| Here are some tips to help your mail order | | | | those fortunate few who hit it "lucky" |
| business be successful. | | | | 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 |
| 1. How do you develop a personal | | | | Circle" and start "climbing". When your |
| relationship with your customers? | | | | 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 |
| Successful mail order firms make every effort | | | | Circle! |
| to personalize their mail! | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | 24. Where to Start in Mailorder? |
| 2. What inspires people to buy by mail? | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | The best way to start is to work with those |
| Convenience and saving of time it would take | | | | who are already there. Obtain several small |
| to make a personal trip. Avoidance of rush | | | | mailorder trade magazines. Get one page ad |
| hour crowds. Many find it fun to buy through | | | | sheets and various circulars. You can spend |
| the mail.. Many prefer to buy personal | | | | a small amount on BIG MAILS and be flooded |
| items, such as certain kinds of books, by | | | | with magazines, adsheets, circulars, etc. |
| mail. Exclusiveness of many mail order | | | | with thousands of different offers and |
| products. | | | | 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! |
| 3. How do you begin with a mail order | | | | |
| business? | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | 25. What is one of the most valuable assets |
| | | | for the mailorder beginner? |
| 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 | | | | "Junk Mail". As you receive information and |
| very little capital to begin. The main thing | | | | various packets, analyze the offers and send |
| is to use impressive printed letterheads and | | | | for full information on the ones that appeal |
| envelopes. Test before you splurge. Start | | | | to you. File and keep all the information |
| with just a few classified ads, then build | | | | you receive by the kind of program or plan, |
| your programs from there. | | | | 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 |
| 4. Why are most mail order ads losing | | | | assets, if properly analyzed, filed and used |
| money? | | | | intelligently. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| The product, the price, the media used, the | | | | 26. What must you do as your files |
| timing of the ad and the right prospect are | | | | accumulate, in order to succeed? |
| 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 | | | | Don't just send off for the many deals, then |
| understand; attention producing with strong | | | | wait until you accumulate a room full of |
| eye-arresting leads. They must convince | | | | files. Time is money. You can handle only a |
| customers and make it easy for them to order. | | | | small percent of the programs available, so |
| All these ingredients need to be present to | | | | right away, jump in and "lightly" test |
| get good response. | | | | 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! |
| 5. What moves well in mail order? | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | 27. Some great money-makers to include in |
| Good novelty merchandise and scarce items. | | | | your mailorder business? |
| 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 | | | | Printing and publishing... publish your own |
| poor, worthless, MLM programs floating around | | | | mailorder books and manuals. Manufacture |
| than there are good ones so one must be very | | | | your own product in your garage or basement. |
| cautious in choosing this kind of operation. | | | | 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 |
| 6. What make customers come back again and | | | | How-to-reports, stories, etc., in cartoon |
| again? | | | | 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 |
| The right product with orders handled | | | | and adsheets. Offer big mail... Mail others |
| carefully and quickly. Satisfied customers | | | | commission circulars with your own mailings. |
| always come back, even via mail. | | | | i.e. Do everything possible through the mail |
| | | | that is legal until you find the right |
| | | | programs to make your million. |
| | | | |
| 7. What limits the mail order business? | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | 28. How to stay ahead of the game? |
| | | | |
| 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 | | | | You must constantly keep up with what other |
| be a real winner. Don't let your programs | | | | dealers are doing! Check out the successful |
| just sit idle. Test... Test and more tests. | | | | programs and build your own around them. |
| Keep on the top of all your activities and | | | | Give constant attention to your ideas. Write |
| follow through. | | | | them down and act on the good ones. Find new |
| | | | products, develop "solid" plans around them |
| | | | and test them in the market place. |
| | | | |
| 8. After you have been in the business a | | | | |
| short time what can you use to build | | | | |
| confidence? | | | | 29. How to double your earnings in |
| | | | mailorder? |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| You can accumulate testimonials from you | | | | |
| customers and use them in your ads to build | | | | Begin by running one or two ads in several |
| customer confidence. | | | | 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 |
| 9. What one mistake costs the mailorder | | | | in order to double your income. |
| operator a lot of money? | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | 30. What is another method to double your |
