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How To Achieve Excellence In Sales

Most people are always striving to better themselves. It's the
" American Way". For proof, check the sales figures on the
number of self-improvement books sold each year. This is not a pitch for you to jump in and start selling these kinds of books, but it is a indication of people's awareness that in order to better themselves, they have to continue improving their personal selling abilities.

To excel in any selling situation, you must have confidence, and confidence comes, first and foremost, from knowledge. You have to know and understand yourself and your goals. You have to recognize and accept your weaknesses as well as your special talents. This requires a kind of personal honesty that not
everyone is capable of exercising.

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In addition to knowing yourself, you must continue learning about people. Just as with yourself, you must be caring, forgiving and laudatory with others. In any sales effort, you must accept other people as they are, not as you would like for them to be. One of the most common faults of sales people is impatience when the prospective customer is slow to understand or make a decision. The successful salesperson handles thesesituations the same as he would if he were asking a girl for a date, or even applying for a new job.

Learning your product, making a clear presentation to qualified prospects, and closing more sales will take a lot less time once you know your own capabilities and failings, and understand and care about the prospects you are calling upon.

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Our society is predicated upon selling, and all of us are
selling something all the time. We move up or stand still in direct relation to our sales efforts. Everyone is included,
whether we're attempting to be a friend to a co-worker, a
neighbor, or selling multi-million dollar real estate projects. Accepting these facts will enable you to understand that there is no such thing as a born salesman. Indeed, in selling, we all
begin at the same starting line, and we all have the same finish line as the goal - a successful sale.

Most assuredly, anyone can sell anything to anybody. As a qualification to this statement, let us say that some things are easier to sell than others, and some people work harder at selling than others. But regardless of what you're selling, or
even how you're attempting to sell it, the odds are in your favor. If you make your presentation to enough people, you'll find a buyer. The problem with most people seems to be in making contact - getting their sales presentation seen by, read by, or heard by enough people. But this really shouldn't be a problem, as we'll explain later. There is a problem of impatience, but this too can be harnessed to work in the salesperson's favor.

We have established that we're all sales people in one way or another. So whether we're attempting to move up from forklift driver to warehouse manager, waitress to hostess, salesman tosales manager or from mail order dealer to president of the largest sales organization in the world, it's vitally important that we continue learning.

Getting up out of bed in the morning; doing what has to be done in order to sell more units of your product; keeping records,updating your materials; planning the direction of further sales efforts; and all the while increasing your own knowledge---all
this very definitely requires a great deal of personal
motivation, discipline, and energy. But then the rewards can be beyond your wildest dreams, for make no mistake about it, the selling profession is the highest paid occupation in the world!

Selling is challenging. It demands the utmost of your
creativity and innovative thinking. The more success you want, and the more dedicated you are to achieving your goals, the more you'll sell. Hundreds of people the world over become millionaires each month through selling. Many of them were flat broke and unable to find a "regular" job when they began their
selling careers. Yet they've done it, and you can do it too!

Remember, it's the surest way to all the wealth you could ever want. You get paid according to your own efforts, skill, and knowledge of people. If you're ready to become rich, then think
seriously about selling a product or service (preferably
something exclusively yours) - something that you "pull out of your brain"; something that you write, manufacture or produce for the benefit of other people. But failing this, the want ads are full of opportunities for ambitious sales people. You can start there, study, learn from experience, and watch for the chance that will allow you to move ahead by leaps and bounds.

Here are some guidelines that will definitely improve your grosssales, and quite naturally, your gross income. I like to call them the Strategic Salesmanship Commandments. Look them over;give some thought to each of them; and adapt those that you can to your own selling efforts.

1. If the product you're selling is something your prospect can hold in his hands, get it into his hands as quickly as possible.In other words, get the prospect "into the act". Let him feel it, weigh it, admire it.

2. Don't stand or sit alongside your prospect. Instead, face
him while you're pointing out the important advantages of your product. This will enable you to watch his facial expressions and determine whether and when you should go for the close. In handling sales literature, hold it by the top of the page, at the proper angle, so that your prospect can read it as you're highlighting the important points.

