3703

HOW AND WHERE TO ADVERTISE

More than anything else, the key to success in business depends

on how and where to advertise. You must advertise or forever

remain unknown. If you have "the better mousetrap," you have to

let people know about it, or your ideas and efforts will come to

nothing.

Everybody seemingly has an idea for a product, a service or a

"how to" manual of some kind. Many people spend half of their

lives perfecting a product, learning how to perform a special

service, or writing a book--only to end up penniless and

heartbroken because "no one beats a path to their door" to buy

whatever it is they are trying to sell.

In most cases, it's a matter of whether you want to "go down in

history" as just another inventor, hard-worker, author or want to

"sell a product and enjoy the rewards."

Always do some basic common sense product analysis and market

research before you begin building, learning or putting together

something you want people to buy. The same kind of "research'

will save your time, frustration, and money, if you apply the

same principles to every "selling opportunity" that arouses your

interest.

Make a check list of questions that must be answered before you

embark upon any project or get too deeply involved in any selling

situation. Such a checklist should answer the following

questions:

1) Who will I sell it to?

2) Do these people really want, and need it?

3) How large is the market?

4) How will I reach these people and get them to buy?

5) Is anyone else selling a similar product, service or book?

6) What makes my product and strategies different?

7) Can I supply the product at a price the customer will pay, and

still make a profit for myself?

8) How much time, effort and money will I have to invest in order

to reach my profit goals?

9) Do i have the resources, and the stamina to carry this idea

thru to success?

Once you've answered these questions--completed this bit of basic

product analysis and market research--then you can start planning

exactly how you intend to sell it, and map out your advertising

strategy from there. You'll find success in selling effort, much

easier, and much more profitable, if you honestly and objectively

answer these "check list" questions before you begin.

It's absolutely imperative that you analyze the product, and

profile your prospective customer--the saleability of your

product, and the demand for such a product by the people you want

to buy. One other thing, don't ever overlook or "poo pah" your

real and/or imagined competition.

When people neglect to analyze the product, and answer the basic

research questions, they're almost certainly doomed to failure.

these are precisely the reasons for failure almongst people who

attempt to start a mail order business. We literally get tons of

mail order offers for products that are losers; and even offers

from people trying to sell us our own material and/or related

items which we can buy at wholesale prices.

When Sears & Roebuck send out a new catalog or sales circular, do

you "really" think they send one to Montgomery Ward? Another

thing, this "we're all friends and in the same business, so you

buy from me and I'll buy from you" philosophy may keep you busy

and you mailbox full, but it'll never results in profits on your

P&L sheet. Advertise in the media that reaches your buyers, and

send your direct mail materials to people likely to but--not

sellers.

Remember, your first task is to determine who your most likely

customers are, and then design your advertising campaign to reach

those specific people. Generally, you wouldn't try to sell

pantyhose with an ad in a care care magazine, or socket wrenches

with an ad in a magazine for bride-to-be.

In other words, design your advertisements to appeal to "your

kind of customer,"--send $5 for our report on HOW TO WRITE ORDER

PULLING ADS--and then, place these advertisements in the

publications these people buy and read. If you're selling gift

items, crafts and other merchandise, advertise in those kinds of

publications--general merchandise catalogs catering to that kind

of buyer. If you're wanting to recruit sales people, dealers and

distributors, place your ads in publications reaching people

looking for these kinds of opportunities.

I don't recommend that you begin, or attempt to launch your

business via direct mail, but when the time comes for you to

expand into direct mail, be discriminate--select mailing lists

for your type of customer. Do-it yourselfers for shop tools,

cosmetics buyers for jewelry and self adornment merchandise,

how-to-book buyers for your crafts, hobbies and self-improvement

books, opportunity seekers for business start-up manuals, and

proven advertisers for your publications.

So, when you read in a business success article that you should

place your ad in publications carrying similar ads--the advice

given is "place your ads in publications reaching your kind of

buyer." Just because it's a publication reaching mail order

people and you're selling imported gift items by mail, doesn't

mean your ad will pull from exposure in that publication. Always

add one more answer: Does it reach a large number of the type of

buyers I'm selling to?