| It is a waste of money to present established | | | | income? |
| items that people can get most anywhere. | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | Multiply the number of products or services. |
| 10. What are the 13 most powerful words for | | | | If you are offering the right products and |
| your ads? | | | | 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 |
| Free, Rush, Limited, Guaranteed, Save, Sale, | | | | you wish to succeed in any business and |
| New, Get, Look, Money-making, Profits, Act, | | | | mailorder is certainly no exception. |
| Now! | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | 31. How do you get set up as a Co-publisher? |
| 11. How do you get income coming from every | | | | |
| direction? | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | You place your ad in a trade magazine or |
| | | | adsheet that is "Co-Publishable". Send your |
| After you have built up your programs (Sale | | | | ad and remittance to the Co-Publisher who |
| of merchandise, books, publication, MLM, or | | | | will forward the same, along with 50% of your |
| whatever) and have a good customer list, rent | | | | payment to the Prime Publisher. Your ad will |
| or sell the names. Offer big mails for SASE | | | | appear in the next issue and the publisher |
| to build up and expand your name list. Mail | | | | will send you full details on becoming a |
| circulars of others, for a fee or commission, | | | | Co-Publisher. |
| with your own Big Mails. | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | 32. What are the usual benefits of |
| 12. What should you know about catalog | | | | Co-publishing? |
| deals? | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | As a Co-Publisher, you generally get your |
| Stay away from catalog deals until you can | | | | future ads placed at one-half the published |
| check them out with simple tests that prove | | | | rates; 50% on commission ads you obtain; 50% |
| them profitable. | | | | 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 |
| 13. How do you realize your dreams to be a | | | | your own mailings. You simply stamp your |
| success in the mail order business? | | | | 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 |
| Keep your mind open for new ideas and don't | | | | orders, retain 50% (or whatever amount is the |
| give up. Don't throw away your dreams | | | | agreed commission) and forward the balance |
| because of only a few failures. Proceed | | | | with the order, to the Prime Publisher... He |
| carefully; watch out for fraud and fast buck | | | | will take it from there... It's that simple. |
| artists. Hang in there and you can become a | | | | Your own ads, of course, get full circulation |
| great success! | | | | based on the total published and distributed. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| 14. What is one of the most common questions | | | | 33. How you can control the number of orders |
| asked by the would-be customer of most any | | | | you get as a Co-Publisher? |
| money-making, how-to, self-improvement, | | | | |
| mailorder, idea, or success publication? | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | The number of orders you receive will depend |
| | | | on who you mail them to. If you mail to |
| What can it do for me! With the millions of | | | | other Co-publishers, orders obtained will |
| books on the market it is an difficult | | | | usually be for small one inch ads. They will |
| question, to be sure. It's certainly much | | | | reserve expenditures for large ads, until |
| easier to expound on the advantages of one | | | | they become Co-Publishers of the publication |
| book over another "because it has more pages" | | | | themselves, thus getting their advertising at |
| or "It has a more expensive cover". But | | | | one-half rates! If your mailings are |
| those are not the answers. The foundation of | | | | directed to mailorder beginners, opportunity |
| knowledge is learning and the best way to | | | | seekers, or direct to the consumer, orders |
| learn is to simplify everything possible. | | | | you receive will probably be for books or |
| Eliminate all the useless non-essentials so | | | | products offered under "Order From |
| the reader is not overburdened with worthless | | | | Co-Publisher" ads. |
| detail and let them know through proper | | | | |
| advertising what your publication or book can | | | | |
| do for them! | | | | |
| | | | 34. What must you do to get started |
| | | | economically and efficiently as a "top" |
| | | | commission mailer? |
| 15. What are a person's two main | | | | |
| alternatives for success or failure? | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | Order a good rubber stamp... Send for some |
| | | | free commission circulars, pay only the |
| As chaotic conditions increase in this mad | | | | postage for these. They are available from |
| money world they can crawl in the corner and | | | | prime source mailorder firms... Send for some |
| let the world pass them by, or learn new | | | | free names who want Big Mail... Buy a supply |
| methods required to format their future | | | | of envelopes and stamps... Address the |
| wealth! Waiting for the day when they will | | | | envelopes to the names wanting big mail... |
| have everything they need will never come | | | | When you receive your circulars. stamp your |
| without know-how! | | | | 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 |
| 16. Whether you are in "Big Business" or | | | | you receive orders, take out your commission |
| just working from your "Kitchen Table", what | | | | and forward everything else to the Prime |
