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Ideas/Section-9
A newcomer called me
the other day. She had been given the advice by a seasoned mail
order pro of mailing a minimum of 100 pieces of mail each week.
If she couldn’t afford to do that, the “pro” advised
her to quit mail order. This is HALF BAD/GOOD ADVICE! It also is
“negative” and doesn’t help anyone!
What the “pro” didn’t
tell the newcomer was that she was expected to do this if she chose
the method of marketing her products through DIRECT MAIL. This is
NOT the ONLY way to market!
That’s the terrific thing about business.
It has a wide choice of different personalities - each reflected
by the individuality of its owner. There is not just one way of
marketing, just like there’s not any one person alike on the
planet! The trick is to follow the advice of several different,
SUCCESSFUL people and choose the method that best appeals to your
own distinct personality.
But getting back to the narrow scope of
this particular report: mail order marketing by mail or locally
- here are some basic things to know:
1. If the product you are selling through
mail order is a service business (i.e. printing, advertising, typesetting,
word processing, writing, etc.) this can be successfully marketed
through the “inner circle” mail order tabloids and adsheets
as well as locally.
2. Most mail order printers and typesetters
also have local clients. Local business normally pays you more money
but it’s a lot more demanding emotionally and physically.
However, sometimes you have to take the bitter with the sweet and
capitalize on this local business until you get your mail order
business off the ground.
3. Typesetting and printing are also items
that you wouldn’t market to opportunity-seekers. At the moment,
this group of people is comprised of folks looking for an opportunity
to make extra money working at home. They don’t have a need
for typesetting, printing, word processing, etc. at the moment.
When they locate the opportunity they want to invest in - then is
the time to market those items to them - but not until.
4. If you are working a network marketing-type
program, you will want to purchase a reliable mailing list from
a good company that runs network marketing-related ads themselves
and pre-qualifies the names for you before you buy them for your
use. (It’s best to even get a copy of the ad they used to
generate the names you are buying. Then, you really know what your
mailing list is interest in buying.)
But, depending on the network marketing
product you are involved in - it can be marketed locally. Put a
sign up in your front yard with the company name. Place brochures
in beauty shops, health food stores, or whatever would complement
your product.
5. You also can market locally with absolutely
no cost to you. Simply publish your own simple newspaper. Charge
local vendors to advertise and pick up the printing tab. Use the
rest of the unsold advertising space for your own advertising.
Select a web-press printer (start by talking
to the people that print your local neighborhood paper now). Determine
the size of your newspaper based on the cost to have them printed.
Distribute them by hiring teenagers (for a few dollars) drop them
off door-to-door.
A good source to contact is The “Neon
Spotlight” newspaper, published by Neon, P.O. Box 3427, Johnson
City, TN 37602-3427. It is a publication that is displayed in racks
or on counters in retail business establishments as well as through
mail order. You can do the same thing.
6. Finally, if you are a total beginner
and don’t know who to mail to, Roy Beasley, P.O. Box 3087,
Jekyll Island, GA 3 1527 can fix that. This company is very honest
and they’ll sell you just about any amount (small or large)
of names on peel-n-stick labels. Or, just write them a note and
tell them what you plan to be mailing in the envelope. This way,
they can custom select a mailing list for you of people most likely
interested in your particular offer. Yes! They’re good! Plus,
they’ll take the time to work for you with the goal of bringing
you some customer orders for your product or service.
So don’t let anybody fool you. There
are a wide variety of ways to sell your products and services. Not
every way works for every situation, but if you keep trying - you’ll
find the best way to market your product or service properly. Take
any advice you get and apply it to your particular situation. The
Bible is the only gospel I know of.