Marketing Help Requested
 

Hi Everyone,

I've browsed this forum for a long time (even bought one of Gordon's reports 5years ago). I'm hoping on some ideas for this. I wrote a 24 page booklet on stress reduction and am interested in selling them in bulk. I have had some bulk orders- ie one was to a financial planner in my yoga class, a couple to assisted living facilities and one to another local business. Two of the businesses gave it out to employees and two gave it out as a thank you to customers/clients.

I'm looking to reach companies that will use it as a promotional tool for their marketing (as Paulette E has done) but am not sure of the best way to narrow down all the manufacturers, corporations etc. For instance, I think it could work well for Avon, Herbalife etc as a marketing tool for their distributors but I am not sure if the top marketing execs I get contact info for in Research USA would really read the letter and booklet. I have been sending out letters/booklets this way however for a few weeks. Not sure if people read them or if the contacts in Hoovers, Research USA etc would be best approached this way.

I could also see locally finding hospitals or professionals that would let me give it away for free and then find a sponsor in the area. But I wasn't sure how I'd "prove" to the sponsor that the booklets were delivered . (I could of course get a receipt from the administrators or tell them they are free to do the distribution). A fundraiser can be another idea.

I just had more printed though in future I could have a page with a few ads within booklet to cover costs, make a little profit and then distribute for free in community. Again, I wasn't sure how to demonstrate the number that would be distributed and proof of delivery (or if that is even an issue).

I am not really someone who enjoys sales, so am looking to do this via mail or e-mail. I know there's a big market also for human resources depts due to the high degree of chronic work stress so have been targetting them as well by letters. I haven't approached catalog companies but do have that book called Selling to Catalog Houses which was written before the internet I think! He saved some money by sending an information sheet instead of the booklet itself to a lot of places . Thank you for any ideas . I can also try setting up a referral program or affiliate program for groups of 100 booklets at a time for people that may be experienced with sales.

Debbie

Re: Marketing Help Requested
 

Hi Debbie,

Since you know all about Paulette's Success story with Booklets...

Why even try and Re-invent the wheel... :)

Just give her a call and Follow her Expertise & Methods that you can Easily Duplicate...
http://www.tipsbooklets.com/index.php?page=contact.htm
http://www.tipsbooklets.com/index.php?page=press.htm

I'd Also recommend Studying and using John Kremer's Expertise for the same reason and I Bet Paulette will agree...

John Kremer's...
http://www.bookmarket.com/

You can Never go wrong by following and connecting with the Proven Top go-to people...

As long as you Apply their knowledge into developing your own Success story... ;)

Phil

Re: Marketing Help Requested
 

Phil,

Yes I have her manual and we have spoken but I was looking for other input from people on the board.

Thanks.

Debbie

Re: Marketing Help Requested
 

Debbie, since these companies have shown an interest why not get a testimonial from them and simply place an ad with the testimonial in it of course in their various industry trade pub or mags.

More times then not business have what i call the "lemming effect". If one does something you can bet a lot of the others will.


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Jim

Re: Marketing Help Requested
 

Jim,

You said: Debbie, since these companies have shown an interest why not get a testimonial from them and simply place an ad with the testimonial in it of course in their various industry trade pub or mags.

Do you mean a classified ad and can you give an example of a trade pub or mag that would be good? I am trying to get bulk orders either for employee appreciation or customer appreciation or people using the item as a promotional tool.. I am not sure what magazines would be appropriate. I think something that hr managers, sales managers, marketing managers of companies would read. What is that??

For the end user, I would be using more a psychology or wellness type of magazine. Thanks. I haven't done much offline so any ideas I appreciate.

Debbie

Re: Marketing Help Requested
 

Debbie,
A display ad would be best however their is nothing wrong with the classifields either.

Quite frankly i don't know the trade magazinesfor your target market however the best way to find out is the ASK the people IN your target market.

Most libraries will also have a ref book that list all the trade magazines you should be able to find your target market's trade magazine in that.

Jim

Some marketing ideas to consider...
 

Hi Debbie,

My opinion is you are asking your booklet to be too many things. You are asking it to do too much, to work too hard.

I think the most profitable model is to use them as a "promotional" tool. Which could be a customer appreciation and employee appreciation thing too. I'm not sure I understand what you mean by those terms.

The booklet that most likely will earn you the most income, is one that a company can use to give to customers or prospects, that contains useful information relevant to the business.

Jimmy Krug's booklet to Credit Unions was about loans and financial things.

How do you "twist and turn" (as Phil might suggest)...your current booklet to match any of these targets?

I think with a different COVER. With today's printers, it is easy to create a glossy stock cover, either in 4 color or 2 color, and send at least TWO samples to the targets in questions. You let them know that you can custom create the COVER, which is four pages to be used by the company to put their logo, their contact information, an introduction, a mailing address...and all this without having to rewrite or edit the booklet.

NOW you have given your prospects a choice, and they are more likely to consider ordering from you if they can CUSTOMIZE the booklet to meet their needs.

How to reduce stress must be oriented toward their business however, so if you have several pages you can "slug" with industry specific jargon or give them industry specific suggestions, then you have a better product to offer.

Stress reduction for REALTORS. How to relax and thrive in today's economy.

Stress reduction for INSURANCE agents. Why today is the time to get your quotes going.

Stress reduction for BANKERS, Are you one of the 300,000 about to lose your job?

Stress reduction for Work From Home MOMS.

I'd think the actual techniques would be very similar, however, by addressing the industry, place, the time etc., and all done by having spots in the booklet that you simply use the industry you're targeting, might help out.

The KEY, I believe, to selling your booklets, is to target very specific industries...and when you do that, then the places to advertise become much clearer. TONS of things Realtors read. Same for Insurance types.

Whatever your target, they have newsletters, magazines, ezines, support groups etc. All places you can go fishing, IF you target them specifically.

There are about 100001 articles and such on "stress reduction". What makes yours unique? WHY would they be interested? What's in it for them?

When you differentiate yourself, and offer up something to HELP them, to solve their problems, to give them more business...then you start to get full cooperation. It is the old GIVE then Get principle.

Gordon Alexander

Re: Marketing Help Requested
 

Paulette Ensign (she's sold millions of booklets) has a great article on making money selling booklets on her blog...
http://tipsbooklets.blogspot.com/200...g-selling.html

Also...check out BizyMoms.com and Yudkin.com

Years ago, I did booklets for Credit Unions where I'd get Car Dealers to buy an ad in my "Car Buyers Guide" booklets. For their ad money they got;
1) Full Page Ad in the Booklet (5,000 copies given to Credit Unions to give to their members)
2) A Display Board in the lobby of the CU which held 8" by 10" Ads for participating Car Dealers.

You might want to consider providing FREE Booklets to a Target Market and selling Ads to the businesses who want to reach that Target Market.

Don Alm

Some booklet design ideas and templates
 

Hi Debbie,

Maybe an edge in the DESIGN of your booklet could also help.

I really like the work of Chuck Green.

Here’s some of his ideas and free templates:

The simple, small booklet
http://www.ideabook.com/tutorials/pr...l_package.html

Super-Simple Self-Publishing
http://www.okidata.com/mkt/html/nf/b...ublishing.html

Create an out-of-the-ordinary booklet
http://www.ideabook.com/tutorials/pr...ate_an_ou.html

Business Document Templates
http://www.okidata.com/mkt/html/nf/bdt_home.html

Cheers,

Rod Carr

Re: Some booklet design ideas and templates
 

one more...

Illustrated headlines
http://www.ideabook.com/tutorials/ty...headlines.html

Rod