is small.

39. Use a bounce-back package enclosure to get an extra order.

40. State your guarantee in the strongest possible terms... and
state it often.

41. Spotlight your sales points in your headlines.

42. Start your message on your envelope and lead your reader inside.

43. Feature last-minute merchandise on the back of your envelope or
on a separate flier enclosed in your package.

44. Offset delays in mail delivery by extending cutoff dates.

45. Cultivate customers with special savings, bonuses or premiums.

46. Use lightweight paper to save postage and to allow more sales
material in the envelope.

47. Use a "Publisher's Letter" to give the prospect an extra reason
for buying.

48. Put distinctive differences in your catalog to add interest.

49. Stimulate action by featuring a time limit at the top of your
letter.

50. Show how merchandise solves problems and enhances the stature of
the user among his/her contemporaries.

51. Use full-view envelopes to display attractive literature.

52. If buying your product spells numerous benefits, spell them out
by number for maximum impact.

53. Increase customer goodwill and purchases with advance notice of
sales.

54. Use stock photos for much less than the cost of making original
shots.

55. Cultivate customers with special catalog offers directed
exclusively to customers.

56. Use unusual techniques to get your customer into your envelope.

57. Use action stimulators to get your customer to open your
envelope.

58. Dramatize big news by using a big format to present your message.

59. Can you use the inside of your merchandise carton as part of
your media mix?

60. Increase the impact of your advertising with clip art, at
minimum expense.

61. Express appreciation to your customers for their past business.
And enclose some extra sell material with your thank you message.

62. Offer premiums that are unusual.

63. Include smart-selling stuffers in envelopes, packages, etc.

64. Update your catalog with supplements or newsletters.

65. Use a second letter in the package to increase the impact.

66. Use a second letter in the package to make a second offer.

67. Notify the customer if there is going to be a delay in
fulfillment, and include additional merchandise offers with this
notification.

68. Test post card deck mailings as an inexpensive method to get
leads/customers.

69. Put an unusual message on the outside of your envelope.

70. Put an alternative offer in the reply envelope to create bonus
sales.

71. Try a massive display of stamps on the outside of your envelope
to emphasize a fact.

72. Try a pre-holiday mailing to invite a former customer back.

73. Try a customized response vehicle to get your customers to
respond.

74. Offer to provide specific benefits to the customers.

75. Offer potential benefits to both customers and prospects.

76. Use customer gift lists as future mailing lists for your
prospecting.

77. Call your business reply order form by some other name, such as
trial order card.

78. A double coupon in your package could double your response.

79. A reply envelope plus loose stamp might be more effective than a
B.R.E.

80. If a postcard can tell your story... test it.

81. If a postcard is too small, step up to a self-mailer.

82. Follow-up your prospect's inquiries promptly with hard sell
material.

83. Make the space on the inside of your mailing envelope work for
you by using it to sell your product.

84. Prove to your prospect that your free gifts are really free.

85. State your guarantee boldly, in strong words... and repeat it
often.

86. Test allowing another mailer in your envelope and vice versa.

87. Test simulated gram formats.

88. Develop a distinctive personality for your business.

89. Make major anniversaries a plus factor in your promotions.

90. Have your reply envelope emphasize your prompt shipping service.

91. Present outstanding testimonials in a big way for big impact.

92. Never stop selling the advantages of direct marketing to your
customer.

93. Consider using special formats to make ordering easier.

94. Test different length trial periods.

95. Promote seasonal products in off-season times... and offer
alternatives.

96. Ask customers their opinion of a proposed new product.

97. Test the plastic record message in your mail formats.

98. Use the negative to accentuate the positive.

99. Use simulated handwriting in your message.

100. Use match-up and comparison tables to increase selection ease and
accuracy.

101. Always offer an "extra" or "bonus" to encourage a quick response.

60 Ways to Increase Your Mail Order Catalog Sales

This article is meant to inform. Please don't construe this as legal advice.

Perfection in a mail order catalog is like infinity...you can
continually approach it but never quite reach it. In the case of
many catalogs it is not necessary to achieve perfection
or even approach it very closely in order to make the catalog
vastly more profitable than it is at present. Relatively small
improvements can result in a more-than-proportionate enlargement
of that all-important figure on the bottom line of the financial
statement.

Making as many improvements as possible as quickly as possible is
probably the most profitable procedure. But even making each new
catalog a little better than the one that preceded it can
produce substantial increases in sales per catalog and in total
sales over a period of time.

Following are 60 suggestions that should help your catalog do a
better selling job for you if you are not already using these
ideas. Whether you use all of them in connection with your next
catalog or adopt a few at a time in the course of producing
several future catalogs, the ultimate result should be very
noticeable and very profitable.

BEFORE YOU CREATE YOUR CATALOG....

1. Look at your present catalog with extremely cold, critical and
unsympathetic eye. Pick out all the faults-large or small-that
you could find if you were no longer the owner of the catalog but
a nitpicking customer who has been disappointed in his or her
last purchase from you and is still sore about it. Such a review
could be very enlightening-even if it should prove slightly
embarrassing-and could make your new catalog much more
profitable.

2. Put your "letterman" on your team. Review all incoming
correspondence from customers and prospects during the last two
years for comments, suggestions or criticisms that may be helpful
in preparing your new catalog. Screen all future correspondence
of this nature as it arrives and place copies of the useful
letters in a special file to be reviewed before starting your
next catalog.

3. Think of your catalog as a means of helping your prospects
accomplish something they want to accomplish or create an effect
they want to create-and prepare your layouts, copy and
illustrations accordingly.

4. For each major type of product you sell, determine as many
reasons as possible why different groups of prospects or
customers do buy or should buy this product. Arrange your groups
of prospects or customers in their orders of importance. For each
group arrange the reasons for buying in order of there
importance. Then arrange the reasons in their order of importance
to your total group of prospects or customers. Use the most
important reason as the basis for the copy and illustrations you
use in this catalog.

If there are significant differences in the primary reasons for
purchasing different types of products, make the presentation for
each specific type of product fit the product of using the same
type of presentation for different types of products...

5. If the preceding reasons indicate that different appeals are
needed for different groups of prospects or customers, change the
wrap-around, letter or introductory page of your catalog to
appeal to different groups, and separate your mailings
accordingly.

6. Plan your catalog completely before you start preparing
layouts and copy.. Use all 60 suggestions in this list as your
guide for your planning..

7. Plan to ring your cash register more often by using approaches
in tune with the times.

8. Plan to attract new customers-reactivate dormant customers-and
get bigger and better orders from present customers by adding new
and excitement and extras pleasure to owning or using the types
of products offered in your catalog.. For example, feature
dramatic new items, unusual items, items that are especially
timely, etc... Include unusual facts of interest about specific
items.

9. Plan to add interest to your catalog-and give it a much longer
life--by including helpful information on how to use, operate and
maintain your products...unusual uses, etc.. This is information
that customers can use to advantage and will want to keep for
future reference, such information also increases customer
confidence in your company which correspondingly increases the
customer's inclination to buy from you.

10.. Determine whether items that were unprofitable or barely
profitable in the present catalog should be promoted more
vigorously in the new catalog or should be dropped and replaced
by new products, Never keep an unprofitable product in your
catalog just because it is one of your favorites. If it doesn't
sell, get rid of it!

11. Give your company a distinctive personality. Promote this
personality in all future catalogs as a means of making your
company not "jut another mail order marketer" but a very special
marketer in the minds of your prospects and customers.

WHEN YOU CREATE YOUR NEW CATALOG...

