Starting and Building Your Catalog Sales Business

Now--America's #1 marketer and consultant puts together the firstcomplete guide to catalog sales! Starting & Building YourCatalog Sales Business Some of America's best known and mostsuccessful businesses, such as Sears, Spiegel, L.L. Bean, andLands' End, are "catalog companies," earning a major percentage oftheir profits through catalog sales. If you're a business owner orentrepreneur, now you can do the same with the help of this book.Written by bestselling author Herman Holtz, Starting and BuildingYour Catalog Sales Business is a complete guide to catalog salesthat explains how to get started in and manage a catalog businessprofitably. Packed with anecdotes, worksheets, and examples drawnfrom successful catalog sales businesses, it explains:
* The basics of direct-mail selling and catalog sales
* The secrets to creating catalog copy that really sells
* The essential elements in the catalog mailing--including how tocreate a strong sales letter and a user-friendly order form
* How to choose and use the right mailing lists
* Managing the two essentials of the catalog business: sales volumeand pricing

What Is the "Catalog Sales" Business?

A Few Starter Ideas.

What to Sell: Finding the Right Line.

Basics of Marketing.

Marketing via Catalogs and Mail.

Writing Catalog Copy that Sells.

The Important and Necessary Elements in the Mailing.

Mailing Lists: A Critical Necessity.

Costing, Pricing, and Accounting.

What It Takes to Succeed.

Financing Your Future.

Miscellaneous Aids to Success.

Appendixes.

References.

Index.

About the author HERMAN HOLTZ is one of America's leading consulting authorities and the author of numerous bestselling books on consulting, sales, and marketing, Including How to Succeed as an Independent Consultant, The Direct Marketer's Workbook, and The Consultant's Guide to Winning Clients. Catalog sales is the most profitable way to sell in today’s booming direct-mail industry. In fact, catalog sales now represent a more than $12 billion industry. More and more small business owners and entrepreneurs are realizing the profit-making potential of this powerful selling tool. Now, with the help of this book, you can learn everything you need to know to succeed in catalog sales as well. Written by Herman Holtz, one of America’s top consultants, speakers, and bestselling authors, Starting and Building Your Catalog Sales Business shows you step by step the tricks of the trade, including:

• What types of merchandise typically sell well by catalog
• Sales, advertising, and marketing basics via catalogs and mail
• How to write catalog copy that sells
• The important and necessary elements in any catalog mailing—including how to create an effective sales letter
• What you need to know about mailing lists—where to rent them, what they cost, what kinds and categories are available, and how the list-rental business works
• What it takes to succeed—frank advice about business and the two most critical factors of business success: adequate sales volume and realistic pricing
• Plus—what you need to know about accounting, how to finance your catalog sales business, and lists of the leading renters of mailing lists, cooperative mailers, wholesale sources of supplies, and more!

Packed with anecdotes, worksheets, and examples drawn from successful catalog sales businesses, Starting and Building Your Catalog Sales Business is the starting point for anyone who wants to start up and succeed in this lucrative field. Now—America’s #1 marketer and consultant puts together the first complete guide to catalog sales! Starting & Building Your Catalog Sales Business Some of America’s best known and most successful businesses, such as Sears, Spiegel, L.L. Bean, and Lands’ End, are "catalog companies," earning a major percentage of their profits through catalog sales. If you’re a business owner or entrepreneur, now you can do the same with the help of this book. Written by bestselling author Herman Holtz, Starting and Building Your Catalog Sales Business is a complete guide to catalog sales that explains how to get started in and manage a catalog business profitably. Packed with anecdotes, worksheets, and examples drawn from successful catalog sales businesses, it explains:

• The basics of direct-mail selling and catalog sales
• The secrets to creating catalog copy that really sells
• The essential elements in the catalog mailing—including how to create a strong sales letter and a user-friendly order form
• How to choose and use the right mailing lists
• Managing the two essentials of the catalog business: sales volume and pricing