Everyone that starts out learning the mail order business is
normally introduced to Commission Circulars very early in the game. You have
probably seen ads claiming “how you can make money - sometimes as much as
$5,000 - for every page you copy”.
Just by making copies of pages, I can make money? Sure - but
that’s not all what it takes.
Commission Circulars are ads that are already typeset and
photocopy-ready. All you have to do is
stamp or type YOUR name and address in the “order from” box. Then, all you need
to do is make copies or print and mail these circulars.
It’s a very simple process and serves an excellent purpose
for many people. Commission Circulars
allow a person to make money without handling the product. Orders normally will
come directly from the customer to YOU. You keep 50% or more of the money and
send the rest, with the customer’s order to the dealer. The dealer will process
the customer’s order and ship it directly to them. Your only function is to
take your money out of envelopes and re-mail the rest of the order and money to
the dealer who is the prime source of the product. Some people base their
business on Commission Circulars alone. Some people really love separating
copies, stamping their name with a rubber stamp, collating and stuffing
envelopes and mailing them at the post office. Some businesses get their
families involved because children can help in most phases of this business
process. It’s really a fun hobby for some people.
However, what happens if you are not right for Commission
Circulars? What if you are just getting started in the mail order business and
don’t mail more than 10 letters per week? What if you don’t know anybody to
send the circulars to? Some people will tell you to buy a mailing list but can you really afford to spend $290.00
for first-class postage to mail to 1,000 people at this time? Besides, 1,000
people probably wouldn’t bring in more than 2 or 3 orders. If you are only
getting $2 or $3 commission from the circular you’d go broke quick!
You need to ask yourself several questions before ordering
Commission Circulars. First and foremost, you need to determine how much you
are mailing per month. If your postage costs are less than $200 every 30 days,
it probably won’t pay you to order Commission Circulars. However, if the
Commission Circular can become a part of your mailing without causing you an
extra postage expense, you might consider them.
Commission circulars bring in good profits only when they are
mailed to a lot of people 1,000 won’t
cut it. Big mail dealers who process tons of mail per week and mail to
thousands every month benefit the most from Commission Circulars. They have the
volume it takes to participate in this type of business and will generate
enough orders to make them pay for themselves.
There are a number of ways though for the new beginner to
take part in Commission Circular mailings and receive a response that is
sufficient.
One way is to take part in Co-Op Printing deals. Read and
study the mail order publications and you will find several good co-op printing
deals. This is where you send a circular
to a printer. He or she will print a certain number of copies. Your ad will be
printed on 1-side and the printer’s ad will be printed on the other. They will
send all the copies back to you and you are responsible for mailing them. This
immediately cuts your printing costs in half! A lot of people use this method
if they do monthly bulk mailings or mail a lot. (Just be sure the ad the
printer puts on the back of your ad is something that doesn’t compete with
items you are selling).
If you don’t do a lot of mailings and/or you don’t want the
hassle of stuffing and mailing a lot of envelopes, you can advertise your
circular in a mail order publication. At a standard rate of $25 per 1,000 _ you
can get your circular printed and mailed without any additional work on your
part.
This is the least expensive way to take part in Commission
Circulars because you save on postage, envelopes, mailing list of names,
folding, stapling and the time spent carting everything to the post office.
Purchase a few Big Mails and keep up to date on publications and prices.
The third way of getting your Commission Circulars out is by
printing them yourself and having someone else mail them for you. Most bulk mailers
(people who process large volumes of mail) will normally include your 8 1/2x11
circulars in with their own mail for 2c to 4c each. You benefit from the
mailers own mailing list plus you are saved the time of mailing and processing
them.
If you have a office copier or other printing equipment that
will make copies from a camera-ready master, you’re in business. Just print as
many copies as you want, box them up and send to the mailer you select.
Commission Circulars are really a great way to help others
promote their products and bring in an income also for you. I myself
participate in 3 different commission programs, however I co-publish
publications. The only difference between them and Commission Circulars is the
fact that they are publications. You make money on any advertising ordered
through you as well as subscriptions. Advertising, printing and mailing are the
3 MOST sought after products in mail order. So naturally, I take part in the promotion of advertising.
Before participating in any Commission Circular or
Co-Publishing effort, you should always take the time to inspect the product
you are promoting. If it’s low in cost,
order it before promoting it. This way you will be able to answer questions if
potential customers call or write you about it.
If the product is more than you can afford or you don’t want
to buy it ask the dealer to send you a brochure or other information. You need
to be aware of any product or service you are promoting because it is a direct
reflection on YOUR company. Your company name is on the circular and people
will think you are the Prime Source.
Think about it this way. Suppose a shoe salesperson came to
the door without any shoes to show you. They had no brochures, no information
about their product and no knowledge of what shoes were available. Would you
make a purchase simply from a price list? Probably not! And your customer
probably won’t either. If they do happen to take the time to request more
information get it for them. Don’t toss their letter in the trash and not
answer it because you don’t know the answer. You could be throwing away a $100
order. Wouldn’t it be worth the 29c
investment?
Direct Mail Mailing Tips
If you do decide to mail your own circulars yourself because
you want to be sure they are mailed here are some tips to cut costs:
1. Be sure ALL the
circulars are printed on BOTH sides of the paper.
This way you can get 8
circulars (4 sheets of paper printed on both sides) in a standard business-size
envelope for 29c.
2. Never, never, never
put only one sheet of paper in an envelope and mail it. The person receiving it
will be confused and you will automatically be recognized as a newcomer who
loves to waste money!
3. If you choose to
include a cover letter with your direct mail, put a coupon or bonus offer at
the bottom of the letter to encourage the customer to look through your offers
and consider them.
4. Fold your circulars
in a “Z-fold” when placing them in the envelope itself. This way, as soon as
the envelope is opened the customer does not have to unfold it. Your best offer
or “eye-catcher” is looking directly at them.
5. When printing
circulars on the back of other circulars, turn one of them upside down. This
way, the order coupon for the flyers are not back-to-back and customers can
place two orders from one circular.
6. Place similar or
complementing offers in each envelope. Don’t put a hodge-podge of all kinds of
different items as this will tend to confuse the customer. A good combination
is: (a) Mailing List, (b) Stamp Program, © Printing or Typesetting, (d)
Money-Making Program.
Continually try different ideas to market your products
properly. Work on it. Make a game out of
it. Eventually you will hit upon the right combination that will literally
stuff your mailbox with orders!
No comments:
Post a Comment