Use Procedure 12 to 19 to make your prospects want your products:

12. Write your copy to tie in with and stimulate the specific
reasons for buying discussed in the preceding section.

13. Wherever possible show your prospects how your merchandise
can accomplish the results desired by the prospects to a greater
degrees than competitive products-and prove it by citing results
of lab tests, field tests, wards received, other special
recognition- and especially testimonials and case history
stories, preferably with photographs. Give the prospect every
possible incentive to buy from you rather than somebody else.

14. Put special emphasis on your products and/or services which
are exclusive or markedly superior to those of your
competitors-and tell your readers WHY your products and/or
services are superior!

15. Take the prospect "behind the scenes" if practical and show
what you do (especially exclusive or improved procedures) to make
your products better than competitive products.

16. Make the most of new items the first time you offer them;
they are only new once.. Give them every opportunity to succeed
sales wise by giving them preferred position and allowing adequate
space for you to do a proper educational and selling job on them
at the time they are introduced.

17. Assure prospects that is easy to use these products...that
instructions are included with each order (if true) and/or are
available in specific books or magazines (preferably obtainable
from you)...and cite case histories to prove how successful other
customers have been in using them.

18. Tell prospect how to start using your merchandise properly
and what other action should be taken-and when-or state that this
information will be included with the shipment.

19. If your products are bought primarily for pleasure or are
considered a luxury or "non-necessity", help the prospect
rationalize the value of the purchase.

Use Procedures 20 to 26 to make it easy as possible for the
prospect to make an accurate selection of the types of
merchandise and the specific items of each type best suited for
his or her purposes:

20. Group all items of the same type in the same section of your
catalog.

21. Arrange the groups of items in their present or potential
order of importance to you profit wise. Put the most important
group at the front of your catalog and the least important near
the end of your catalog (but not on the last three pages).

22. Within each group , arrange the individual items in
descending order of quality, price, popularity or promotional
possibilities.

Give the most important items the most valuable positions and
extra space for copy and illustrations. Allocate positions and
space to the other items in the order of their importance.

23. If practicable, use the Sears system of offering the same
type of item in three different qualities-- GOOD, BETTER and
BEST- with different price ranges to match the differences in
quality. Usually it is more effective to talk about the BEST
quality first and the GOOD quality last.

24. Use COMMON copy to present features or qualities that are the
same for all or most items of the same type.

25. Use INDIVIDUAL copy to talk about the features or qualities
that make each specific item different from all or most of the
other specific items in the group.

26. In preparing the INDIVIDUAL copy above, use "parallel
construction" to help the prospect make a point-by-point
comparison of the specific items as quickly, easily and
accurately as possible.

Once the prospects have selected the merchandise they wish to
buy, make it as easy as possible for them to order Procedures
27-31

27. Be sure your ordering information is easy to understand.

28.. Make your order form easy to use, with adequate space to
write the necessary information.

29. Put in one or more extra order forms to make it easier for
customers to order again..

30. Encourage prospects to order by phone on credit, charge or
c.o.d. sales and encourages them to telephone for further
information they may desire.

31. Offer a 24-hour phone-in service through an arrangement with
a local telephone answering service that can answer your phone
during the hours that your business is not normally open.. This
is especially convenient for the customer who shops in your
catalog during evening or weekend hours.

Make it as easy as possible for customers to pay for their orders
Procedures 32 and 33
Offer credit card service on orders for a specified amount or
more.. By putting a minimum on credit card orders you will often
increase the original order to at least that minimum amount.
Credit card orders tend to be nearly double the size of cash
orders.

33. Make it easy to determine shipping charges so they can be
included in cash-with-order payments.
Use order starters and sales stimulators such as 34 to 42

34. Use a wrap-around letter on the front of your catalog to
stimulate ,ore orders and to do a selling job on the merchandise
in the catalog; also to make special appeals to special groups or
call attention to merchandise in the catalog of special interest
to special groups.

35. Use the wrap-around to offer order starters (loss leaders or
hot items to get prospects in to the catalog).

36. Offer specials at intervals throughout the catalog to entice
readers to start an order. Once they buy even one lonely item
they'll tend to order other items to go with it.

37. Offer logical assortments of mixed or matched seasonal items
to provide extra variety and pleasure at any given period of
time. Make suggestions for these assortments and provide
inducements for prospects to order them.

38. Offer assortments of mixed or matched items designed for use
during different seasons in order to provide variety and pleasure
throughout the year (or most of it) instead of during just one
season.

39. Offer a free guide or plan for using each assortment above
correctly and offer information on how to make the most effective
overall use of the assortments.

40. Offer a gift or discount for orders of certain sizes and use
a stair step graduated approach to increase the value of these
discounts or gifts as the size of the order increases.

41. Offer a gift shipping with gift cards.

42. Provide extra services such as "Seeker Service" for items not
listed in the catalog. Through extra service techniques you will
make your customers more dependent on the information you provide
and they will become more dedicated customers.

Stimulate promptness in ordering Procedures 43 and 44

43. Use action incentives to spark early orders, such as premiums
for ordering by a specified date; special offers for a limited
time only; etc. When a time limit is involved, send a reminder
(letter, promotional mailing, second catalog, etc) timed to
arrive two weeks ahead of expiration date (as nearly as you can
time it with current third class mail service).

44. Mention frequently and prominently in your catalog that
anyone who orders merchandise from this catalog will
automatically receive the next catalog free. If you wish, this
offer can be modified to require the purchase of a specified
amount during the life of the catalog or by a specified date.

Other suggestions Procedures 45 to 53

45. Use the back cover of your catalog for special offers; also
the inside front and back covers and the pages facing the inside
covers.

46. Use teaser copy and cross-references throughout the catalog
to entice readers (into other sections. This can be especially
effective when related accessory items are sold.

47. Concentrate service information on a Service Page; locate it
on a page conveniently adjacent to the order form; and use
frequent cross-references to this page throughout the catalog to
stimulate extra page traffic.

48. Humanize yourself and your catalog by making it seem like the
catalog came from helpful, friendly people. If your business is
truly a "family business", don't hide that fact.

49. Watch your language! Avoid using technical "industry or
business jargon" in your selling and service copy; keep legal
phraseology to the absolute minimum in your guarantee.

50. Make your entire catalog harmonious in layout and copy style
but not monotonous. Include enough variety to keep the reader
interested instead of becoming bored.

51. Give your catalog a longer life by emphasizing the length of
time that you will be able to ship from it and suggesting that
readers keep the catalog for future reference.

52. Ask for referrals from your satisfied customers; also names
of friends who might like to receive a copy of the catalog.
Consider testing the "cluster concept" that neighbors are very
similar and mail to your customer's next-door neighbors.

53. Sell subscriptions to your catalog by providing a location on

the catalog for readers to remit 50 cents for a "full years
subscription to your catalog." You can also suggest that they
give a "gift subscription" to a friend very inexpensively (and
thus pay for the catalog you mail to the referral).

AFTER YOU CREATE YOUR NEW CATALOG...

54. Use the basic or major catalog to establish the value and
regular price of the merchandise. Use other, smaller catalogs or
solo mailings to promote sales from the major catalog or to
provide special reasons for buying (reduced prices on individual
items or special assortments, closeout, etc).

55. Ask the recipient to pass the catalog along to an interested
friend if the recipient already has a copy or is no longer
interested in this type of merchandise.

56. Re-mail the same catalog to your better customers 3 to 5
weeks after you mail it the first time.

57. Prepare an alternate cover for the catalog and mail the same
catalog to your entire list several weeks later. You'll find it
will do just about as well as the first mailing did.

