|
|
Mail Order Hints & Advice...
I need your personal success stories and tricks of the trade that you know WORK! If you would like to share some hints or give some friendly advice, email me at: vhilton@att.net and I will consider placement!
If we use your material, we will print & mail your 35 word ad in the Hilton Mail Marketing Ad-Mag for 2 issues! Receive a checking copy for each and every issue! Writer's are responsible for thier own stuff. I have the right to reject any material submitted. All right, restrictions, and disclaimers apply.
Customer's treasure ethical business practices. It isn't always easy, but it is the right thing to do! It works like a magic charm plus it feels G-R-E-A-T too!!!
Good spelling and gramar on your sales materials and email will give the impression that you are a professional. Use a spell checker and examine your work for grammatical errors.
Increase inward cash flow for your business with strategies such as announcing a special sale or offering a discount if customers pay now for a year's worth of services
When time are running a bit slow, don't waste your time. Use it to develop new products and look for new customers. A slow period is a great time to do your homework and market research.
Ask for A-C-T-I-O-N to get a response to your offer. Just giving your name, address phone number, or email might not be enough to provoke your customer to take action. Make sure that you give specific instructions which explain exactly how to get what you are offering.
Everyone may not be ready to buy just because you are ready to sell. Don't just send your sales materials out only once. Regular mailing to your exsiting and potential customers at least 3 times usually works well.
Testimonials are a powerful tool that you can use to remove doubt from a prospective customers mind that you can deliver exactly what was promised. Be careful though not to use claims that sound exaggerated even if they are true! Bold claims can create doubts that might jeopardize the sale.
Use postcards to promote your business. They are inexpensive to print, mail, and nearly everybody reads them. Regular mailings to your customer list could keep them up-to-date or just remind them of your products and services.
Cut down on high business expenses by learning to "do it yourself." Learn how to do your own web design, typesetting, sales materials, etc. With all the money that you've saved you could put back into the business.
Success takes WORK! If you want it, you GOTTA work for it! Don't just mail a few letters per week and expect to retire in a year. In Mail Order if you want to succeed - hard work will be your best bet at succeeding to make a REAL full-time income.
A return address is a "MUST!" If you expect your prospects to open your mailing materials, they want to know who's sending it to them. If your not even willing to disclose your name or address, why should your potential customer even bother with you or your program.
Simply things! Make it easy for your customers to understand. Simple, clear copy should always be used when writing ad copies or advertisements. When finshed, always go back and edit for simplicity and clarity.
Turn inquires into sales with promoting the distinct differences between you and your competition. Answer questions such as: "Why ordering from you would benefit the customer?" and "What makes your product a better value than your competition?"
Identify your target market. (It can't be said enough) The first step in any advertising promotion is to isolate and recoginize the proper market for your product or service. "Everybody doesn't need what your selling!" So, find the right prospects to send your product or service to.
Take away all of the risks to get a good response to your ad. No body likes to be pressured into buying something. With all the competion out there, they can just get it from somebody else. Take away all of the risks for the customer, so they will respond to your ad. Put all of the risk on your shoulders. For example, offering a 100% money back guarantee will get you a better result from your ad.
Don't be afraid to deal with an unhappy customer. If you don't attend to them properly, they'll just take thier business elsewhere and tell others of thier negative experience with you. Try to explain the problem and offer a solution such as a free offer, extra circulation, etc. If they are still not satisfied, just give them thier money back!
One of the best ways to get ad responses and get sales to start rolling in, is to offer a FREE product or service! Everyone loves to get something of value for FREE! If they like it, they are sure to come back for more!!!
Advertising word power really works! Don't use the same old materials has everybody else. Put a spin on your ads by using words that have sales appeal. Use a thesaurus if you have to. It will be well worth the extra effort
Avoid Pitfals! When choosing an item to sell by mail or over the Internet, make sure that you present it in the right place. Make sure you find the right publications that suite your market. Inspect the magazine or website before placing. Many people reading the Popular Mechanics won't be interested in your advertising offer. Except on rare occassions. Don't waste advertising money on impractical ad placement.
Honest business practices prove to be much more profitable in the long run. Taking a customer's money and then not doing what was promised is a sure way to lose your customer FOREVER! Why not have your customer come back again and again! Besides - good people stick together in this business. If someone has had a bad experience with you they are sure to tell their Mail Order friends and associates!
Don't over exagerate when writing your sales materials, classifieds, ad-copies, etc. Stick with just the facts. That's what people really want to know
Test your print and mail efforts! If you have a lot of print and mail orders out and NO RESPONSES something might be up. Code your ads. That's one good way to find out who's printing and mailing and who's not! After some testing, if you still don't like your responses, maybe your advertising material needs revising.
When filling a customer's order for a prime-source dealership, make sure you always send out an acknowledgement. Your customer is ordering form YOU, not your prime-source. If it takes a while to get their order fulfilled they might get a little irritated at you for not acknowledging that you at least received their order and it was sent to the prime-source.
Do your math! Before going head first on a project or venture, figure out every possible expense, and then some. After examining, see if it is really worth it. Make sure you also do this when evaluating offers that seem too good to be true.
|
| |
FACES IN MAIL ORDER
{ MONTHLY SPOTLIGHT } Each month we chose a Mailorder company(s) to put the spot light on! Send us your 75 to 100 word write up about your company, your products and services, but most importantly about yourself and how you got started in Mailorder! We will consider placement and if we choose you, we will print and mail your 1" camera-ready or classified ad FREE! Check back here each month to see what Mail Order Dealer we will put the spotlight on!!! We reserve the right to reject any write up submitted. Please send your 75-100 word ad with a LSASE for verification of acceptance to: Hilton Mail Marketing - 3699 McKee Rd., Dover, DE 19904.
GEORGE MCGUIRE
Many of us are asked why we stay in this business when we lose money. Well, it is sort of like when we make bird houses in our shop and then sell them at a flea market - - - we love what we do, we love trying to make a few dollars, and we love the people! That's my story in a nutshell.
I've been dabbing in mail order since 1950, but after some heart problems in 1984, I knew I had to find something to keep me busy. I decided to go back into mail order full time.
I publish the WORD OF MOUTH newsletter-magazine, trying to help everyone in some way. I deeply respect honesty, and hope it reflects in everything that I do.
If you need commission circulars, print and mail circulars, or good advertising, please drop me a line, and just send $1.00 to cover my costs. Or, send .00 & 3 F/C stamps for my real big-mail!!! Get a copy of the WORD OF MOUTH FREE!
CONTACT INFO:
GEORGE MCGUIRE
759 RT 25
Stuyvesant, NY 12173
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
