Therefore, to start and succeed in a mail order business of your own, you need just as much, and in some cases, more business acumen than you would need in any other mode of business.

Remember too, there are good guys in mail order, and there are bad guys, just like in any other business. So, your best bet for a proper start with greatest chance for success is after a thorough investigation of products being offered and being sold; an analysis of costs involved to get a fledgling mail order operation off ground; and a good sixth sense of what your potential customers will buy. You'll need a great deal of patience, and persistence as well.

Mail order is over saturated with plans, directories, sales materials and products that have been around for ten, fifteen, twenty years and longer. Many of these materials were not that good in beginning, and yet they're still being sold as quick secrets to wealth and fame. This is part of reason for junk mail reputation of mail order.

Just a little investigation on your part will show that most successful people doing business by mail are always on alert for new products and they quickly add these products to their own sales inventories as they become available. This is a must for success rule, regardless of whether you do or don't produce your own products.

It's almost impossible to gain much success with a single product report, booklet, book or manual. The best way is to search around for a number of related products, then, after arranging dropshipping deals with suppliers of products you want to include in your listing, along with your own self-produced product, make up a catalog listing. It is best if this is a single 8 x 11 sheet of paper, printed on both sides, listing titles of reports and/or books you have available, including your own, with a tear off order coupon at bottom.

One of best programs available in mail order today is offered by Premier Publishers. This company offers you a variety of circulars, with an order coupon on bottom of each circular. At present, they can provide six different circulars, listing over 100 different low-cost reports and manuals, such as report you are reading now. The circulars are grouped according to price range and subject matter of reports described in circular. There is an open space on order coupon for you to insert your own name and address. After inserting your name, you can take or send circular to printer of your choice, and have copies printed in quantity you need. The next step is to insert these circulars, along with one of your own product circulars, in all your mailings. Premier Publishers allows you a full 50% commission on each sale of items on their circulars. They will dropship for you, keeping your customers names confidential, and in no way encroaching upon them. In addition, discounts up to 80% off retail price are available to you when you are ready to carry your own stock, and buy reports or books in quantity.

This is what you need for a money- making start in this business: a full page circular advertising your own product, plus another full page circular listing products or titles related to your primary offering. Premier Publishers advises you to send two full page circulars: one advertising your own product (if you don't have a primary product of your own, they'll furnish you with single book circulars to feature), and another advertising a list of related products or titles available to your customer.

So, you have something you want to sell. It may be a product, a service, or a cause. It could be a membership, a subscription, or a motor car. It might be paper, health products or idea that humane society or Alzheimer’s association is worth giving money to. It could be computer equipment, hand-sewn dolls clothes or garden gnomes.

Whatever it is you are selling, you need to let right people know you’re selling it. And one of most effective ways of doing that is through direct mail.

Direct mail works best if you know type of person who buys your product or service. For instance, if you sell to building contractors or pet owners you can get a targeted, personal message to them quickly.

What’s more, computers make it possible for small businesses to produce professional looking mailings at a very attractive price. They make it possible to select names from mailing lists by demographic classification, frequency of purchase or by amount of purchase. Computers allow every letter in a mailing to include name of addressee, not just salutation but several times throughout body of letter.

Here’s some tips that will help you make your campaign more effective…

Always include a letter in your mailing

This may sound obvious but many mailings only contain a brochure. This is a mistake. There’s a saying “Brochures are sent by companies, letters are sent by people.” You need a letter because a letter is personal. And because letters persuade people to buy.

Get your letterhead right

What paper, layout and design you use are very important. I recommend you steer clear of official company letterhead and design something more appropriate to your message. If you want people to telephone, make your phone number stand out. If you want them to visit your web site, do same. Your address is less important because even if you want people to reply by mail they’ll expect a reply paid envelope. Don’t put fax and telephone together – it’s confusing for people. Avoid using telephone numbers using letters such as, 1-800-OUR SHOP. If you absolutely must use this type of number make sure you place numeric number close by.

Write long letters