58. Mail to your BETTER CUSTOMERS monthly, featuring items
carried in the catalog- don't rely solely on the
once-or-twice-a-year catalog.

59. Use your catalog as a package stuffer-enclose one with every
order you ship. Your best prospect is the person who just placed
an order with you and received prompt and safe delivery of the
items ordered.

60. Be prompt in acknowledging orders (with thanks), answering
inquiries, shipping merchandise and making refunds or exchanges
if necessary. Remember the old adage of that great retailer
Marshall Field, "the customer is always right." Less than 2% of
the population will intentionally try to take advantage of you
and the other 98% are well worth cultivating.

...And just as every good mail order catalog has something extra
thrown in for good measure make the customer happier...here's an
extra tip for good measure!

61. If you receive a change-of-address notice from one of your
customers, immediately mail a copy of your catalog addressed to
"The New Residents at (the former address of the customer)"
because the new residents probably has tastes and interests very
similar to those of your customer-after all, he bought the same
house! To give this mailing added power, you might tip a note
onto the front cover of the book stating that "the Smiths used
our catalog regularly, maybe you'll find it equally useful."

Massage Business Cards With Muscle

When you were starting your massage business, getting your massage therapy business card printed was probably the first thing you did. After all, a business card really defines you as a business person. If you've got a card then you must have a business.

But despite all the love and attention massage therapists give their business cards, I have to say that I've never felt that they're all that useful. I've never been a big fan of business cards.

I never spent a whole lot of time, energy or money on developing cards for my massage practice. Of course, I had cards printed and they looked professional, but I never really gave them much regard. I never used them.

They sat on my shelf at work, mostly collecting dust. I certainly would never carry them with me.

I just didn't feel that they were a useful marketing tool. I knew lots of massage therapists with absolutely gorgeous business cards. But that didn't seem to prevent them from a fate of sitting in their offices twiddling their thumbs waiting for clients to come knocking. My cards were mediocre looking and largely unused and I always had a full slate of clients.

My views changed, however, after a massage business event with some key people in the massage industry.

Last year, as the Director of BodyworkBiz.com, the busiest massage website on the net, I was invited to participate in a round table discussion. The other participants were people who I would consider icons in the massage therapy industry: Cherie Sohnen-Moe, the author of Business Mastery; Steve Capellini, the respected spa massage expert and the author of Massage for Dummies; Cliff Korn, Editor of Massage Today and Monica Roseberry, author of Marketing Massage.

I felt privileged to be at the same table with these people. We each shared our thoughts about marketing and building a massage practice. Monica, in particular, seemed to be passionately attached to the idea of using business cards. Frankly, I didn't get it.

But that event made me think about business cards more. And it occurred to me that there was a good reason I didn't like massage business cards...

Most massage therapist business cards are just too darn wimpy.

You can give out lots of business cards, but for the most part they don't do a whole lot of work for you. They are completely passive tools. They certainly are not educational nor are they motivational. For all intents and purposes, they are simply scraps of paper (albeit nice scraps) with your phone number should someone be miraculously inspired to call for an appointment.

That's wimpy!

I've never been a fan of that kind of passive marketing - waiting around for someone to maybe do something someday, like pick up the phone to make an appointment.

I like direct marketing. It's a more active style of marketing. It's marketing that's designed to get people to make a decision.

If I have some contact with a potential customer, I want them to TAKE ACTION NOW.

Let's get real. No matter how well intentioned a person is, if they don't take action now, they are not likely going to get results. Let's say you want to lose weight, for example. If you don't toss the chips in the trashcan and take a walk now, it's not likely going to happen tomorrow.

Same with massage. Someone may be sore, achy, stressed, but if they don't book an appointment now or at least take a step in that direction, it's not likely going to happen.

I don't want to take a marketing approach that gives someone the opportunity to think about it later. Because we're all savvy enough to know that "later" almost always means "never".

So how do you create a massage therapy business card that makes someone want to pick up the phone and call you now?

40 Mail Order Success Secrets

Here are some tips to help your mail order business be successful.

1. How do you develop a personal relationship with your customers?

Successful mail order firms make every effort to personalize their mail!

2. What inspires people to buy by mail?

Convenience and saving of time it would take to make a personal trip. Avoidance of rush hour crowds. Many find it fun to buy through the mail.. Many prefer to buy personal items, such as certain kinds of books, by mail. Exclusiveness of many mail order products.

3. How do you begin with a mail order business?

Check at the post office to obtain information on various permits and fees for bulk mailing and all the other services which will fit in with your operations. You need very little capital to begin. The main thing is to use impressive printed letterheads and envelopes. Test before you splurge. Start with just a few classified ads, then build your programs from there.

4. Why are most mail order ads losing money?

The product, the price, the media used, the timing of the ad and the right prospect are all critical factors. Proper items must be selected, those that will readily sell by mail. The price must be especially attractive. Ads must be simple and easy to understand; attention producing with strong eye-arresting leads. They must convince customers and make it easy for them to order. All these ingredients need to be present to get good response.

5. What moves well in mail order?

Good novelty merchandise and scarce items. Books of interest to a large audience. Certain Multi-level marketing plans are good planswith good, reasonably priced products as a base. However, there are a great deal more poor, worthless, MLM programs floating around than there are good ones so one must be very cautious in choosing this kind of operation.

6. What make customers come back again and again?

The right product with orders handled carefully and quickly. Satisfied customers always come back, even via mail.

7. What limits the mail order business?

There is no limit to the mailorder business if you are willing to learn and expand. A real good hot item, even at a high cost can be a real winner. Don't let your programs just sit idle. Test... Test and more tests. Keep on the top of all your activities and follow through.

8. After you have been in the business a short time what can you use to build confidence?

You can accumulate testimonials from you customers and use them in your ads to build customer confidence.

9. What one mistake costs the mailorder operator a lot of money?

It is a waste of money to present established items that people can get most anywhere.

10. What are the 13 most powerful words for your ads?

Free, Rush, Limited, Guaranteed, Save, Sale, New, Get, Look, Money-making, Profits, Act, Now!

11. How do you get income coming from every direction?

After you have built up your programs (Sale of merchandise, books, publication, MLM, or whatever) and have a good customer list, rent or sell the names. Offer big mails for SASE to build up and expand your name list. Mail circulars of others, for a fee or commission, with your own Big Mails.

12. What should you know about catalog deals?

Stay away from catalog deals until you can check them out with simple tests that prove them profitable.

13. How do you realize your dreams to be a success in the mail order business?

Keep your mind open for new ideas and don't give up. Don't throw away your dreams because of only a few failures. Proceed carefully; watch out for fraud and fast buck artists. Hang in there and you can become a great success!

14. What is one of the most common questions asked by the would-be customer of most any money-making, how-to, self-improvement, mailorder, idea, or success publication?

What can it do for me! With the millions of books on the market it is an difficult question, to be sure. It's certainly much easier to expound on the advantages of one book over another "because it has more pages" or "It has a more expensive cover". But those are not the answers. The foundation of knowledge is learning and the best way to learn is to simplify everything possible. Eliminate all the useless non-essentials so the reader is not overburdened with worthless detail and let them know through proper advertising what your publication or book can do for them!

15. What are a person's two main alternatives for success or failure?

As chaotic conditions increase in this mad money world they can crawl in the corner and let the world pass them by, or learn new methods required to format their future wealth! Waiting for the day when they will have everything they need will never come without know-how!

