Catalog Tips For Business-To-Business Direct Mail Marketers
Can your business sell its products to other businesses using a mail-order \r catalog? Probably. And make a profit? Maybe, as long as you follow some proven \r guidelines. Here are a few of them.
\r Niche and grow rich
\r Your catalog needs to fill a specific void in the market. All of the \r successful business-to-business (B2B) catalogs target a narrow slice of a larger \r market. In the home workshop marketplace, U.S. General Supply sells tools, nuts \r and bolts. In the business products marketplace, Chiswick sells packaging \r supplies. If you try to produce a catalog that sells everything to everyone, you \r will sell nothing to anyone. You need a niche.
\r One way to niche
\r If your current catalog sells many products to many audiences, consider \r producing a mini-catalog that sells just one line of products (laptops, for \r example) or that sells multiple products to just one audience (laptops, desktops \r and servers to banks, for example.
\r Target the decision makers
\r In B2B catalog sales, you are often selling to more than one person. Often, \r someone influences the buying decision, another person authorizes the purchase \r and yet another person places the order. Make sure your copy meets the unique \r needs of each audience that your catalog must reach.
\r Use even prices to suggest premium quality
\r Murray Raphel, in the book 2,239 Tested Secrets for Direct Marketing \r Success, says even prices suggest higher quality. I agree. You dont \r increase sales of a $10,000 automated payroll system by offering it for $9,995.
\r Make it a keeper
\r Add how-to articles, editorial features, industry news, user tips and other \r helpful information throughout your catalog to give it added value as a \r reference guideone that customers keep longer.
\r Keep it fresh
\r Prevent prospects from thinking that your latest catalog is the same as the \r old one they already have. Change your cover graphics with each new catalog, and \r display a prominent banner that says 38 New Products or 10 More Pages or \r something similar.
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\r About the author
\r Alan Sharpe is a business-to-business direct mail copywriter and lead generation specialist who helps business owners and marketing managers generate leads, close sales and retain customers using business-to-business direct mail marketing. Learn more about his creative direct mail writing services and sign up for free weekly tips like this at http://www.sharpecopy.com.
2005 Sharpe Copy Inc. You may reprint this article online and in print provided the links remain live and the content remains unaltered (including the \"About the author\" message).
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