Selling Personal Expressions Products Through Mail Order

By Stephen Bucaro

Some people are catalog junkies; they read catalogs like magazines. Make the information and images in your catalog interesting and people will study every detail. Tempt the reader and urge them to respond by ordering immediately.

To market by mail order, you need to create an "offer". An offer has five parts:

1. The Product or Service offered.
2. An Incentive.
3. Any Warranties or Guarantees.
4. The Price and Terms.
5. The Advertising Media.

Your offer should describe the features of the product. Features are the characteristics or the specification of the product. More important than the features are the benefits the product will provide for the customer. The most powerful benefits are the emotional benefits that the customer will receive from the product. To determine the benefits, answer the customer's question "what's in it for me?". Some customers are more responsive to information directed toward what they will miss out on if they don't purchase the product.

You can be very creative in designing incentives. Below are some incentive ideas.

1. A sale price with a limited time.
2. A discount for purchasing a larger quantity.
3. A Free gift product or information.
4. The customer may choose a free gift.
5. More free gifts for larger purchase.

An "Unlimited Complete Satisfaction Money-Back Guarantee" can be very effective in increasing orders because it reduces the customers risk to nothing more than shipping the product back if he doesn't like it. Most people will not bother to return an item, even if they are not completely satisfied. However, there are a large number of people who make a game out of seeing how much material they can receive, enjoy, and then return for their money back.

A guarantee may have conditions and stipulations. Below are some conditions you should consider placing in your guarantee.

1. A time limit. Usually between 30 and 90 days, but can be as long as one year or more.
2. A guarantee of performance. The customer must identify a specific point upon which the product does not perform as advertised.
3. A return condition requirement. The customer is required to return the product in good condition.

A guarantee seems stronger if it is printed in a script font, framed with a border, and/or adorned with a seal.

The terms of payment may include cash, check, and/or credit card. Additional options allow a trial period, delayed payment, or installment payments.

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