16. Whether you are in "Big Business" or just working from your "Kitchen Table", what secrets must you apply in order to find riches?

Wealth will not materialize until you take action and generate the force needed to start the wealth-building process. Most people are just not oriented to do anything about gaining new wealth, while others believe it would take too much of their time and money to follow through a project to completion. They don't realize that knowledge is power and wealth favors the trained mind. This leaves the market place wide open for those who apply the proper ideas and methods. The ones who discover the ways to exploit the future. You must move ahead of the times, extend your knowledge and open up new avenues of personal growth! Expand your horizons!

17. Who to contact pertaining to any questions about the mail service?

Your local Postmaster or the Consumer Advocate, U.S. Postal Service, Washington DC 20260-6320, Phone (202) 245-4514.

18. If you suspect Misrepresentation, Mail Fraud or want to stop sexually oriented mail, who do your contact?

Your local Postmaster, or Chief Postal Inspector, U.S. Postal Service, Room 3517, Washington, DC 20260-2100, Phone (202) 245-5445.

19. Where to get help from problems or questions about unordered products or non-delivery?

Consumer Inquiries, Federal Trade Commission, Washington, DC 20580, Phone (202) 523-3598.

20. From whom can you get the most general mail order questions answered?

The local Consumer Protection Agency, or the Direct Mail Marketing Association located at 6 East 43rd. St., New York, NY 10017, Phone (212) 689-4977.

21. Why do a great percentage of persons fail in mail order?

Mail order is a complex business. Every phase must be analyzed and tested. The right products must be selected, the correct type of ads placed in the proper media and 1,001 other details attended to constantly. The mailorder enthusiast is led to believe they can be an overnight success with very little work. When they find this is not the case they drop out before giving themselves a chance to learn the right methods.

22. What is the "Inner Circle" of mail order?

A Mailorder House is commonly defined as "An establishment conducting business by Mail". A Mailorder Dealer is simply one who sells by mail. The circle of mail order relates to the thousands of mailorder dealers operating throughout the country. The "Inner Circle of Mail Order" refers to those successful professionals who have "climbed to the top" in the mail order field by long, hard work, study, knowledge and persistence.

23. How do you get in the "Inner Circle of Mailorder"?

As you learn and progress in the many and varied phases of mailorder business methods, you will set various goals. You must continuously change plans and programs to attain these goals. Unless you are one of those fortunate few who hit it "lucky" overnight with some special program, product, or gimmick, the best way to arrive at Ultimate success in mailorder is to "Dive" right into the "outer fringes of the Inner Circle" and start "climbing". When your successes overtake and offset your failures, as you work your way up to the "Hub of the Wheel", you will have finally reached the Ultimate height in Mailorder... The Inner Circle!

24. Where to Start in Mailorder?

The best way to start is to work with those who are already there. Obtain several small mailorder trade magazines. Get one page ad sheets and various circulars. You can spend a small amount on BIG MAILS and be flooded with magazines, adsheets, circulars, etc. with thousands of different offers and potential opportunities. For a dollar or two you can get listed in these various media as wanting offers and "be assured", you will get your money's worth!

25. What is one of the most valuable assets for the mailorder beginner?

"Junk Mail". As you receive information and various packets, analyze the offers and send for full information on the ones that appeal to you. File and keep all the information you receive by the kind of program or plan, and we don't mean to put them in "File 13". None of this "Junk Mail" is Junk; there is no such word in the vocabulary of mail order dealers. It is one of their most valuable assets, if properly analyzed, filed and used intelligently.

26. What must you do as your files accumulate, in order to succeed?

Don't just send off for the many deals, then wait until you accumulate a room full of files. Time is money. You can handle only a small percent of the programs available, so right away, jump in and "lightly" test several of the programs that interest you. Spend only a minimum on each plan or program, until your tests prove out, then hit the winners hard and fast!

27. Some great money-makers to include in your mailorder business?

Printing and publishing... publish your own mailorder books and manuals. Manufacture your own product in your garage or basement. Purchase your product direct from factories at distributors cost. Get involved in the sale of the thousands of How-To books and programs available. Make up unique How-to-reports, stories, etc., in cartoon form. Write valuable promotion deals for the millions of merchants and retailers... put it on tape. Sell or lease your name lists. Make up your own commission circular programs and adsheets. Offer big mail... Mail others commission circulars with your own mailings. i.e. Do everything possible through the mail that is legal until you find the right programs to make your million.

28. How to stay ahead of the game?

You must constantly keep up with what other dealers are doing! Check out the successful programs and build your own around them. Give constant attention to your ideas. Write them down and act on the good ones. Find new products, develop "solid" plans around them and test them in the market place.

29. How to double your earnings in mailorder?

Begin by running one or two ads in several different mailorder publications. When orders begin coming in take a full 50% of the profits and invest them in more advertising. You must continue to expand your advertising in order to double your income.

30. What is another method to double your income?

Multiply the number of products or services. If you are offering the right products and advertise in the right media you can be greatly surprised by the results. Continuous investment of profits for advertising and new items that generate orders are the secret if you wish to succeed in any business and mailorder is certainly no exception.

31. How do you get set up as a Co-publisher?

You place your ad in a trade magazine or adsheet that is "Co-Publishable". Send your ad and remittance to the Co-Publisher who will forward the same, along with 50% of your payment to the Prime Publisher. Your ad will appear in the next issue and the publisher will send you full details on becoming a Co-Publisher.

32. What are the usual benefits of Co-publishing?

As a Co-Publisher, you generally get your future ads placed at one-half the published rates; 50% on commission ads you obtain; 50% for subscriptions received; 50% on products advertised in the publications which are to be ordered through you, the Co-Publishers, and receive 20 to 100 or so publications for your own mailings. You simply stamp your name and address as Co-Publisher and mail them out! If the ads don't pull, you may still come out ahead from orders which come to you as the Co-Publisher. When you receive orders, retain 50% (or whatever amount is the agreed commission) and forward the balance with the order, to the Prime Publisher... He will take it from there... It's that simple. Your own ads, of course, get full circulation based on the total published and distributed.

33. How you can control the number of orders you get as a Co-Publisher?

The number of orders you receive will depend on who you mail them to. If you mail to other Co-publishers, orders obtained will usually be for small one inch ads. They will reserve expenditures for large ads, until they become Co-Publishers of the publication themselves, thus getting their advertising at one-half rates! If your mailings are directed to mailorder beginners, opportunity seekers, or direct to the consumer, orders you receive will probably be for books or products offered under "Order From Co-Publisher" ads.

34. What must you do to get started economically and efficiently as a "top" commission mailer?

Order a good rubber stamp... Send for some free commission circulars, pay only the postage for these. They are available from prime source mailorder firms... Send for some free names who want Big Mail... Buy a supply of envelopes and stamps... Address the envelopes to the names wanting big mail... When you receive your circulars. stamp your name and address in the blank space provided, put one of each type of circular in each envelope, filling to the maximum weight for each level of postage rate; mail them. When you receive orders, take out your commission and forward everything else to the Prime source... And you are in business!

35. How do you make $50,000 a year by working from your kitchen table 4 hours a week?

There is money in the mailorder business but not as some advertise it. Don't believe it. You won't make $50,000 a year by working 4 hours a week. NO! It doesn't work that way! If you will follow instructions, be happy with from $100 to $400 a week spending a few hours every night, five nights a week, then you too can make money in mail order.

36. What is one of the biggest mistakes you can make as a commission mailer?

It is good policy to never get your circulars, and your mailing list, from the same dealer.