Regarding your sales literature, don't release your hold on it,because you want to control the specific parts you want the prospect to read. In other words, you want the prospect to read or see only the parts of the sales material you're telling him about at a given time.

3. With prospects who won't talk with you: When you can get no feedback to yours sales presentation, you must dramatize your presentation to get him involved. Stop and ask questions such as, "Now, don't you agree that this product can help you or
would be of benefit to you?" After you've asked a question such as this, stop talking and wait for the prospect to answer. It's a proven fact that following such a question, the one who talks first will lose, so don't say anything until after the prospect has given you some kind of answer. Wait him out!

4. Prospects who are themselves sales people, and prospects who imagine they know a lot about selling sometimes present
difficult selling obstacles, especially for the novice. But
believe me, these prospects can be the easiest of all to sell.
Simply give your sales presentation, and instead of trying for a close, toss out a challenge such as, "I don't know, Mr.
Prospect - after watching your reactions to what I've been
showing and telling you about my product, I'm very doubtful as to how this product can truthfully be of benefit to you".

Then wait a few seconds, just looking at him and waiting for him to say something. Then, start packing up your sales materials as if you are about to leave. In almost every instance, your " tough nut" will quickly ask you, Why? These people are
generally so filled with their own importance, that they just have to prove you wrong. When they start on this tangent, they will sell themselves. The more skeptical you are relative to their ability to make your product work to their benefit, the more they'll demand that you sell it to them.

If you find that this prospect will not rise to your challenge,
then go ahead with the packing of your sales materials and leave quickly. Some people are so convinced of their own importance that it is a poor use of your valuable time to attempt to convince them.

5. Remember that in selling, time is money! Therefore, you must allocate only so much time to each prospect. The prospect who asks you to call back next week, or wants to ramble on about similar products, prices or previous experiences, is costing you money. Learn to quickly get your prospect interested in, and wanting your product, and then systematically present your sales pitch through to the close, when he signs on the dotted line, and reaches for his checkbook.

After the introductory call on your prospect, you should be selling products and collecting money. Any callbacks should be only for reorders, or to sell him related products from your
line. In other words, you can waste an introductory call on a prospect to qualify him, but you're going to be wasting money if you continue calling on him to sell him the first unit of your product. When faced with a reply such as, "Your product looks pretty good, but I'll have to give some thought", you should
quickly jump in and ask him what specifically about your product does he feel he needs to give more thought. Let him explain, and that's when you go back into your sales presentation and make everything crystal clear for him. If he still balks, then you can either tell him that you think he product will really benefit him, or it's purchase be to his benefit.

You must spend as much time as possible calling on new
prospects. Therefore, your first call should be a selling call
with follow-up calls by mail or telephone (once every month or so in person) to sign him for re-orders and other items from your product line.

6. Review your sales presentation, your sales materials, and your prospecting efforts. Make sure you have a "door-opener" that arouses interest and "forces" a purchase the first time around. This can be a $2 interest stimulator so that you canshow him your full line, or a special marked-down price on an
item that everybody wants; but the important thing is to getthe prospect on your "buying customer" list, and then follow up
via mail or telephone with related, but more profitable products you have to offer.

If you accept our statement that there are no born salesmen, you can readily absorb these "commandments". Study them, as well as all the material in this report. When you realize your first
successes, you will truly know that "salesmen are MADE - not born".

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HOW TO SELL INFORMATION BY MAIL

