Vital Information
_____________________________________________________________________________
Start-Up Investment
Low – $1,000 home-based. owner-operated with items dropshipped by supplier.
High – $500,000 – catalog sales, several mailings, with items shipped from a
company warehouse).
_____________________________________________________________________________
Break-even time – Four months to four years
____________________________________________________________________________
Estimate of Annual revenue and Profit
Revenue $50,000 – $1.5 million
Profit (Pre-tax) – $5,000 – $450,000
_____________________________________________________________________________
The Time Has Come
In seven out of ten households in America today, no adult has the time it takes
to go shopping during the day. Consequently, junk mail isn’t so “junky” anymore.
People who used to hesitate before purchasing large ticket items via the mails
are now ordering everything from artichokes to zip lock freezer bags and there is
nothing to indicated that this trend is going to change.
People are also beginning to realize that mail order can be the least expensive
way to shop. The cost of merchandise purchased through the mails can be
considerably lower because the mail order distributor isn’t paying a high price
tag for overhead items such as an expensive sales force or a fancy showroom.
Stand out In The Crowd
One of the ways to make a profit in the mail order business is to find a way to
stand out — to get a gimmick — find a unique product to sell — find a product
that isn’t being sold in every store or on every street corner. The question is
not so much “What can be sold by mail” as it is, “What can I sell by mail?”
After you’ve decided on a product (s) or particular line of products, do your
homework. Make the rounds of stores, street fairs, flea markets and trade shows.
Check out advertising in magazines and pay close attention to the “junk mail” you
receive. If this product you’re interested in seems to show up everywhere you
look, you may want to rethink your choice. If you have a strong sense that this
product will sell and there is a market for it, Then you can begin to consider
how to market your product.
Competing with the Big Boys
Now that you’ve decided that every household in America really wants to own one
of your pink furs and you are pretty sure that not many other folks are selling
pink furs, you need to decide how to go about letting all these potential
customers know that you have the best pink furs on the market. How?
You could put together a beautiful catalog with gorgeous models wearing your pink
furs. But keep in mind that the cost of shooting, printing, and distributing a
catalog may be prohibitive and may require an investment of $100,000 or more…
You will also have to have enough stock on hand to meet the demand inspired by
your catalog and a place to warehouse all the pink furs you know you’ll be
selling. When deciding how much product to stock, remember that the Federal Trade
Commission requires you to ship products within thirty days of an order so you
don’t want to advertise a product you can’t readily supply.
You may wish to pursue a slower and less expensive path as you begin your mail
order business.
Remember, the Tortoise Beat the Hare
You may want to begin your mail order business as part-time venture. You could
stock just enough pink furs so that you can store them easily in your garage or
basement, set up a distribution area in your basement with boxes, wrapping paper,
and shipping labels so you can do your own shipping. Or, you can even have your
product dropshipped. In this way you can keep your overhead low and your initial
investment to a minimum. This type of business often takes two years or more to
really get going, so beginning in your spare time, while you continue to bring in
money, may make you one of the winners.
Putting Your Best Foot Forward
Many consultants to the mail order industry suggest you begin with a small
classified advertisement, strategically placed, in a publication with similar
mail-order ads. This allows you to begin selling your product and tests the
validity of your product choice. This is also the place you can start to collect
the names necessary to begin compiling your mailing list. Those in the know say
you need at least 10,000 to 12,000 names (people who have actually purchased
products from you) before you begin putting together your catalog.
Pick your advertising media on the basis of their value in reaching the type of
inquiries that would be interested in your specific offer. Go over the classified
advertising sections of the magazines or newspapers that seem suitable carefully.
In short, explore any evidence to show that your ad has a good chance of
producing results.
Once you’ve decided where you are going to run your classified ad, the nest step
is the ad itself.. It should be specific, direct and honest. It must ATTRACT
ATTENTION, SECURE INTEREST, PRODUCE BELIEF OR CONVICTION, and finally GET THE
PROSPECT TO ACT. When writing the copy imagine yourself talking personally to the
person at whom your message is directed. The advertising must get read – get
action. Make every bit of space count. Before placing your ad, compare it with
those of your competitors, and make sure that yours is better, or at least just
as good if you expect to get a good response from your advertising.
Tracking Your Advertising
You will want to be able to easily ascertain which of the advertising media
you’ve chosen get the best results. The simplest way to track your advertising is
to “key” your ads. Put an indicator in the name or address that will immediately
alert you to the publication which elicited the positive response, i.e., Suite
1-A (1-A indicated which publication the response came from). By this means, you
will be able to eliminate your advertisements from unproductive ad media, and
reinvest the savings in more fertile publications.
The Secret to Success
There are six words that pack a terrific wallop in mail order copy. These words
are “Free,”New,” “Amazing,” “Now,” “How-To,” “Easy.” All successful classified
advertisers use one or more of these words in almost every advertisement they
write. The first few words in any advertisement are all-important. Give this
matter Careful study. It your ad gets off to a good start, you are on your way to
success.
While the word “Free” has been greatly abused in the past, it still is mail
order’s biggest drawing card.
Always remember to incorporate that magic word “guaranteed” into your sales
literature. It gives the prospective buyer confidence to know that he can get his
money back if he is dissatisfied with his purchase, and consequently makes the
order much easier to obtain.
Other Alternatives
Mailing Lists or direct mail offer a convenient method of securing business
quickly by reaching a concentrated audience within a very short time. This method
features broad coverage at low cost, but like any form of promotion, it should be
used smartly and the pit-falls must be avoided. Only when the campaign is well
thought out, and when the selectivity of the prospects or “mailing list” is such
that each name represents a potential customer, can direct mail be considered an
economic form of promotion. The mail order industry considers a 1% response rate
average, 2% to 5% is amazing. This equates out to just 500 orders from the first
50,000 names you contact via a mailing list.
Newspapers: Although the most widely read publications in America are the local
daily newspapers, this medium has decided limitations for mail order use,
especially for the small operator. A newspaper is usually only kept for one day
unlike a magazine which may be saved for months, possibly gone over carefully by
other members of the family, loaned to friends, or is on file at the public
library.
And Sundries
Find out about postal rates and services. You may be able to send your products
via third class or bulk mail. A postage meter may be of use to you.
Finding a good printer is another area where you should really watch your pennies
and the quality of the service provided. The quality of your sales literature is
a very important factor, and can easily determine the difference between success
and failure. You can’t very well expect poor quality literature printed on cheap
paper to produce satisfactory results. And, not only will you need a printer for
you catalog, but you will need to have brochures, business envelopes, letterhead
and a number of other basic supplies. Shop around, get the best possible price.
Don’t Drop the Ball
To build up a really successful mail order sales operation, it is smart to have a
well organized and planned follow-up system. Once a customer has been
established, you have a valuable asset that should be utilized to the fullest
extent. The easiest person to get a sale from is someone who has already
purchased your product.
…it’s an Adventure
Yes, it does take a while to get the ball rolling, but once a mail order business
hits its stride, it can be much more lucrative than a retail store. It’s not as
labor or capital intensive as a retail store and should net 15% to 25% after
taxes.
While the mail order business is not a walk in the park, it is a great adventure
calling for initiative, integrity, good judgment, lots of courage and
determination. You probably have some or all of these qualities or you wouldn’t
even think about starting your own business. There will most undoubtedly be some
ups and downs, but if you stick with it, you could find yourself with a truly
lucrative enterprise.
Copyright 2004 by DeAnna Spencer
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