37. How do you get started with your own adsheet?

Adsheets are sometimes started by the publisher cutting others ads from various adsheets or magazines and pasting these on their own adsheet without cost to the advertiser. This adsheet is then mailed to these various dealers with an offer to re-run the ads at the published rate. This is not the best method. It is better to find publishers who will send you partial page, or full page ads that pay from 50% to 100% commission. You run these ads over your name in the first few editions of your adsheet. As paid ads come in you simply replace these free commission ads with the paid ads. Until you get paid ads for your publication, you have a chance to make money whether you have paid advertisers or not. Moreover, some companies will give you substantial discounts on their various mailorder programs if you will run their ad in the first edition. Thus you can make money off of their ads and also get professionally designed mailorder programs at very little cost.

38. How do you keep your Co-publishing costs to Zero?

The discounts for your own ads are generally 50% with most of the mailorder publications. In return for the discount you are expected to mail a few copies. "Piggy-back" the copies in orders you fill and in your big mails, or advertise offering them free for payment of postage. Using these methods your postage cost to mail your copies can be Zero!

39. What colors are the most appealing to women, in order of preference?

Red, Violet, Blue, Green, Orange, White, Yellow.

40. What colors are the most appealing to men in order of preference?

Blue, Red. Violet, Green, Orange, White, Yellow.

Copyright 2004 by DeAnna Spencer

Note to editors:
To show my appreciation to the editors that use my articles, I offer a free solo
ad. Simply send an email to me by using the form on the contact me page on my
website to tell me the url the article was used on or send me a copy of the ezine
it was used in.

Direct Mail Formats: How to Choose the Right One for Your Next Mailing

Which pulls the best response, a postcard, a self-mailer or a letter? The answer, you’ll be irritated to know, is clear. It depends.

The success of your mailing depends on who you mail to (your list), what you promise (your offer), when you mail (your timing), and what you mail (your format and creative). Here are a few questions to ask yourself to decide which format is likely the best one to use for your next mailing.

Letter
Does your sales message need to come from one person by name? Does it need to be addressed to a person by name? Is privacy or confidentiality a concern? Then a sales letter inside an envelope is the way to go.

Postcard
Is your sales message short and simple, and designed to motivate your prospect to visit your website to hear your full pitch (and place an order)? A postcard is a good option.

Self-mailer
Do you need to illustrate your sales message while keeping printing and mailing costs down? Then try a self-mailer (a document that mails without an envelope, such as an 8 ½ x 11 sheet of card stock, folded once on itself and sealed with a tab).

Classic direct mail package
Do you have things to say that do not really fit in a letter (technical specifications, for example)? Is your sales message longer than 600 words? Does your prospect need to mail back a check or order form? Then a classic direct mail package is your best choice, consisting of a mailing envelope, letter, brochure, business reply card or order form, and business reply envelope.

Dimensional mailer
Do you need to reach C-level executives in Fortune 500 companies? Executives who have mailroom staff and executive secretaries who screen their mail? Then a dimensional mailer may be the most effective way to reach their desk with your sales message. One firm recently mailed a portable DVD player in a high-end box, and enclosed a sales letter explaining that the executive could get the remote control unit (without which the player did not work) by meeting with a sales rep from the company who mailed the package. The response rate was high.

Catalog
Do you have a lot to sell? Do you need to show the color, shape or quality of your product? Mail a catalog.

Unaddressed flyer
Do you have a message that needs to reach everyone in a given geographic area, such as a business park, for the least amount of money? Consider mailing a simple 8 ½ x 11 sheet with copy and design on one or both sides.

Email
Do you have a short sales message for your existing customers? Send them an email (with their permission, of course).

Buckslip
Do you have a short announcement for your existing customers? Do you need to remind them about something? Include a buckslip in your next mailing. A buckslip is a slip of paper the size of a dollar bill, with copy and graphics on one or both sides, that is enclosed in a mailing envelope with other materials).

The Beginner's Mail Order Business Guide

No claim is made that the steps outlined would be successful for someone else. Each individual should obtain whatever professional advice may be
necessary for his particular operation.

INTRODUCTION

The following is designed to provide a check list for new entrants into the mail order field. Each mail order business is different, but there are common elements that apply to most mail order businesses, as well as some specific characteristics that may vary from business to business. The following suggestions were developed to assist you in avoiding costly mistakes. Apply the various points as they relate to your specific business.

COMPANY NAME

* Select a short, easily remembered name.
* Unless you are using your own name, it is required in most jurisdictions that a trade name is either registered with the county or the state.
* Before you spend money for printing material, make sure that the name you choose is not already registered to another company. You can usually conduct a name search with an office of the appropriate jurisdiction by telephone.
* You may consider using a name that describes your product.

COMPANY ADDRESS

* Most newly established mail order businesses will operate out of their home until the volume of the business requires larger space.
* Most mail order businesses prefer not to use their home address as their company address. If you do, you will advertise your home address in regional and national publications. You have two other choices, a Post Office Box(POB) or a postal box located in a commercial enterprise which rents out mail boxes.
* A POB is generally the least expensive, both to rent and for advertising purposes. (See below) Some mail order operators claim that it reduces business because people do not trust a POB address. Yet there are just as many mail order operators who disprove this notion. The decision is yours.
* If you rent a mail box in a commercial enterprise, your box number usually becomes a suite number in the address.
* Almost all publications will charge you a full word charge for each component of your address, except the Zip Code and State which is counted as one word, Example:
Information Books, 300 Main Street, Suite 611, Centerville,
Md 20910 Or:
Information Books, Box 1000, Centerville, Md 20910.

* The first address is counted as 9 words, the second one as 6 words. Since advertising costs anywhere from 50 cents to $10.00 per word (classified advertising) you could save a substantial amount of money at the end of the year if you use a post office box.

TELEPHONE

* Some mail order companies do not show their phone numbers on their stationery, others do. It gives the customer some comfort to see a telephone number, although he may never use it.
* You can show your residence phone number in the appropriate printed material, or you can obtain a business listing for your home.
* The residence phone is fine, for starters, if it is answered in a professional manner at all times.
* If you plan to sell higher priced ticket items, however,
(over $15.00) a business listing would be advantageous since a prospective customer may pick up the phone and check with the information operator whether "Company X" is listed.

BASIC SUPPLIES

* Be conservative and frugal in your acquisition of items that you feel are needed. It's always wise to start small, and as inexpensively as possible, and as you build profits, you can
buy more and better items.
* The basics are a good quality computer, Business stationery, business envelopes (#10's), and return envelopes, either #6 or #9 is fine. All items should have your business name and address
imprinted on them.
* You will also need some mailing labels and some miscellaneous office supplies.

PRODUCT

* If possible, choose a product or products that people need
on an ongoing basis.
* Be sure the product is of acceptable quality. Know the
product before you sell it.
* If feasible, choose an item that is not widely available
from retailers.
* Develop a line of merchandise. It is rarely possible to make money with just one or two items. The availability of a line of related products is paramount to mail order success.
* The more specialized your products are, the easier your marketing becomes.
* If you are selling books, for example, it would be impossible, except for a very large company, to sell all types of books. You may decide to specialize in books pertaining to sports, and may want to go even further by zeroing in on football or baseball.

SUPPLIERS

* Your suppliers should provide you with reliable, quality,
and reasonable pricing.
* Since you probably should provide some type of a money back
guarantee (30 days is standard) you should expect the same guarantee from your suppliers.
* When buying from out of town suppliers, be sure to include the shipping charge in comparing prices to local suppliers.