Definitely, this is where many mail order entrepreneurs go wrong,

and very definitely, this is the fallacy of advertising in the

M/O ad sheets. Analyzing the type of people a publication

reaches; and the loyalty as well as true interest of a

publication's readers; and then determining whether or no they'll

respond to your ad, is easy if you will just ask yourself a few

common sense questions.

Mail Order Ad Sheet: These reach beginning and small mail order

dealers...Their appeal is largely egotistical to see the

advertiser's name/ad in print--read by other mail order dealers

to see who is advertising, what's be advertised, and for the

accumulation or compiling mail lists. very little if any response

for the recipients who are looking, not for things to buy, but

for shortcuts to more profits.

Mail Order Tab Sheets: These reach basically the same audience as

the M/O Ad Sheets...Generally more appealing because of the

"instructional" articles and greater space devoted to mentioning

who's doing what/names in print & free publicity. Rate these

according to the "information" being passed along in articles.

Usually, these publications pull a greater response than the ad

sheets, but still, they're largest audience is one made up of

sellers.

Mail Order Dealer Catalogs: These reach the mail order dealers,

plus a very large segment of specific buyers--generally related

to the overall kind of merchandise offered within the catalog.

Unless there are "business building" articles, the recipients

generally toss them aside after a quick glance...These are very

good showcases for your dealer/distributor ads, and if it's an

"established" merchandise catalog of the kind of product you're

selling, these catalogs can be very good advertising outlets for

you...

Extra Income Magazines, such as Money Making Magic, Venture and

Entrepreneur: These publications individually reach a very loyal

basic subscriber list, most of the people wanting or hoping to

get started with, or already involved in a sparetime extra income

project, and tremendously large number of "first time" readers

with each issue. Look for, and rate them according to the balance

of actual "business building" articles they carry, in

relationship to their advertising--and overall, according to the

quality of the publication as well as the audience each trying to

reach--do the articles really help you, or are they "publicity

write-ups" for the advertisers... You'll find that these

magazines are retained, and referred to by the recipients for

years...In almost every case, you can expect a good response from

your ads placed in one of these magazines--provided you've got a

good ad and it's geared to the readers of that particular

magazine.

Remember: The bottom line is knowing your type of

buyer--presenting your product or opportunity in a style that

appeals especially to that type of buyer--and then placing your

ad in the publication reaching your kind of a buyer.

Cooking magazines for recipes; mechanical opportunity in the

mechanics magazines; self-improvement books and merchandise in

general merchandise catalogs; and income opportunities in

business-building, self-help magazines such as Money Making

Magic!

Besides matching the profile of your customer with the

demographics of the publication, it's also important that you

match your selling prices within the average price range of

everything else offered in that publication. Running an ad to

sell a book at $65 in a publication featuring $20 books, probably

won't pull for you. By the same toke, any ads attempting to

promote "re-production type" reports in a magazine selling $50

books, probably won't bring very many responses for you either.

To achieve success--know your product, profile your prospective

buyer, design advertising that appeals to the self interest of

that specific kind of buyer; and place your ads in publications

reaching those kinds of buyers. If you're trying to sell by

direct mail, send your offers to prospective buyers--not sellers

of the same type of materials you're attempting to sell.

Very few people recognize a legitimate opportunity, even when you

hit then over the head with it--even so, unless you've got

something REALLY NEW, and a deal that really is THE OPPORTUNITY

OF A LIFETIME, save your money and don't try to push your program

onto other mail order dealers who may already be selling it.

Assuming that you "know" your typical customer, and the best

media to reach this kind of customer, the next step is putting

your ad together. It's said millions of times before, but it's

important that you UNDERSTAND, and REMEMBER: Your ad MUST appeal

to the self-interest of your prospect. It must somehow be

different, and better, than all the others, particularly if your

product is being advertised in the same publication by other mail

order dealers.

Nothing beats originality. Write your ads from a different angle.

Lead off with the answer to every customer's most important

question: What will I get if I send in my money?

Use words to paint pictures of success, wealth and happiness.

