Another one of those "Hidden" secrets!

How much of an advantage would it be if you knew exactly how many sales a company had?

How much of an advantage would it be if you knew what a company’s average sale was?

How much of an advantage would it be if you could actually see what advertising piece a company used to achieve its sales?

Put "Inner Circles" and what-not on the back burner for a moment. Consider investing in something that will give you hard data…will show you what really work--take a look at SRDS. I visit a lot of boards and hardly ever hear SRDS mentioned, which is too bad.

For those of you that don’t know about the SRDS, this is a description (from the SRDS homepage) of what SRDS is about:

“SRDS has been bringing the media community together for over 82 years. As the leading provider of media rates and data, we connect buyers and sellers through our sources that offer comprehensive coverage of traditional media - such as magazines, newspapers, television, direct marketing and radio - as well as today's alternative marketing opportunities - such as online and out-of-home.”

The SRDS puts out numerous publications and offers information via the net.

Many libraries carry SRDS publications (mine doesn’t) and many individuals and companies subscribe, which can be expensive (I don’t subscribe, but I do buy used ones from others on occasion).

Take for instance the publication dealing with consumer oriented mailing lists. This massive book is just loaded with great information. The SRDS can show you how many customers make up a particular list and where the list came from (direct mail, space ads, opt-in email) plus you are given what the average unit sale is. Quite often you can get information from the list manager showing exactly what a company used to assemble this list of customers such as an ad, direct mail piece or promotional item.

I find it fascinating to see the incredible breadth of opportunities presented in just one publication of the SRDS. People/companies are making money in an unbelievable number of ways:

One company markets almond-related food items via catalogs…22,000 customers, $1.7 million in sales.
One company markets brownies…$2.1 million is sales.
Another company markets pecan-related foods…over $2 million dollars in annual sales.
There is a company that sells salsa-related foods and generating over $2 million per year.
One tea-company (and there is competition in this market) does $900,000 per year as a small-potatoes type mail order company…would you accept $900K per year in sales?
Another company markets buffalo meat of all things, and guess what annual sales are over $3 million.

There are people out there making a very solid living from very simple concepts…how simple? What about this:

I found a list where there were 40,000 people that bought recipe booklets at $2 each via classified ads. Granted that’s only $80,000 per year but I bet the person doing this is clearing half of that. Classified ads aren’t that expensive. You can get a classified ad in the National Enquirer for about $150. I’m sure the cost of the booklets is minimal. Why can’t virtually anyone one do this? Pick a topic and create booklets (Jimmy Krug and others know the booklet business inside and out). You don’t need a lot of money to start.

Finally, I have to hand it to people that really understand how to market like Jerry Baker, a person thought of as being a gardening expert by many in this country.

First off Jerry sells tons of books through space ads. Over the course of a recent twelve-month period, over 700,000 people bought books (average sale of $30) from space ads appearing in many periodicals. (As a side note, right now is the time to get into the space ad business, there are deals all over the place) Then these people are sent the “Jerry Baker” catalog (almost 65,000 customers, with an average sale of $60) PLUS Jerry markets a newsletter (to the same group of customers), which generates another 40,000 customers at an annual subscription rate of $20. From space ads to a catalog to a newsletter (with some Internet I’m sure thrown in). Jerry is making tons of money from any different angles. We’ve talked on this forum before about Multiple Income Streams or Multiple Income Opportunities…Jerry is showing how to use MIS to perfection. He doesn’t try to make money from being “Jerry the Plumber” and “Jerry the Resume Writer” and “Jerry the Deliveryman”. He specialized in one area and has created MIS from that one specialty (gardening). This is how Ted Nicholas preaches to do it and this is how you should consider doing it too. Jerry just has one group of customers (granted a large group at this point) and he repeatedly hits them with offer after offer. Very little of his marketing dollars go to waste. This isn't rocket science it is just good business sense.