DROP-SHIPMENTS

* Under a drop-ship agreement which is available from many suppliers for a variety of products, the supplier ships your customers' orders directly under your shipping label.
(Suggested reading: "American-Drop-Shippers Directory".)
* It is customary that the supplier guarantees not to include any of his promotional materials with the shipment; or to use your customer's name for any future mailings.
* Drop-shipping arrangements are suitable for people just getting started. It allows you not to have to carry a costly inventory.
* As your business increases and you develop a sense of what sells well, you can stock limited supplies of certain fast selling items, and continue utilizing drop-shipments for slower products. Eventually, as your business flourishes, you can carry an inventory of everything you sell.
* Handling your own shipments is advantageous for the following reasons: It cuts down on your shipping expenses, it decreases the shipping time, and it allows you to include promotional material directly with the shipment.
* When you do utilize drop-shipments, be sure to send your customer a note that his order is being processed and he can expect it by, or around a certain date.
* It is unnecessary to make your customer aware of the fact that the item is being drop-shipped. Include some promotional material with your letter or note.

PRICING

* Buy at a price that allows you an adequate mark-up. In setting your prices, allow for all costs:
* Cost of product, shipping cost and postage, bank charges including credit card charges, wrapping, bad debts, rejects, refunds, etc. In addition, the other normal overhead costs need to be considered,. Lastly, there is the substantial marketing cost for advertising, and for printing of
promotional items. (See following paragraphs)
* Your prices of course, have to be fair and in line with your competition.
* It is not necessary that you make a big profit on each and every item. the real profit in mail order comes from follow-up orders.
* THE 3 BIGGEST EXPENSE CATEGORIES IN MAIL ORDER ARE:
ADVERTISING, PRINTING COST, AND POSTAGE. Over 80% of your total expenses are in this area. Watch these expenses very carefully.

ADVERTISING EXPENSE

* Start with classified ads. As you test them and know what
is successful, you can switch to display ads.
* To test an offering and a specific ad, run it once in a specific publication and you should get a reading that could be very positive or very negative. It might also be inconclusive. If that is the case, simply run it again.
* It is best to test an ad by running it in different publications.
* Advertise in publications that advertise similar products.
* If you have a sure seller, buy larger space.
* Special interest products should be advertised in special interest publications.
* Keep on changing the ad and offering until you are satisfied
it is right.
* Examples of changes you can make are: size of ad, copy,appeal, special gimmicks such as discounts, free gifts or reports, etc.
* Remember that a given ad can be 20 or 30 times more successful than another ad advertising the same product. It pays, therefore, to continue testing until it is just right.
* Repeat a successful ad until you no longer get a satisfactory return.
* The conventional advertising cost is 15% of sales or more in
mail order.
* To evaluate your advertising cost, think in terms of cost per inquiry. This is calculated by dividing the number of inquiries into the cost of the ad. that cost may vary from about $$0.80 to $2.00 or more.
* Be careful when you allocate advertising funds to small mail order publications. The ad may appear to be very inexpensive. However, a $15.00 ad that gets no response is a lot more expensive than a $150.00 ad that gets over 100 inquiries.
* Stay away from those publications that have no news or editorial content, and also those that have poor printing quality.
* There are a number of quality mail order publications, but it takes time to find the right publication for your product.

ADVERTISING COPY

* Write tight copy.
* Write as you speak. You are generally appealing to a mass market.
* Prepare your copy carefully. It must fit your specific medium.
* The emphasis should be on YOU rather than I, the company.
* Be sincere and don't make unreasonable claims, but remember that you are selling.
* Try to convince the reader that you are reliable and
trustworthy.
* Give simple specific instruction.
* Key all ads to test their effectiveness.
* Check and double check, and have someone else check your ad to make sure everything is correct and easy to understand.
* Watch where your competitors are advertising.
* Experiment with new publications.
* It is generally considered impossible to sell something that costs more than $2.00 - $3.00 direct from either a classified ad or a small display ad. This is because there just is not enough space to convince someone to part with $10.00 or $20.00, for example. It takes a full page ad to do that.
* If you use an agency, use one that specializes in mail order, even if it is located out of town.

RESPONDING TO INQUIRIES

* Each inquiry you receive in response to an ad should be answered via First Class, if at all possible, within 24 hours.
* The contents of the envelope going to the prospective customer should contain: a circular, promotional flier, or mini-brochure, a sales letter, an order form (the order form can be part of the circular), a return envelope, and other appropriate information, such as a fact sheet, a free report, etc.
* In general, circulars should be limited to one 8 1/2 x 11 page.
* A sales letter, on the other hand, can be as long as it takes to say everything you need to say to a prospective customer in order to sell him the product.
* Sales letters should have an attention getting opening. The idea of the opening is to get him to read the rest of the letter.

POSTAGE AND SHIPPING COST

* Answer inquiries to your advertising immediately and via First Class Mail. Use Bulk Mail for future mailings.
* You can save a great deal of money by getting a Bulk Mail permit. Mail must be sorted by zip code. Get more specific information from your Post

Office.
* Keep your mailing lists clean - updated.
* Utilize all of the various mail classes, such as Printed Mail and Book rate.
* Compare costs of shippers other than the Post Office.
* Guarantee return postage.
* Watch your shipping weight. A fraction of an ounce can make a big difference in a large mailing.

PRINTING COST

* Very large printers will not be interested in your business. Very small ones, quick printers and instant printers although convenient, are generally too expensive. Their equipment is not large enough to be competitive.
* There are many medium sized printers that will give you good pricing and quality printing. Often they have the capability to help you with layout and design.
* Don't hesitate to use out of town printers. If you live in a high cost-of -living area, you can probably save a substantial amount of money. Many of these printers advertise in mail order publications.
* Utilize the promotional material available from your supplier.
* Until you know what sells, print small quantities, even if it is more expensive.
* Use colored paper for your promotional flyers to spice up your offer. Use white paper, blue or black ink for everything else.

CUSTOMER PAYMENTS, REFUNDS AND COMPLAINTS

* Accept money orders and checks.
* Some mail order companies state in their material that they will not ship for 10 days to 2 weeks when payment is made with an out of town check. This may be an unwise practice because, it can create ill feelings with your customers. NSF checks are rare.
* An increasing number of mail order companies accept credit cards - Visa and MasterCard - for payment. It is generally felt that it does increase sales.
* If you cannot obtain a credit card merchant agreement with your bank work through a credit card clearing house. A number of these companies advertise in mail order publications. Since these companies generally charge between 6-9%, it may be wise to set a minimum amount such as $15.00 for credit card orders.
* Remember, "the customer" is always right. An argument won,is usually a customer lost.
* If you receive an order with an underpayment, ship the order and bill the customer for the difference.
* Make refunds on overpayments quickly.
* Most mail order companies offer a 30 day money back guarantee. Some offer 90 days and even more.
* It is unwise to offer money back guarantees on items priced very inexpensively, for example, a $3.00 report.

RECORD KEEPING

* As in any business, it is important to keep records.
* You need records to tell you what is going on in your business; to evaluate both your revenues and your expenses.
* It is also required by law that you keep certain records.
* Keep especially good records of your advertising expenses so you can evaluate your advertising on an ongoing basis.