Selling information by mail is one of the most profitable business operations in this country today. And you can start a small business for yourself - and make it flourish.
You don't have to be a writer or have experience in running a business. All the steps in setting up a mail order business for yourself are simple, easy to follow, and may reap a steady second income for you - even building up to a highly profitable full-time enterprise. Tired of reporting to work every day? Frustrated that you can't afford the extras that you want from life? The advantages of your own business are endless, but most of all, you have a feeling of accomplishment and fulfillment, as you help other people acquire the knowledge they want - and will pay for.
You don't need to give up anything. All the tips given in the following pages require minimum expense, can be done at home, and need only a small - but constant - amount of your time.
What you do need is the desire to MAKE IT WORK. If you have perseverance to follow through, and the discipline to complete each of the steps, then youÕre well on your way to creating something special for yourself.
WHY SELL INFORMATION?
Bookstores nowadays cater only to mass market books and paperbacks; record stores carry only popular recording artists. Where can you get information on a specific topic? Even specialized magazines are limited in their scope and the information they cover.
You can order items by mail in the safety and privacy of your own home. You don't have to shop around at the stores, wasting time and gasoline. And, you have a direct connection with the seller of the information, often being able to write specific questions and getting feedback - especially with newsletters and courses.
Mail order at home provides a HIGH PROFIT MARGIN. Producing written or recorded information is inexpensive compared to the price you can receive. You can operate with a low overhead, the business is simple to run, and there is no middle seller. Checks come DIRECTLY TO YOU.
WHAT CAN I SELL?
Successful people achieve because they know something special. And specialized knowledge and "how to" are the most sought-after types of information successfully sold by mail order.
There is an endless need for specialized information that you probably have on hand - or can easily obtain. It offers the inside knowledge and ideas that many people see, but you donÕt have to be an expert to produce and sell that information.
Specialized information may be anything from a favorite set of recipes to a list of the fastest horse tracks in the country. It can include places to visit, such as back roads, country inns or fine restaurants in an area. Or it can be reliable sources for special goods, and tidbits of informa-tion about a special subject.
" How to" can be anything from making cornhusk dolls to finding a good place for camping and hiking. It can be plans, instructions or tips on how to make something, or find a special place, or achieve a special goal. It may pertain to sports, hobbies and self-improvement. Or it may relate directly to the hundreds of specialty publications such as skiing, decorating or writing songs.
YOU HAVE IMAGINATION
Information is not limited to books and cassettes. It comes in many forms. Something sold for a little money and only a few pages might be plans or directions. A short piece (up to 50 pages) may be a report, manual, folio or pamphlet.
Later, if you get into multiple printing, photo illustrations, and many items to offer, you might produce brochures, catalogs, booklets or directories.
If you're really good at what you do, you might even start a newsletter or correspondence course, both of which can earn a great deal of money and provide ongoing income for years.
Think about what you might have to offer, and how much commitment you want to make. Maybe you want to prepare a short report, make a few photocopies and test the results. Or maybe you are prepared for a larger project such as a book or a series of cassettes.
YOU KNOW SOMETHING SPECIAL
Because your life is unique, you have knowledge and experience that is helpful to others. You have encountered and accomplished thousands of tasks that you have taught to friends, children or work associates. What's sometimes hard for another person might be easy for you, and that's why you've lent a helping hand.
It is this information, this SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE that sells at a large profit.
What have you taken a special interest in? You probably do several unusual things well. Do you know how to make something that relatives think is great? Have you read about a specific subject for years - as a pet interest? Maybe there's something that you would like to look into, find out about, and share - something that other people are looking into too.
Stuck for an idea? You can generate your own ideas. Think about what you could write about as you go through your day. You know something special at work. You may cook a delicious recipe. You may know how to fix things easily.
Look through magazine racks and bookstores for ideas. There's always something you "always wanted to know about." Try the library and the yellow pages for sources. Talk to your family and friends. Encourage yourself.
WHO WILL BUY?
Take a look in the classified ads section of your favorite magazines and tabloids. What kind of information is offered? Watch the repeats. Ads which offer the same materials month after month are winners.
You can be a winner too. You can easily produce and sell information in the form of short reports or longer booklets and make the same profit as these others.
Take a look at the price. Invest a little and write away for some of the materials similar to what you want to do. What do you like? What would you avoid?