| secrets must you apply in order to find | | | | source... And you are in business! |
| riches? | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | 35. How do you make $50,000 a year by |
| Wealth will not materialize until you take | | | | working from your kitchen table 4 hours a |
| action and generate the force needed to start | | | | week? |
| 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 | | | | There is money in the mailorder business but |
| to follow through a project to completion. | | | | not as some advertise it. Don't believe it. |
| They don't realize that knowledge is power | | | | You won't make $50,000 a year by working 4 |
| and wealth favors the trained mind. This | | | | hours a week. NO! It doesn't work that way! |
| leaves the market place wide open for those | | | | If you will follow instructions, be happy |
| who apply the proper ideas and methods. The | | | | with from $100 to $400 a week spending a few |
| ones who discover the ways to exploit the | | | | hours every night, five nights a week, then |
| future. You must move ahead of the times, | | | | you too can make money in mail order. |
| extend your knowledge and open up new avenues | | | | |
| of personal growth! Expand your horizons! | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | 36. What is one of the biggest mistakes you |
| | | | can make as a commission mailer? |
| 17. Who to contact pertaining to any | | | | |
| questions about the mail service? | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | It is good policy to never get your |
| | | | circulars, and your mailing list, from the |
| Your local Postmaster or the Consumer | | | | same dealer. |
| Advocate, U.S. Postal Service, Washington DC | | | | |
| 20260-6320, Phone (202) 245-4514. | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | 37. How do you get started with your own |
| | | | adsheet? |
| 18. If you suspect Misrepresentation, Mail | | | | |
| Fraud or want to stop sexually oriented mail, | | | | |
| who do your contact? | | | | |
| | | | Adsheets are sometimes started by the |
| | | | publisher cutting others ads from various |
| | | | adsheets or magazines and pasting these on |
| Your local Postmaster, or Chief Postal | | | | their own adsheet without cost to the |
| Inspector, U.S. Postal Service, Room 3517, | | | | advertiser. This adsheet is then mailed to |
| Washington, DC 20260-2100, Phone (202) | | | | these various dealers with an offer to re-run |
| 245-5445. | | | | 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% |
| 19. Where to get help from problems or | | | | commission. You run these ads over your name |
| questions about unordered products or | | | | in the first few editions of your adsheet. |
| non-delivery? | | | | 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 |
| Consumer Inquiries, Federal Trade Commission, | | | | paid advertisers or not. Moreover, some |
| Washington, DC 20580, Phone (202) 523-3598. | | | | 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 |
| 20. From whom can you get the most general | | | | get professionally designed mailorder |
| mail order questions answered? | | | | programs at very little cost. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| The local Consumer Protection Agency, or the | | | | 38. How do you keep your Co-publishing costs |
| Direct Mail Marketing Association located at | | | | to Zero? |
| 6 East 43rd. St., New York, NY 10017, Phone | | | | |
| (212) 689-4977. | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | The discounts for your own ads are generally |
| | | | 50% with most of the mailorder publications. |
| 21. Why do a great percentage of persons | | | | In return for the discount you are expected |
| fail in mail order? | | | | 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 |
| Mail order is a complex business. Every | | | | postage cost to mail your copies can be Zero! |
| 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 | | | | 39. What colors are the most appealing to |
| chance to learn the right methods. | | | | women, in order of preference? |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| 22. What is the "Inner Circle" of mail | | | | Red, Violet, Blue, Green, Orange, White, |
| order? | | | | Yellow. |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| A Mailorder House is commonly defined as "An | | | | 40. What colors are the most appealing to |
| establishment conducting business by Mail". | | | | men in order of preference? |
| 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 | | | | Blue, Red. Violet, Green, Orange, White, |
| Mail Order" refers to those successful | | | | Yellow. |
| professionals who have "climbed to the top" | | | | |
| in the mail order field by long, hard work, | | | | |
| study, knowledge and persistence. | | | | |
| | | | Copyright 2004 by DeAnna SpencerNote to |
| | | | editors:To show my appreciation to the |
| | | | editors that use my articles, I offer a free |
| 23. How do you get in the "Inner Circle of | | | | solo ad. Simply send an email to me by using |
| Mailorder"? | | | | 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.DeAnna Spencer is a virtual assistant that |
| As you learn and progress in the many and | | | | helps entrepreneurs run a successful business |
| varied phases of mailorder business methods, | | | | by providing affordable administrative help. |
| you will set various goals. You must | | | | She also publishes a blog for small business |
| continuously change plans and programs to | | | | owners. Visit this small business resource |
| attain these goals. Unless you are one of | | | | today. |