MAILING LISTS

* It is recommended that you do no direct mailings, except to your own list of customers and inquirers, until you have
thoroughly tested a specific product through advertising.
* Stay away from inexpensive mailing lists, under $40.00 -$50.00 per 1000.
* Avoid mailing lists whose owners make unrealistic claims.
* Work with a list broker who wants to see your product before he will rent you a list. Lists are rented for one time use.
* Lists from professional list brokers rent from $60.00 and
up, per thousand names.
* The general consensus is that you need to mail a minimum of 1000 names to get a fair reading. 5000 names would give you a more accurate test.
* Buyer' names are better than names of inquiries.
* The best mailing list is your own list of buyers. Second best is your own list of inquirers.

FOLLOW UP

* The most important factor in mail order is FOLLOW-UP
Substantial profits can be generated from this segment, if it is properly handled.
* You can generate a lot of sales by including promotional material when filling orders for customers. Other orders are generated from mailings that are made to former customers, as well as individuals who inquired about an offer in the past.
* Send out regular mailings to your customers. At a minimum,
four times per year. However, you can send out mailings as often as every 6 weeks or so, if you have a new product to offer.
* As you build your mailing lists and you send out regular
mailings, your orders will start flowing in.

RESEARCH AND EDUCATION

* Whether you are new to this field or not, to stay on top, you must continue your education by reading books and reports on mail order and subscribing to mail order publications.
* Always be on the lookout for new products you can offer your customers.
* Study the advertising of your competitors. Request their
material and study it.
* Study all mailings you receive.

Continue to learn about mail order by reading, experimenting, and talking with other mail order operators. Have patience. Success will not come overnight. It takes time to build a successful business. Start slowly and expand your business from your profits.

Good Luck!

Secrets And Top-Tips Of Mail Order Advertising

Good Advertising creates more production, thus greater
consumption, faster turnover and lower sales price per
unit. To a great extent it determines the success or
failure of the mail order operator!

When working up an advertising program remember that what
is genuinely desirable to you may or may not appeal to the
majority of your prospects!

Different types of merchandise or services demand
completely different advertising media. Your ad must be
built around the ADVANTAGES of the product and designed to
APPEAL to the specific customers who will BENEFIT from
your offer!

Since you MUST spend advertising dollars in order to make
money in the mailorder business be sure you spend WISELY
and with CONFIDENCE.

RETAIN all advertising information, brochures, sales
letter, catalog, etc., you receive. USE THE IDEAS from
this information as a guide in formulating your various
advertising programs!

There are thousands of top mail order products to choose
from, more than you can every use so choose the right ones
for your programs!

If the product or service can't stand the Truth do not
advertise it...Don't handle it! Truth in advertising is a
must!
Your FIRM NAME, preferable, should be SHORT, DESCRIPTIVE
AND EASY TO REMEMBER!

When you find the item that is a mail order "HIT", repeat
your ads on the product in a number of magazines and other
productive advertising media in order to PYRAMID YOUR
PROFITS TO THE MAXIMUM!

Advertising cost divided by inquiries = Ad cost per
inquiry!
Advertising cost divided by orders = Ad cost per order!
Orders received divided by readership = percent of
response!
Number of pieces mailed + by orders received = Percent of
return!

Continuously use the simple formulas (above) so you will
know who your advertising dollars are paying off!

Ad to find new Products:
"Calling all manufacturers, importers and suppliers ... We
will feature and sell your new products in our catalog ...
Send your information, sample products and programs
to.....!"

Test the position of your ads in the various Media!

Test one ad against another on the same offer!

Make your sales letters friendly, clear, simple and to the
point!

Your potential customers are more interested in themselves
than in your product, consequently your ads and sales
letter must be directed toward their point of view and
their self-interests! Make them want your product because
it will benefit them or will do the job better for them!

Powerful attention getting words include: Free, Amazing,
Weird, Odd, Strong, Rare, Big, Secret, Latest, Easy,
Fortune, Now, New, How-to!

You must put yourself in the place of your prospects and
know how they feel, think and react to your ads! If "you"
were the customer would your ads persuade "you" to buy?

Your Ad must have a strong headline! It must tell the
prospect what to do, such as: Order Now! Rush $5.00! Use
order form and reply envelope! Act Now! Action words
that urge the prospect to order. Explain with simple
words JUST WHAT THEY WILL RECEIVE FOR THEIR MONEY! What
the product will do for them. Use believable
testimonials. Appeal to their reason and get their
confidence, then use a powerful close. You can get the
order!

Repetition is one of the secrets of making a lasting
impression on the memory.

Use coupons in some of your ads!

Since Suspense is a strong force in advertising, consider
entering the name of your product toward the end of your
ad!

Most everyone wants prestige, confidence, money, security,
advancement, leisure time, good health, popularity, less
worry, happiness, success, more time, recognition,
improvement, business ownership, independence, more
knowledge, satisfaction, savings ... Appeal to your
prospects... use such appeals in your ads!

Quality, usefulness, reasonable price, up-to-date, and
appealing to the sight are points to stress!

Make no misleading claims about your products.

Review the many ads presented in leading mail order sales
magazines advertisers. Make note of the many attention
getting words and phrases that catch your eye and cause
you to read the rest of the ad! Use these same words in
your own headlines!

With certain type products, consider turning the picture
in your display ad upside down in order to attract
attention from the ordinary ... If handled properly,
curiosity will sell!

Study the operation of other firms to get New Ideas for
sales letters, methods of handling promotion, nature of
offers and any other details which may be helpful!

Some programs require a good deal of literature in order
to present all the facts necessary to sell a product!
With this type of product you should first advertise for
inquiries then send the full ammunition by direct mail.
Write up a list of important reasons why a person should
inquire about your offer. Use the strongest of these
reasons in your ad!

If you usually pay cash for your ads, why not set up your
own advertising agency as a secondary part of your
business? Your registered business name as an advertising
agency may qualify your business for the 15% discount when
advertising in many publications!

Direct Mail, mailing lists, not ads, are used to obtain
business. You determine what type of person would best
buy your product; then compile, rent or buy name lists and
proceed from there.

Lists compiled from business listings in the Yellow Pages
are good for many kinds of mailorder products; however the
names and addresses contained in the white pages seldom
get any reasonable response. Ads in the daily paper are
also generally poor for mail order products. Stay with
the successful operators and advertise in the various
media they use ... stick with quality name lists in the
right category for your products!

Unless your ad is read you will come out in the red! Make
it clean, clear, concise, simple, professional and focused
to the "right market" for the type of product being
offered!

Always test! test! test! before spending large sums to
promote or advertise your product ... Be sure it is a hit
then go all out!

Your ad must name the product, describe it, tell what it
will do for the reader, how he can obtain it, and where to
get it!

The best part of your advertisement is the words that can
be read "between the lines"!

The direct mail packet consists of the sales letter,
catalog, or brochure, order blank and the business reply
envelope.

The ad must attract attention and create interest and
desire before the customer will act!

Know your product well so that you can be specific,
sincere and positive in writing your ads!
Enthusiastic ads properly laid out will generally get
enthusiastic results!

It is simple to record test results for your ads and
programs in the various media. DO IT!

If your product has distinctive features or trademarks,
use them over and over again in all your ads ... Take
advantage of the repeat psychology of keeping the name of
your product constantly out in front of the Public Eye!
If your product is familiar to the user, prove that it has
better quality or price over competing items. Educate the
consumer when presenting brand new items.

Prospects are usually more impressed by what others have
to say about the product than by what the dealer tells
them. Write to your customers, asking for their opinion
on what your program or product has done for them and
request permission to use their endorsement in some of
your ads. Retain their letters as your authority for
using their testimony.

Classified ads must have a great deal of thought and
preparation! Use as few words as you can, but don't leave
out image building words that tell stories, paint pictures
and compel action!