Analyze your potential customer. What does that person expect? The same as you. You are a perfect example of your own customer. And, although you're willing to pay for special information that's inexpensive to reproduce, you expect YOUR MONEY'S WORTH.
That's what makes repeat business and turns potential into real money.
YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY
Your enthusiasm will show. The amount of pleasure you get from the topic will come through the pages of the report. Go ahead - be creative. But get the facts straight. Write what you know about. It must be original and unique. You should have something different to offer, something important to say, especially if you write about a well-known subject.
PREPARING A MANUSCRIPT IS EASY
After you have chosen a topic and decided on the approximate length, now what? You don't need to become a world authority on your subject, but you must research it.
Read several booklets or reports similar in format and subject matter. Compare the type of information and the depth of research. You might want to subscribe to the magazines pertaining to the topic (you may already). And, of course, talk to others who can give you input.
Keep moving. You can begin writing as you research so you don't get caught in the bog of details. Prepare a basic outline or a list of the points you wish to cover, and write them out.
You can write. Don't be afraid - you have no one grading you. You have the ability to put ideas down on paper in a logical sequence that makes sense to other people. That's it. It is that easy.
CAN SOMEBODY HELP?
At any stage of the writing process you can hire somebody to help. A "ghostwriter" can prepare manuscript from your idea and outline. An editor can polish even the roughest copy into full, complete prose. Even a good typist can take rough copy, punctuate it, and make it more readable.
All of these people can be found by placing a small ad in the newspaper or from the classifieds in writers' magazines. You'd be surprised - it doesn't cost that much and you won't have to agonize over the manuscript.
TIPS ON WRITING
If you can write a letter, you can write a short report. In fact, that's the best attitude - as though you're writing to a friend. Because what you offer is basically sound, friendly advice or instructions in the form of information.
But be careful to always assume the basic intelligence of your reader - donÕt talk down. Although you are giving someone new information, that person can - and usually does - know a great deal about the subject.
The best writing is clear, easy to read, and follows an understandable sequence. Be careful not to meander or repeat. Each idea or separate point should have a beginning, a middle, and an end.
Use subheads to break up the blocks of writing and write short paragraphs and simple sentences. This is not a contest for best prose, but be sure to use the basic rules of grammar and punctuation.
Since you can't re-person understanding your drawing
of plans, chart or graph, talk about what it means. Be sure to include helpful information, tips, or any keys to reading illustrations. Again, you don't have to be an artist to draw a simple "stick figure" picture, as long as it's clear and explains what you want to convey.
You must have something to say. Reread your manuscript and scrutinize it to be sure you have something valuable to offer. That's a basic key to success in selling information.
The standard manuscript form is typed, double space with side and top margins of about 1 1/2 inches and at least a one inch margin at the bottom. If you are not an expert typist or don't have an excellent quality typewriter, hire someone to complete the finished copy. It's not expensive and is absolutely necessary, since THAT IS YOUR PROD-UCT.
GO SLOWLY AT FIRST
You have your manuscript and you're ready for printing. Don't go to the expense of professional volume printing-not yet. Investigate your local "instant press" printers. Photo offset is a very inexpensive and efficient way to reproduce copies from several hundred to several thousand.
If you want to test a few dozen at first, even photocopies are reasonable in price. Since you have a clean manuscript, the copies will be clear and easy to read - a product to be proud of.
WHAT ABOUT CASSETTES?
Prerecorded cassettes are an excellent way to sell information by mail. And there's a large profit in these too! Drivers listen to cassettes while commuting and sales managers use them to follow up on seminars and meetings. With all the sound equipment available and in use today, recorded information is in great demand.
You'd be surprised how inexpensive it is to record and mass duplicate cassettes for your business of selling information. First, you must have a prepared manuscript to read from, and you should get someone with a pleasant speaking voice to do the actual recording.
Because you need only the speaking quality recording tape, you can purchase cassettes in quantity at a very low price. Cassettes are available from bulk loading companies in any length to match the exact minutes of recorded information. That way there's no blank tape at the end, which is amateur and wastes money.
You can use a good tape recorder at home to record your information, but it should have a clear, excellent sound, with no static or interference. Of course, be sure to eliminate background noises that will detract from the recording. Remember, this is a business, and your product must be high quality. Later, when the orders roll in, you can go into a recording studio to produce the finest quality recording.
High speed duplicating services will mass produce tapes for you at a very reasonable price. Investigate quality and compare costs before you commit yourself.
