Extra Appeal

EXTRA APPEALS

Once you get rolling with your mail order business, you can try any number of incentives to solicit orders. You can offer a free gift - or free anything - certificates, coupons, fabulous prizes.

You might offer a sample, a trial period, or a special guarantee. One way to push for an order is to indicate that the supply is limited or you won't stock a certain item for long. Time limitations will elicit quicker responses. You may offer one price until a certain time and then indicate an increase after that.

A successful way to push for large orders is to offer a discount on the larger orders. That way, it is worthwhile to order two or more items - for you because it's more business and more profit in mailing and handling, and for the customer because it is at a reduced price.

What do the other mail order businesses do? What kind of incentives do they use? As always, check with the competition. What has proven successful to them probably will work for you too. What kind of 'special" offer you can make to push for larger, quicker or more frequent orders?

SATISFACTION GUARANTEED

Not only must you print a guarantee in all your ads and sales literature, but you must honor it. Never send inferior merchandise; never take a chance on faulty mailers or guess lower on postage. Deliver a complete product.

It is only through satisfied customers that you will get repeat business, and it is through repeat business that you MAKE MORE MONEY.

Don't try to get away with anything less than you promote and stand by all claims you make. Honor requests for refunds promptly and politely. A customer satisfied with your honesty remains a good buyer and may purchase from your later offers.

MAKING MORE FROM A WINNER You've got a successful product. The conversion for orders is high, refunds are low, and the draw form the classified ad is great. How can you make more money - even if you think you've saturated your market?

The easiest way to increase your inquiries is to run another ad in the same publication with a different heading. If the classified section is large, you might request one to be placed at the beginning, the other towards the end. Although several clever readers will notice the same address, it still draws a significant number of inquiries in. This technique is also good for copy testing to see which heading will draw the most response. Be sure to key each ad separately and keep accurate records.