Got The Beginner's Blues?
I think about 99.9% of the mail order dealers who have been in
business 5 years or longer (myself included) started out
thinking mail order was an easy business to get into. I used to
lay awake at night calculating all the responses I would get to
my ad.
"Let's see - if I advertise to 1,000 people I should get a
minimum of 10 orders, basing my figures on the overall 1%
response rate. In addition, if I advertise to 1,000,000 people I
should get a minimum of 1,000 orders - using the same 1%
response rate. It's inevitable, I have to sink all my money into
advertising because the orders will start pouring in within a
week or two."
I even went on to fantasize: "So, if I advertise to 1,000,000
and generate 1,000 orders, and my product sells for only $5 - I
will have $5,000.00 coming in within only a few short weeks. It
certainly costs less than $5,000 to advertise to a 1,000,000
circulation - so it's a sure thing that I'll make a bunch of
money in mail order."
This approach sounds very logical and statistical, but it
doesn't happen like that in the "real world" of mail order!
Well...maybe once in a blue moon, but most of the time - it just
doesn't happen. It's not always because your offer is bad or the
price is too high. And it's not always because your mailing list
was bad. Often times, the reason lies in the fact that you and
your company are unknown.
But one of the most important reasons this statistical data only
works well on paper is that most beginners are not skilled in
the area of TARGET MARKETING. Yes - that word is vital to the
money your business will make.
Target marketing is when you "know" the people you are
advertising to. It has nothing to do with the product you are
selling. For example, I get lots of mailings for products that I
have no interest in or need for. Just last week I received a
mailing for infant products and a magazine. The products were
presented well and were items needed by people who had babies in
their household. However, there is no infant at my home and,
therefore, I had no interest in the products - regardless of how
great they were or how little they cost. The mailing went into
the garbage can.
Another mailing a couple of months ago was a catalog of items I
could order if I were a large manufacturing firm. If I had the
need for disposing of chemical waste, I certainly would have
ordered from this company. But their mailing went in the trash
also. How many times have you got a mailing that went in the
trash just because it was selling a product or service you have
no interest in? See what I mean. If the company mailing these
catalogs and advertisements would have pre-qualified you or I
and target-marketed their items correctly - we would have never
received them. It is wasted money for the company!
But how can you pre-qualify or target market your audience
before placing an ad? If you are a beginner, it will take some
time before you are experienced enough to do so. However, you
can always get a sample copy of the publication first and see
what items other people are advertising. Then, test your ads in
the smaller mail order publication that offer low-cost
advertising until you refine your ad and hit the right market.
As soon as you begin generating responses to your ads, keep in
contact with these customers and grow from there. They will
bring you more customers like themselves because "birds of a
feather flock together."
Therefore - take my advice and SLOW DOWN a little. I know this
is easier said than done - but if you don't slow down, you could
easily get ripped-off and lose a lot of money. Just like
attending college - you won't get a Master's Degree the same day
you begin classes. It takes 3-4 years!
Take your time to get to know some of the pros and read what
they have to say. Survey and study the market. Read and educate
yourself by investing time into study. Start out in mail order
like you would start working for any company - at the bottom.
Learn the tricks of the trade. Make friends and associates with
"good" dealers and stick with them. Honor your word and work
dealerships to the advantage of yourself as well as others.
(Sounds kinda like the Golden Rule of mail order doesn't it?)
But - I guarantee you'll be successful! Mail order works for
anybody. You don't have to be rich, educated or a certain age,
color or heritage. You don't have to wear certain kinds of
clothes or have your hair styled in the latest craze. The only
limitations are your own abilities and confidence in yourself. I
know because I started out really poor and brought my business
up to a thriving, self-supporting home business!