Like printed matter, cassettes are easily mailed. You should purchase cases to go with the cassettes that are being sent out. Later you can even have cassette insert cards printed up to achieve a fine looking product.
HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF
To protect your rights against anyone else using what you've published, you copyright the material. Both printed and recorded materials can be copyrighted.
Don't worry about unpublished manuscripts - they are protected against unauthorized copying. But as soon as you send information out to the public, it is in public domain unless it carries a copyright notice.
The notice may appear in one of three forms: the word "copyright"; "copr." or the symbol ©. It must appear on the title page or the page immediately following the title page and must include the name of the owner and the year date it was published.
Once you publish your work, send two copies with the proper applications and fees to the U.S. Government Library of Congress. This will insure the copyright.
For information, write to the Register of Copyrights, The Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20559.
RUNNING THE BUSINESS
The best thing about the information selling business is that it requires so little to start and maintain. You need only a small portion of your home to work in - with a work surface and a few common stationery supplies.
Do you want to use your own name or create a company name Both have advantages that can work for you, but it's essentially what feels right. If you choose a company name, check the state laws to be sure you comply with any registration necessary.
If you are thinking about using a post office box number instead of your own address, don't. Because of the number of mail order frauds and the buyersÕ general skepticism, a street address offers a real place with a real person living there rather than a fly-by-night post box operation.
You'll need sharp looking letterhead stationery, envelopes and mailing labels. And, you don't have to spend a fortune for elaborate printing on high quality paper. If you have any artistic ability, you can create your own logo and type with press-on type available at art stores.
You don't need to have a drawing for your logo - simply the first letter of your last name or the initials of the company will do. A local printer can advise you about the different type styles available for letterhead.
Be cautious when you order the letterhead and check the price differences before you go ahead. There is a large difference among grades of paper and added copies for using a color rather than black or for using two colors. Embossing costs more, as do special sizes of envelopes.
Stick with standard sizes and clear, standard type styles. Using a paper with a slight tint to it with black type gives the illusion of two color printing and looks smart.
Photo offset printers can produce five hundred to a thousand sheets of clean printing for little cost if you supply the finished prototype.
As you get rolling in the business, you will find a high quality postal scale and meter can save you postage costs and the extra trips to the post office.
Books and printed matter can be mailed at a special postal rate. Each order should be marked: Special 4th Class Book Rate. However, for light materials, a few cents more for extra postage for first class may be worth it to fulfill a prompt response.
SELLING WHOLESALE
You don't have to publish your own writing or ideas to run a profitable information selling business. It's easy to make a connection with the many wholesale book companies distributing by mail. Often these wholesale booksellers can supply catalogs, or at least supply basic copy for you to make your own.
You can also distribute someone else's materials. Of course, you have to pay royalties, but there's no overhead in preparation.
Remainder lots of books are available from major publishers. Don't worry if these books didn't sell in the bookstores. HOW you market the books is as important as what is in them. These publishers usually dictate the retail cost of the books, but you can get a tidy fifty percent mark-up.
Don't try to sell books wholesale blindly. You should know a bit about your lists - the people you try to sell to. The best way to get into selling other publications is to first establish your own list, and then offer books, reports, and catalogs of materials related in subject matter.
JUST TESTING
Classified ads, display ads and direct mail offers are the ways to sell your information by mail. Since you haven't gone through the expense of mass producing your materials, you can gamble a little on the type of advertising you want to do.
How can you tell if your materials will sell? You run test ads, check the results, and analyze what kid of draw or appeal there is for your product. Then you analyze the response to the actual product. Were many sent back for refunds? Did you get a high percentage of orders from specific ads?
To calculate a successful test, you need to figure the percentage of response for you to break even, to profit, and to profit greatly. Go ahead - dream. BELIEVE IT WILL HAPPEN - and you will profit.
Some of the things tested for are price, the type of publication, and the ad appeal. Successful ads in one publication can be used for another. If an ad doesn't seem to work, reword it and try again. It is only through testing that you will know your products' appeal. The actual results will give you an indication of how much of one item will sell.
Don't get discouraged. You need persistence to continue testing and running inexpensive ads. Successful people win more often because they STAY IN THE GAME.
RUNNING CLASSIFIEDS