Here is one other tidbit that also relates to gardening. I found a list from a company that sells moneymaking opportunities through gardening. Over 22,000 paid customers at $46 each…not a bad total!

Opportunities to make money have never been greater,

Mike Winicki

Some years ago a buddy told me he had a "special rabbits foot keychain" he wanted to sell. He wondered if I had any ideas on how to market it.

As a subscriber (at that time) to SRDS I looked in the "Mailing Lists" section and was shocked to find a list of over 300,000 people who had bought a plastic Buddha for $7. ($2.1 million)

I remember seeing the half-page ads in the Nat'l Inquirer. A picture of the Buddha and the headline read..."RUB THE BUDDHA'S TUMMY FOR LUCK!"

It then went on to describe how good luck will come your way by rubbing the tummy of this plastic figure.

When I saw the ads appear I thought, "What a piece of junk! People can't be THAT gullible!"

But it turns out they were. In fact, I think the list went over a million. You could pay a premium for the "hot list" of recent buyers.

I don't remember if my buddy tried the list but I will never forget how amazed I was when I saw how many had popped $7 (plus $4.95 P&H) for that little figure.

Every once in a while I scan thru the SRDS book to see what is selling. I'm always amazed at what was sold and how many.

Don Alm

Also....one of my first customers for my burglar alarm business system was the owner of SRDS (at that time) Mr Bottorf gave me a free 5 yr subscription and that's what started me off on my mail order career.

> How much of an advantage would it be if you
> knew exactly how many sales a company had?

> How much of an advantage would it be if you
> knew what a company’s average sale was?

> How much of an advantage would it be if you
> could actually see what advertising piece a
> company used to achieve its sales?

> Put "Inner Circles" and what-not
> on the back burner for a moment. Consider
> investing in something that will give you
> hard data…will show you what really
> work--take a look at SRDS. I visit a lot of
> boards and hardly ever hear SRDS mentioned,
> which is too bad.

> For those of you that don’t know about the
> SRDS, this is a description (from the SRDS
> homepage) of what SRDS is about:

> “SRDS has been bringing the media community
> together for over 82 years. As the leading
> provider of media rates and data, we connect
> buyers and sellers through our sources that
> offer comprehensive coverage of traditional
> media - such as magazines, newspapers,
> television, direct marketing and radio - as
> well as today's alternative marketing
> opportunities - such as online and
> out-of-home.”

> The SRDS puts out numerous publications and
> offers information via the net.

> Many libraries carry SRDS publications (mine
> doesn’t) and many individuals and companies
> subscribe, which can be expensive (I don’t
> subscribe, but I do buy used ones from
> others on occasion).

> Take for instance the publication dealing
> with consumer oriented mailing lists. This
> massive book is just loaded with great
> information. The SRDS can show you how many
> customers make up a particular list and
> where the list came from (direct mail, space
> ads, opt-in email) plus you are given what
> the average unit sale is. Quite often you
> can get information from the list manager
> showing exactly what a company used to
> assemble this list of customers such as an
> ad, direct mail piece or promotional item.

> I find it fascinating to see the incredible
> breadth of opportunities presented in just
> one publication of the SRDS.
> People/companies are making money in an
> unbelievable number of ways:

> One company markets almond-related food
> items via catalogs…22,000 customers, $1.7
> million in sales.
> One company markets brownies…$2.1 million is
> sales.
> Another company markets pecan-related
> foods…over $2 million dollars in annual
> sales.
> There is a company that sells salsa-related
> foods and generating over $2 million per
> year.
> One tea-company (and there is competition in
> this market) does $900,000 per year as a
> small-potatoes type mail order company…would
> you accept $900K per year in sales?
> Another company markets buffalo meat of all
> things, and guess what annual sales are over
> $3 million.

