20 WAYS TO INCREASE MAIL ORDER PROFITS

20 WAYS TO INCREASE MAIL ORDER PROFITS

Mail Order is one of the fastest growing and most exciting areas of selling in use today. It's inexpensive, it's readily measurable, and, best of all, it's relatively easy to do--if you do it right!

The following tips are guaranteed to get you off on the right track (or back on the right track) as a mail order seller. Whether you're a novice or an old pro, you're bound to find some points here that will make a difference to your bottom line!

1.) Always remember that the market comes first. In mail order, the is identifying a market segment with a specific need and then filling that need with your product or service. The mistake many mail order sellers make is first developing a product and then trying to find a group of people who might be interested in that product.

2.) In mail order, the KISS principle applies--Keep-It-short-and-Simple. That refers to you offer and copy. While a long does work, you only want to get long-winded when your product and offer require it. Simplicity applies to the words you choose as well. Don't use a $50 word when you can use a $1 word instead.

3.) Don't be a slave to grammar and punctuation rules. The goal in mail order selling is conveying a message. Communication is the key!

4.) Make sure you copy and graphics work together. The graphics should set the tone and mood for your mail piece and the copy should support that mood.

5.) Graphics are meant to do more than just look nice. In fact, it's commonly known that the award winning brochures aren't necessarily the ones that pull the highest response. Graphics are meant to pull the reader through your mailing piece and to highlight and emphasize the major points.

6.) If you're using photos in your brochure, try to make them as active as possible. When you're picture your products, show someone using it.

7.) Never, never print over the top of a photograph. But always caption your photos--it increases readership.

8.) Don't forget to measure back-end as well as front-end when you're determining how well a promotion did. Your mailing may have pulled a 3% front-end response, but if returns are heavy you could lose your profits in a hurry!

9.) Don't forget about the FTC 30-day Rule. This rule states that: you must deliver a product to the buyer when you say you will, if you don't promise a delivery date, you must ship the product no latter than 30 days after you receive the order. The buyer has the right to cancel the order, receiving a full refund, if the product is not shipped within the 30 days!

10.) The 4 most important elements in mail order marketing are the List, the Offer, the Format and the Copy.

11.) Try involvement devices to increase response. What are they? Some simple ones that you might use include check boxes, tear off stubs, questions, etc.

12.) Don't neglect you outer envelope--it's the first thing your customer sees and deserves your attention. Include teaser copy on you outer envelopes to entice the customer to look inside.

13.) When using a sales letter, don't forget about the P.S. It's the second most read part of a letter and should be used to reemphasize your offer.

14.) If you Ad works, keep using it, even if you've grown bored of it.

15.) Never mention a product feature without turning that feature into a benefit for the customer. Your product has bee around for 100 years? So what! That means nothing to the customer. Always answer the customers' inherent question of---what's in it for me?

16.) Always design your order form first. It's the most important element of your package and one of the most overlooked by many direct marketers.

17.) Ask your customer for names and addresses of friends/colleagues who might be interested in your product or service. It's a good way to build your mailing list.

18.) Try the use of a premium to increase response---but make sure the premium is somehow related to your product.

19.) Always, always always use a guarantee in your mail marketing--and make sure that your guarantee is generous and prominently displayed.

20.) When testing price, always test price points both above and below the price you think is the right one.

The Best Of Luck To You, and Keep On Mailing!