Have you looked at all the magazines that cater to your subject? Choose the type of publication whose readers have demonstrated the same interests as your materials offer. The product must appeal to hundreds of readers of these publications.
Check the ads for similar materials. How long have they been running? Be prepared to run your ad for months. Often a big draw doesn't happen until the second, third or fourth repeat.
Apply caution if you are trying for a big audience with a large dIstribution publication-your product might not have a mass appeal, and it may cost more to advertise in a larger circulation magazine. On the other hand, small local publications have only a limited draw for specialized information - unless it is regional.
The best way to sell your information by mail is in a two-step approach. Few items are bought directly from a short ad with a large price, but there's a high response on things for free.
Place a short, inexpensive ad in the classifieds section of the publication you choose. The ad should be to the point, accurate to the type of information, and enticing. You might point out some benefit the reader would get, such as earning extra money or learning a special secret. Include a few words about "free details," or "write for free information."
These ads - called leader classifieds - help build sound customer lists for continued returns and a solid establishment of your business.
If you place different ads in several magazines, or under different headings, how can you tell where the response came from? You include a code in the address. This is called keying the address.
You should always include a complete, unabbreviated name and address in the classified ad. In the company name or in the street address, you place your key that indicates which magazine the ad was placed, and in which issue. Usually, keys come in the form of division, department or suite numbers. The easiest keys simply substitute one letter for the name of the publication and a number to indicate which month the ad appeared.
Once you get inquiries from the classified ads, you send your pitch - a printed sales letter or brochure. You can have a one-page description of your product which includes an order form, or you can be more elaborate and produce a sales package. But it is this conversion - from inquiry to order - that will MAKE YOU MONEY.
DISPLAY ADS
Although classified ads produce inquiries and potential buyers at a lower cost, sometimes you have a product that will sell better another way. Display ads, also called space ads, are the best way to advertise if you need to show your product.
A small line drawing of one of your products with a reasonable price and details, as well as information about a free catalog will bring in good long-term customers.
Buying space in publications is not difficult. Nor do you need an advertising agency to do it for you In fact, you can save the agency discount for yourself by establishing your own in-house agency.
Some publications offer an additional fifteen percent discount for ads from a small mail order business.
Check with the publication for the rate card - the details of ordering space - and for the requirements of buying ad space. The advertising representative will be most helpful in teaching you how to place an ad. You can call that person, or write, if the publication is in a different city.
DIRECT MAIL
Direct mail is a tried and true way to make money in the mail order business. But don't try it as a beginner - only if you have a sure seller and can afford the expense of printing the package.
Each direct mail package has a sales letter, a brochure, an order form, and a reply envelope.
The sales letter must be personal and have a great appearance. Have it run off on letterhead in two colors. It should discuss the benefits of the product and include a guarantee. Push for the order - ORDER NOW - stressing action.
The brochure should discuss the features of your product rather than appeals. It should be in color with illustrations and look professional. You don't need to provide a postage paid reply - it doesn't make a big difference.
Your own list of possible buyers from classified leaders is the best list for selling related materials. You can also rent lists from companies and get pre-addressed gummed labels. But be careful to choose lists related to your materials.
All direct mail advertising must be tested first. A good test for a small business is two to three hundred pieces.
WRITING AD COPY
If you plan to sell something you didn't write, you should be totally familiar with the contents of the information you plan to sell. Read through or listen to the product. Why would someone want to buy it?
Good ad copy gets the reader's attention. Try out a few snappy phrases until you get one you're happy with. Arouse the reader's curiosity. What is the basic, bottom-line appeal?
Make a list of the features and benefits. Will it show how to earn money? Will it teach something new? Will the reader learn how to do something important?
Be credible in what you're writing - don't cheat the buyer. Don't give the product benefits or features it doesn't have. When you're honest with the customer, you will get repeat business over and over.
Talk to the reader directly. Use short sentences packed with action verbs, and persuade the customer to ACT NOW, while it is at hand. And, always offer a money-back guarantee. The honesty of approach far outweighs the number of refunds you might have.
Then fill in the details of the product to make it sound essential to have. Be sure to include an order form - either as part of the letter or separately.
YOU'RE SUCCESSFUL