> There are people out there making a very
> solid living from very simple concepts…how
> simple? What about this:

> I found a list where there were 40,000
> people that bought recipe booklets at $2
> each via classified ads. Granted that’s only
> $80,000 per year but I bet the person doing
> this is clearing half of that. Classified
> ads aren’t that expensive. You can get a
> classified ad in the National Enquirer for
> about $150. I’m sure the cost of the
> booklets is minimal. Why can’t virtually
> anyone one do this? Pick a topic and create
> booklets (Jimmy Krug and others know the
> booklet business inside and out). You don’t
> need a lot of money to start.

> Finally, I have to hand it to people that
> really understand how to market like Jerry
> Baker, a person thought of as being a
> gardening expert by many in this country.

> First off Jerry sells tons of books through
> space ads. Over the course of a recent
> twelve-month period, over 700,000 people
> bought books (average sale of $30) from
> space ads appearing in many periodicals. (As
> a side note, right now is the time to get
> into the space ad business, there are deals
> all over the place) Then these people are
> sent the “Jerry Baker” catalog (almost
> 65,000 customers, with an average sale of
> $60) PLUS Jerry markets a newsletter (to the
> same group of customers), which generates
> another 40,000 customers at an annual
> subscription rate of $20. From space ads to
> a catalog to a newsletter (with some
> Internet I’m sure thrown in). Jerry is
> making tons of money from any different
> angles. We’ve talked on this forum before
> about Multiple Income Streams or Multiple
> Income Opportunities…Jerry is showing how to
> use MIS to perfection. He doesn’t try to
> make money from being “Jerry the Plumber”
> and “Jerry the Resume Writer” and “Jerry the
> Deliveryman”. He specialized in one area and
> has created MIS from that one specialty
> (gardening). This is how Ted Nicholas
> preaches to do it and this is how you should
> consider doing it too. Jerry just has one
> group of customers (granted a large group at
> this point) and he repeatedly hits them with
> offer after offer. Very little of his
> marketing dollars go to waste. This isn't
> rocket science it is just good business
> sense.

> Here is one other tidbit that also relates
> to gardening. I found a list from a company
> that sells moneymaking opportunities through
> gardening. Over 22,000 paid customers at $46
> each…not a bad total!

> Opportunities to make money have never been
> greater,

> Mike Winicki




Some of my Unique, money-making programs.

The "Rub the Buddha's Belly" ad was one of the masterpieces created by my old friend George Feldman ... one of the greats in ad writing.

Jim

Mike,

That was a great post, but can you explain a few things because I'm really unfamiliar with mailing lists:

1)Which of the SRDS publications would you look in to see about conumer oriented mailing lists?
Would that be the appropriate one for stress reduction products?

2)Do they themselves manage the lists or are you given names of people who compile them or companies that rent their database?

3) On another note, why do people use list brokers instead of directly renting from Prevention Magazine or sources like that?

Thanks and sorry for the basic questions.

Deb

> Mike,

> That was a great post, but can you explain a
> few things because I'm really unfamiliar
> with mailing lists:

> 1)Which of the SRDS publications would you
> look in to see about conumer oriented
> mailing lists?
> Would that be the appropriate one for stress
> reduction products?

> 2)Do they themselves manage the lists or are
> you given names of people who compile them
> or companies that rent their database?

> 3) On another note, why do people use list
> brokers instead of directly renting from
> Prevention Magazine or sources like that?

> Thanks and sorry for the basic questions.

> Deb

Deb,

The SRDS publication you would be interested in is the "SRDS Direct Marketing List Source Part 2". And yes you can find sources of lists for the types of products you are interested in.

All SRDS does is list the lists. Others do the compiling or data gathering. You are given the names of addresses of who manages the list(s).

Most companies do not have the time or resources to market their lists so that is why they deal with a list manager.

One idea for your products...what I would do is test your products via two-step classifieds and/or display ads in newspapers (you can get quarter page ads for about $6 per thousand papers circulated) and magazines (you can get a small ad in Grit/Cappers, around 200,000 circulation for about $300.

Take care,

Mike Winicki