Archive for May, 2010

Copyright (c) 2009 Michael Ogden

Always pack your catalogues the same way and always put your contact details on

PACK CONTENTS

So what goes into a pack?

1 The catalogue, of course; make sure it is clean and decent. No one wants to look at something crumpled and sticky. Make sure your catalogue bag is always clean.

2 Depending on promotions you may have a ‘Specialogue’ to include. These are provided with every business and retail kit and extra copies can be bought.

3 An order form must be included. Again, a nice fresh one.

4 A day slip telling the customer what day you will be collecting the catalogue. It is essential to state a specific day – ‘Tomorrow – or ‘In 2 days time’ means nothing if a customer has been away for the weekend.

Consequently it looks professional, you can tell immediately whether the book has been looked at, when you cllect it, it stands out from other competitor packs & customers learn to recognise your pack quickly.

PUTTING OUT YOUR CATALOGUES

The average order value per catalogue dropped is £1. 00. This is the figure you will achieve on average by random letter boxing. It can be improved in many ways. You want to be above average, so read on!

Letter-boxing

This is the term used for blanket covering an area, putting catalogues in every letterbox

Advantages:

Distribution is quick

Every householder gets a chance to look

Can be done at any time of day

Disadvantages:

Some catalogues are lost

Some people throw away all unsolicited mail

Children may cut them up

The house may be unoccupied, or the residents away on holiday or business

No initial contact with customer

Collection is slower

Presentation

This is the term used for offering the catalogues at the door.

Advantages

Immediate contact with customer

Collection is quicker

Higher chance of an order

Better chance of catalogue return

Opportunity to:

offer free samples

Show products

Mention refund or exchange policy

Smile at customer

Get name and phone number

Tell customer that you will be reliable

Order value per catalogue can be between £2 and £10

Disadvantages

Delivery takes much longer Some will refuse on principle (but might have looked if you had letterboxed) Can only be done when people are at home – some are at home in the day, but many only in the evenings So, which do you do?

You may wish to try both to see which works for you. However, we find that letterboxing works for us, as even people who are at home during the day are often out when we call, and we waste a lot of time and lose opportunities by presenting, unless the householder happens to be in the garden when we call.

Where do you go?

In our company we do not have ‘areas’ like some companies. Each distributor can choose where they go. Naturally, we all want to go to the most effective and productive streets. It is true to say that there is no good or bad area. Within a road one side may provide high orders and the other side none. Some roads within an estate are good, others terrible. You can get excellent orders in sheltered housing and council estates and lose 75% of your catalogues in stockbroker belt – and vice versa! The secret is to keep an open mind, return every four to six weeks, be persistent and consistent. You will steadily turn even the worst street into a nice little earner once you are down to customer base.

The best way to start is by going out of your house and turning left or right and start putting catalogues through letterboxes. Do not be shy or embarrassed about cataloguing in your own area. Why should someone else have the benefit? The neighbours don’t pay your bills. We discovered that most of them were impressed that we were prepared to get out and do it, thought we were very brave and admired us, but best of all took pity on us and ordered product to help us; great!

There are some things you can do to help yourself:

- When visiting a ‘new road’ show two or three female residents the catalogue and ask if they receive it regularly (don’t ask men – they never know!) Show the catalogue so they don’t confuse us with the opposition. If the area is already covered ask when they last saw it. If more than two or three weeks ago, go ahead. If more recently, return in a couple of weeks.

- Another way of testing the water is to ask people coming out of the local shop if they have had a Kleeneze catalogue recently. Ask the ladies (not men), if they see the catalogue. If they don’t, ask what road they live in. You will quickly finmd areas that have not had a distributor for years.

- If you find a long established distributor is working the area carry on dropping your books. Existing competitors will habe built a customer base and will only go t a few houses in each street – his ‘customer base’ – and you will find your own customers that do not buy from him.

- Be consistent. Visit the same area about every four to six weeks. Leave the book for two days (except for a Friday for Monday drop), ensure your customer knows when you are coming back and be there. Tell them when you will deliver their order and be there. You will soon be known as ‘my Kleeneze man/lady’ and your customer will send other distributors packing!

- Avoid “Flitters Disease”! If you see other distributors’ catalogues or those of Betterware, ignore them and carry on dropping your catalogues. People buy at different times and you will still get orders and build a customer base in that street. People who have a Betterware or Avon catalogue outside usually buy from catalogues.