Eliminate the customer's fears of being taken or ripped off.

Picture yourself in your prospective customer's shoes, and give

him real reasons to send his money to you. And finally, make it

easy for him to order--call toll free; use your bank card; order

now and we'll bill you later; self-addressed envelope.

Don't be too determined to sell your primary product from your

ad. Chances are, if it's as good as you say it is, and you really

want to make big profits, you should use a sales letter 4-or more

pages in length. Consider a "leader" item, and run an ad such as

this: FREE RAGS TO RICHES MAIL ORDER OPPORTUNITY guide! Send your

name, address, zip code & two first class stamps.

Then in response to all takers of this Free Offer, include the

complete sales letter, brochure, order form, and self-addressed

return reply envelope with the booklet you send out. Using this 2

step method, some people have attained 60 and 70 percent sales

for their primary product.

Another angle? FREE BOOK! Mail Order Millions From A Shoestring

Beginning! Send your name, address, and zip code, along with $1

for shipping and handling.

In response, you send out the book and a sales letter inviting

the recipient to avail himself of your mail order business

consulting services.

Again, the rules are: Determine who you want for a customer. Get

his undivided attention, and then sell your product or service.

Simple, easy, and it works every time. All it takes is a little

bit of common sense on your part!

A small, inexpensive classified ad offering a "most wanted"

leader item, followed up with a dynamic sales letter...and your

success is virtually guaranteed! As a means to an end,

particularly if you're wanting to enlist people to sell your

product for you-

Start an ad sheet--run exchange with every ad sheet publisher in

the country--there are literally thousands of them. (Send $1 for

our listing of mail order publications...)

But, instead of running ads to promote your ad sheet, run your

"leader item" offer and follow up with your sales letter on your

primary product. From this, you'll get fantastic FREE exposure;

inquires from people you can actually sell to; and the virtual

"no-cost" establishment of a nationwide sales force to promote

your business.

Do chain letters really work? In no way, form or fashion! But,

this method of running your "leader item" ad as an exchanged ad,

will work--and besides, it's legal! The end result will be what

the chain letter promoters are promising you--People all over the

country promoting and selling your business for you.

You can't do it all by yourself. You must multiply yourself--get

other people to help you, and present your product offer to as

many potential customers as possible. And so long as you're

working from a limited budget, there's no way on this green earth

you can afford the kind of advertising costs necessary for

overnight success! Send $5 for our report, HOW TO BUILD A

NATIONWIDE DEALER AND/OR DISTRIBUTOR NETWORK.

Finally, comes the moment of truth. Do you have what it

takes--the ability to go on studying, learning, and adapting--the

dedication and the stamina to last thru to the kind of success

you want?

It's important that you do your homework--product analysis and

market research--the rest is merely common sense. You've got it,

now use it! For sure, it won't be easy work ahead, and lots of

comprehension required--but you CAN do it, and the end result

will be well worth the investment. After all, what have you got

to lose but a try at total success?

From here on out, the ball is in your court and investment of

some kind of action on your part is required...

PUBLICATIONS TO PERUSE AS ADVERTISING SHOWCASES...

Money Making Magic

722 NE Paloma Ave.

Gresham, OR 97030

Grier's Almanac

1824 Northeast Freeway

Atlanta, GA 30329

Woman's Day

1515 Broadway

New York, NY 10036

American Rifleman

1600 Rhode Island Ave, NW

Washington, DC 20036

Camping Journal

229 Park Avenue South

New York, NY 10003

Field & Stream

383 Madison Avenue

New York, NY 10017

Hi-Fi Stereo Review

One Park Avenue

New York, NY 10016

Frontier Times

PO Box 3338

Austin, TX 78764

Grit

208 West Third St.

Williamsport, PA 17701

Workbasket

4251 Pennsylvania Ave.

Kansas City, MO 64111

Bowling Journal

1825 N Lincoln Place

Chicago, IL 60614

Coin World

911 Vandemark Road

Sidney, OH 45365

Furniture

229 Park Avenue South

New York, NY 1003

Mechanix Illustrated

1515 Broadway

New York, NY 10036