Catalogs are Selling Machines

by Darren Hendricks

Published on this site: June 23rd, 2005 - See more articles from this month...

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 businesses. He currently owns Far Horizons Gifts & Decor http://far-horizons.biz and Far Horizons Home Based Business Program http://far-horizons.info