One way to increase the readership of your ad is by
inviting persons to send in money saving ideas. Print the
best idea each week, or month, and award the winner $$$
... They will read the ad in each issue in order to find
out if they won and if not to see if the winners ideas are
better than the ones they submitted!

Many products can be readily adapted to radio & TV
selling. This can be arranged whereby you pay the station
a percentage of only what is sold. There are publications
available which explain how to present such offers to the
stations and lists of stations that supposedly operate on
this basis. You can locate such firms by a search at your
local library or through salesmen and opportunity
magazines....However; this method for selling mail order
products is not readily available on a flexible basis,
unless you have something really special.

You must be in a position to change your advertising
approach with changing times and conditions.
The First Paragraph of a sales letter must create
attention and interest or the entire message will go to
file 13!

The Second part, or body, of the letter must arouse desire
by pointing out the advantages and describing the product,
preferably in use, or in action and should state the
price...or the entire message will wind up in file 13!

The Final Portion of your letter should strongly urge the
prospect to act and tell him how to order or the entire
message will go to file "13"!

You don't have near the space for your message with
classified and small display ads, as you do with the sales
letter so unless they are well presented they may make a
faster trip down the tube to file 13!

Always use TOP QUALITY letterheads, mailing materials and
supplies...This is your BUSINESS IMAGE in mailorder!

It could be good policy to place your ads through a
legitimate advertising agency...It costs no more than if
you place your own. Before doing business, get full
information about the agency, its services and rates.

Since you must get your message across in top form, in
order to pull inquiries and get orders, the ideal ad made
just for the particular item being for sale is another
great secret for mail order profits....Many times just one
little word will change a dead ad to one that pulls
thousands of orders!

Since you do not have a "window display" to use for
mailorder advertising you must either draw pictures or use
picture words to describe your product. Prepare
advertising copy so that your prospects can "visualize the
product" in their mind and "see" themselves using it to
good advantage.

The headline of your ad must be powerful enough to catch
immediate attention.

Use words that emphasize your product or service at the
beginning or end of sentences!

Another gimmick for obtaining name lists for nothing...An
ad such as..."?BIG MAIL? Send 200 of your address labels
and 50 cents. We will send to mailorder dealers,
wholesalers, distributors, etc....!"

"Before and After" type ads get great response on certain
products.

Test and compare with different worded ads on the same
type of merchandise in the same media.

When advertising make your most important points first!

When you find a new product that has possibilities for
mailorder, test it! Prepare an ad for a quick test in a
magazine or in a paper with a fast closing date (time from
date ad is received to date it is published). As your
test prove out "HIT" that particular item hard and heavy
in other publications!

Test various price levels for the same product.

Qualify your prospects with proper classified ads.

Get the prospects confidence by offering free samples, by
allowing a full money-back guarantee, by building your
business image without exaggeration, and by showing proof
of satisfied users.

Use the P.S. in sales letters to gain added attention!

When using an illustration or picture of your product in
an ad, have one that shows the product in use! Picture
the merchandise in use giving the owner profit or pleasure
thus generating a positive, confident "YES" attitude.
Remember that a picture will often sell better than 10,000
words.

Command attention to your ads or mailing pieces by
marginal sketches, cartoons, different size and type
styles of various words and/or paragraphs...Take the
monotony out of the ad!

Consider greater pulling power of colored ads on many
kinds of products. Test for added response and sales, as
balanced against the much higher printing costs for color!
The use of borders, lines, etc., can enhance your ads but
be certain they are not placed in such a way that they
detract from your message.

Type is expressed by "points". For example, one point
equals 1/72 of an inch. A pica is 1/6 of an inch. Learn
the various type styles and sizes. Use the right print in
your ads to emphasize the best features of your product.

Don't bore the reader; Keep the sakes letter to one page
whenever possible.

Offer something extra or something free in order to get
immediate action!

Test only one factor at a time in order to determine which
"change" made the difference in the number of responses
received from your ad!

By the end of the first month after receipt of the first
response from your ad you should receive 60% of the return
you are going to get from monthly magazines, 75% from
weekly newspapers, 75% from direct mail, 80% from Sunday
newspapers, 90% from daily papers and 100% from Radio or
TV! Within 2 weeks...From magazines 20%; Weekly magazines
40%; Direct mail and Sunday papers 60%; Daily papers 75%
and Radio and TV 90%. DON'T DEPEND ON SUCH
STATISTICS!!!!! Response can vary drastically depending
on many factors, including products offered, media used,
season, price, economy, etc.!!!! Your ad should be
repeated again and again, as long as it is bringing back a
profit....After the saturation point is reached, pull the
ad. Test it again in a few months. The classified ad is
the best to use for testing. For fast results, newspapers
can be tested periodically. Magazines with the greatest
number of responses for the least cost per inquiry should
have priority for your ads. Only tests can prove which
are the best ads and media for your various offers!

Have a "Built-in" follow-up program when preparing your
initial advertising and promotion materials!

Your ad must end with words that compel action...Ask for
the order! Now! Don't let the prospect put the offer
aside or it will usually end up in file 13. Notice the
many ads in the mailorder publications that close with
action getting words and sentences. Use such ads to
develop ideas for your own ads!

Use the personal touch in your sales letters! You must
have a good mailing list for direct mail advertising.
Your sales letter should be written as though you were
talking in person to the reader. Read it out loud...Does
it sound like talk or is it canned?

Offer mailing labels with personalized pictures, photos,
or cartoon caricatures, at cost, in order to build name
lists of mailorder buyers!

Choose the publications with the greatest pull for your
particular ad...Determine the greatest circulation for
every dollar spent...Is it better to advertise in a
magazine with 10,000 readers at 20 cents per word, or pay
$2.50 per word for one with 3,000,000 circulation? Even
this must be tested. Perhaps the 10,000 readers are
buyers of the type of offer you are promoting and will
order more than the 3 million!

Determine the kind of person who reads the various
publications and buy your space accordingly...Advertise
ladies apparel in a media read by women, not in a science
publication!

Publications which carry a large classified section
generally produce good results. Be sure to advertise
under the right classification for your order.

Don't be afraid to ask for the order.

Take advantage of free advertising and publicity whenever
& wherever available!

If practical for a given program, include a picture of
yourself, your business building, or a photo of your
product...This, of course pertains basically to direct
mail programs or for display ads.

Your ad will fail if:
The program you choose has already been worked to death:
A number of dealers had an ad approximately the same as
yours in the same publication; You are advertising an out
of season product; Your price is not competitive; The
offer wan not attractive; Your copy was poorly written, or
it you advertised in the wring classification for the item
being offered!

You generally get nothing but curiosity seekers with ill
placed display ads.

"KEY" you ads in order to know what is the best way to
spend your advertising dollars. Final sales volume, is
the measurement of success or failure of your advertising
programs!

Combine the best features of your product in preparing
your ad. Not so much as to the physical characteristics
but by the feeling and interest it generates in others!

Generally, you should $ ASK $ for the money in classified
ads only when a small amount is required for the product!
Do not expect to get good response from a high cost item
asking for money with a small classified ad. Offer free
details to get the inquiry first, then send your direct
mail packet...Sell your low priced items direct from the
classified or display ad!

Build and maintain your list!!!!

Remember....For us in the mail order industry, advertising
is a must! We cannot reach success without it! We can't
operate successfully with it, unless we do it right!
Advertising is second in importance, only to a high demand
product at a reasonable price, but neither can win without
the other...The day we stop advertising is the day we give
up the mailorder business and go back to punching the old
worn out time clock!!!!!!!