The fun part is when the checks come in and you complete the promises you advertised, sending the information out. There are government regulations concerning prompt responses, so be certain to ship your order within thirty days of receiving the request, or you must inform the customer of the delay and offer a full refund.
Here's where you put your organizational skills to a test. It's important to keep the inquiries and orders straight, so you're sure to send out the proper materials for each request. You might invest in a pre-inked stamp that marks the inquiry or order "received," and another stamp to mark the date it came in and the date it was responded to.
ANALYZING RESULTS
Are your ads pulling? Is one magazine better than another? How many inquiries are you getting? How many convert into sales? How much money are you making?
An easy way to analyze results is to keep accurate records of the responses. You can then determine whether you want to keep renewing your classifieds, or if you need to change your sales letter.
To make a record sheet, you can use accountants' columned paper or use a ruler to make your own. You should have a separate page for each ad you placed, or for each key.
The top of the sheet should have the following information: the name of the publication; the issue number or date; the date the issue was placed on sale; the address key; the size and cost of the ad; which ad you used; the price of the product; and the profit.
The columns of the record sheet should be divided into two categories - inquiries from the classified ads, and orders placed from the sales literature mailed in response to the inquiries.
Along the left side, number consecutively in a vertical column. These numbers indicate the number of dates that you received answers to your ad or orders from the sales literature.
The headings under inquiries are: date received, number received, and running total.
The headings under orders should be: number of orders received, running total, cash sales, and running total for cash sales.
In order to decide if your classified ad has been a worthwhile investment, you can determine the cost per inquiry by dividing the number of inquiries into the total cost per ad. Compare three months worth of ads, and compare the average results to the ads run in another magazine. Which has provided the best response?
But inquiries are not what you're after. Sales and profit are more important. How many orders are you getting?
You can find out the cost of advertising per order by first adding the cost of the sales literature to the cost of the ad. Then divide the total number of orders into that sum.
To figure out how much pure profit you have, simply take the running total for cash sales, subtract the cost of your product per order and the cost of mailing and handling; subtract the cost of sending the sales literature per order and the cost of the ad.
Even if you break even the first few months of running the business, YOU'RE ON YOUR WAY. The treasure of selling information is not to be grabbed at first. It is built up, steadily, little by little until it brings in a tidy income.
GOING TO PRESS
The test ads worked, and you get more orders in than you ever imagined. What do you do? Maybe you only had some material photocopied to see if it would be in demand, or you only prepared a few dozen cassettes for trial. Now you mass produce.
Don't be too hasty, however. Carefully calculate the amount of returns and the possible demand.
When you have a successful item, it is time to go to typesetting and printing. Local typesetters can advise you about the style and size of the type for your printed matter. Discuss it thoroughly, and be sure you know exactly the estimate of costs - it can be surprisinoly expensive.
Ready to go to press? Compare prices. Get at least three comparative quotes from printers. And be sure to take a good look at the work they do. Is the type clear, is it well-aligned on the paper, nothing crooked? Is everybody clear on what is expected? Then, roll 'em.
WHAT ARE THE LAWS?
Information selling businesses are encouraged by the United States Government, but there are rules and regulations concerning the proper conducting of the business enterprise.
The most significant aspect the authorities look for is possible fraud, so you have to be careful to advertise only what you are selling. Although most advertising copy brightens the benefits and good aspects of products, be sure it in no way misleads the buyer.
You can use testimonials in ad copy and sales literature. In fact, they are an excellent way to sell. But they must be backed up with pure fact and a person who can make the claim.
Since most states require sales tax, check with your local authorities on how to get a state tax number and collect and turn in the sales taxes.
If you have a genuine product to sell, use a direct, honest sales approach, and pay your taxes. YouÕll never have trouble with the law.
WHAT TO DO WITH ALL THIS MONEY?
Even if you've never done bookkeeping, you can keep accurate records for yourself - and the government. You can purchase a bookkeeping pad at a stationery store, or just get some accountants' 4-column paper.
List every expense related to the business. Carefully note the date, the exact amount, the type of purchase (such as stamps, photocopies), and the place of purchase. KEEP ALL RECEIPTS. Put them in order and clip them to the page.
25F When you have a larger volume of trade, you can file receipts according to vendor.
List all income. You will be responsibl and could be audited. On a separate page or in a separate column, write down each check or money order you receive, and the source and date of the check.
Use a separate business checking account for all business transaations. This makes it clear and simple for you to analyze your profit and to keep the records separate from your personal accounts.
BUILDING REPEAT BUSINESS