If you've got a mailbox, you're no doubt aware of the popularity of catalogs. People love to look through catalogs, and more important, they love to buy from catalogs. But mailing catalogs can be expensive. You've got to send a lot of them out, and many of them are going to non-productive destinations-- in other words, most mailings don't just go to sure-fire customers. On the other hand, there are lots of ways to get these powerful sales tools in front of all kinds of motivated, eager customers who want what you've got and are ready to slap some cash in your hand to get it. Catalog Distribution means exactly what it says: getting your catalogs out where they can generate orders. It isn't complicated; in fact, it's incredibly simple.
OVER 20 WAYS TO DISTRIBUTE YOUR FAR HORIZONS CATALOGS AND BROCHURES
1. Show them to friends.
2. Show them to neighbors.
3. Leave some with your dry cleaner, doughnut shop, coffee shop, laundromat, and anywhere else you're a "regular." (Offer the owner a percentage of all orders)
4. Show one to your local PTA Chairperson (you could end up with a fund-raising campaign!)
5. Take them to work, especially around the holidays.
6. Ask if you can leave one in your doctor's office. People love to browse while they wait. (Offer the receptionist a free gift in return for holding the orders for you).
7. Hand out lots of them on bowling night, or at the lodge meeting, or any type of club gathering.
8. If you're familiar with the neighborhood and feel safe, take a Sunday afternoon and go door-to-door.
9. While you're watching your child's soccer game, show catalogs to the other parents.
10. In fact, be sure to show the League Director. Again, you may end up with a lucrative fund-raising campaign.
11. If your job requires you to make deliveries to various homes or businesses, be sure to leave a catalog with the owner, receptionist, or Receiving Department official at each stop. (Again, you can offer a free gift, or even a percentage of total orders).
12. Hire a crew of kids to distribute brochures on car windshields in parking lots
13. Hire that same crew to hand out brochures at large sporting events, concerts, fairs, etc.
14. Take some with you to the beauty salon, gym, tanning salon, etc. and show them to staff and customers.
15. Ask if you can leave several catalogs in the teacher's lounges at the local schools.
16. Ask the Human Resources Directors at local companies if you can place catalogs in the employee lounge or lunchroom.
17. Approach merchants at local swap meets who are selling non-competing items. Ask if they would display your catalog and take orders, for a reasonable percentage
18. Do you have relatives living in different parts of the country? See if they would be interested in distributing catalogs using any of these methods, for a percentage, of course.
19. Make a deal with the local newspaper to insert your brochure.
20. Anytime you deliver an order, always stuff the order with additional catalogs and/or brochures.
21. At Christmas time, make a deal with the Christmas tree lots to let you distribute catalogs. Same with the pumpkin patches at Halloween.
22. Senior citizen communities are a great place to hand out catalogs. Many of the residents aren't able to get around as well as they used to, and appreciate the opportunity to shop at home. Extend a healthy discount, too; many senior citizens are on fixed incomes.
23. Many communities have Welcome Wagon services. Contact those service providers and get your catalog included in the Welcome Basket
Certainly you may come up with many more ways to successfully distribute your catalogs and brochures. Any way you come up with is fine, as long as you get your material into a prospect's hands.
Note: It's not legal to distribute sales materials by putting them into people's mailboxes.
Darren Hendricks has been involved in marketing in one form or another since 1979. He has owned or co-owned 3 successful companies. He is currently owner of Far Horizons Home Based Business Program
Is your marketing plan dull, flat, and downright boring? Is... Read More
Small & Mid Sized Business owners, have you revisited your... Read More
Are your marketing messages to Realtors® guilty of these promises?-... Read More
Use a business card as a note pad for recording... Read More
It's no secret that using a job site sign can... Read More
If recreating the old experience of subscribing to magazines by... Read More
When it comes to your marketing message, the little things... Read More
In addition to direct marketing strategies you want to be... Read More
How many Hispanic people live in the US currently. Well... Read More
Last month we looked at what you need to do... Read More
We could learn a thing or two from pro sports.Baseball... Read More
Many sales problems can be solved by improved marketing. Selling... Read More
Market, Market and then market some more. So many small... Read More
Have you ever had a conversation with a person who... Read More
Who would have thought that a three month newbie and... Read More
First I want to welcome you to part two of... Read More
Lots of people network but few reap the rewards of... Read More
Imagine having at your disposal a means to immediately inform... Read More
A simple answer to that is: Yes, Marketing Miracles happen!... Read More
Postcards are an effective way for many business owners and... Read More
Think you can't afford to hire a copywriter? Think again.... Read More
If you don't get this right, you can just forget... Read More
Today's constant bombardment of marketing messages means your materials must... Read More
Things have to change. Cross selling is not going to... Read More
We all know the importance of marketing to increase sales... Read More
The N-word! We all know the value of networking and... Read More
Wake up women (and you men too). I think we... Read More
Volunteering your services can be an excellent way to form... Read More
Is your business experiencing a summer time slump? Traditionally only... Read More
Many business owners do not understand the authenticity and validation... Read More
Have you ever gone to a networking function and seen... Read More
Wouldn't it be great to have a year where your... Read More
What is Marketing? There are many text book answers to... Read More
Postcards are an effective way for many business owners and... Read More
Your market is who you want to reach. Your customer.... Read More
First, define the end user (or ideal client) of your... Read More
Having a strong foundation enables you to build a thriving,... Read More
If you are not using flyers in your business you... Read More
Finally, Something You Learned In Math Class Makes Sense In... Read More
I have been working on a direct mail campaign for... Read More
What is a Joint Venture? A joint venture is an... Read More
As I was preparing for a presentation recently, I was... Read More
There's a secret to marketing, which is so simple, yet... Read More
For most businesses, making a sale is all important. However,... Read More
Each of these 11 marketing tips is based on a... Read More
For any business to be successful whether on or offline... Read More
Wouldn't it be great to have a year where your... Read More
If ever there was a lazy way to easy profits... Read More
Little Kids Ask Until They Get What They Want.Mom, Mom,... Read More
Inherent tensions exist between marketing and IT. This is often... Read More
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCEThe Oscars will be handed out soon, and... Read More
Regardless how small or large your budget is, there are... Read More
A step-by-step guide to creating a growth strategy... Read More
Business marketing is essential for professional services, such as consultants,... Read More
Writing an effective print ad, particularly a classified advertisement, requires... Read More
How would you use business cards for gift certificates?I asked... Read More
Is Advertising Viable?At the turn of the 20th century, department... Read More
Businesses rely on brochures as their front line in communicating... Read More
The customer is king/queen. We have all heard this mantra.... Read More
Have you ever put on a jacket you haven't worn... Read More
How to Gain your Prospective Clients' Attention and Generate the... Read More
The Rib America Festival is a fun filled family event... Read More
You're probably thinking, here we go again somebody is trying... Read More
In the international bestseller "Blink," Malcolm Gladwell explains why our... Read More
How would you like celebrities to endorse your product?Perhaps that... Read More
Use a business card as a note pad for recording... Read More
Marketing |