SOWPub Small Business Forums

SOWPub Small Business Forums (http://www.sowpub.com/forum/index.php)
-   SOWPub Business Forum (http://www.sowpub.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=2)
-   -   Infomercial man shares handy-dandy secrets... $55 Million Later... (http://www.sowpub.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3816)

Phil March 20, 2007 03:28 AM

Infomercial man shares handy-dandy secrets... $55 Million Later...
 
Chickens, Bald spots, Pickles... :)

Always be Brainstorming and Thinking Ideas! ;)

No matter...

Inventions, Hard goods, information products... Whatever...

$55 Million Later...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14270040/?GT1=9145

Phil

Goldblogger March 20, 2007 04:39 AM

Nutraceuticals... A 12-Month Millionaire...
 
Aloha Phil,

I think this quote is important...

Quote:

If you create a product that's needed in the marketplace, or a drug that will solve a medical problem, people are going to buy it. It's so easy for me to sell my products because the market exists.

J. Gordon says (in his 7 Secrets course) nutraceuticals will only get only more popular as the Baby Boomers start to retire.

Vincent James made over a $100 million in a few short years selling nutraceuticals via direct marketing.

That is a business I would like to get into. Finding companies that manufacture AND drop-ship is getting easier. And that means little guys like you and I are able to make a full-time income selling pills if we excel at the marketing.

The AVERAGE Internet marketer can turn his life around if he just looks in directions other than "how to make money", as you can see here...and here... and here at these other products sold by the same company.

I simply love all the opportunities there are out there! Everything from nutraceuticals to information products.

Aloha,

Jason Cain

GordonJ March 20, 2007 08:58 AM

Would a list of Private Label Neutriceuticals with Contacts be of help?
 
The low end start-up is usually for 500 bottles of _________ and most have their own labeling division (because that is where MORE money is) and you can get your own personal customized private supplements ready to go.

500 bottles probably around 4-6 bux each at first...that goes WAY down with economies in place.

Now the next big thing in supplements will be for your pets...they are aging too.

Magic pills are still making people fortunes, and some of them even work too!

GJ

PS. Just a thought...how many of you would like to SEE exactly how this process works...perhaps from concept to market? OR maybe, just watch how to contact these companies to get your own product started? OR (since the Internet makes it pretty easy to find the suppliers) How to Market your NEW, improved must have supplement?

ONE hint, most of the direct marketing companies I've worked for like to get their products on the shelves of Wal-Mart et al too!!!

Garth March 20, 2007 12:09 PM

Re: Infomercial man shares handy-dandy secrets... $55 Million Later...
 
I'm already seeing the pet market with nutrients for aging dogs so probably plenty of room to grow might want to niche to other pet groups like show dogs, mini dogs, outdoor dogs, indoor dogs.

But i still think the bigger market sort of speak is the Viagra one. Just niche it to 65 and older, may december unions, young kids that get a lot of action, how about even gay unions I bet no one is tapping that market.

GordonJ March 20, 2007 12:40 PM

I developed an "arthritic" formula for dogs in 2000. And SEX is a staple.
 
There is always room for the newest pet products...it just has to be carefully researched...and even then, there are TONS of products...

the problem IS, and if you can crack this, you'll be GOLDEN in no time...is how to EFFECTIVELY market it.

I could be wrong, but I don't know of any controls being mailed on PET supplements.

As for Viagra and it's many imitators, I'm reminded of CAR additives and Golf Gizmos...

Let's see...tires give you another 3 MPG, a special gas additive gives you 4 MPG, certain gas another 3, oil substitue, another 4.5, tune up, and so on...and soon, that 18 MPG car is getting 35 miles per gallon...and with golf?

The right ball adds 12 yards, the new carbite insert, diamond grind, perimeter weighted, legal limit COR driver adds another 20...then there is the ONE MOVE any golfer can make to add still another 12...and the right tee adds 8, and soon....every 14 year old girl golfer in the world is knocking their tee shots over 300 yards...OH wait, that's because of the equipment.

Anyhow, SEX sells. More of it, longer of it, dreams of it...the DIET industry isn't fueld by HEALTH reasons (oh a small %) but most of the before and after show...

HOW SEXY you become when you lose the weight with the magic pill of the day...how GREAT you will LOOK, how desirable you'll come.

As for niches, your doctor and his pharmaceutical supplier have that covered.

MANY many controls in the world for viagra like supplements.

GJA

Goldblogger March 21, 2007 01:32 AM

All THREE please!
 
Aloha Gordon,

I would like to see all three of those topics covered...

1. Nutrition supplements from concept to market.
2. A list of reputable companies that are in the business of formulating, labeling and drop-shipping.
3. How to market to Wal-Mart, Target, etc.

There is a lot of competition in the field. I think in order to get traction, a marketer would have to find his niche.

I think Vincent James's 12-month millionaire course was damn good. It covered all the fundamentals of direct marketing within this niche. Although he went to Federal prison, it is obvious he does know his $#!t when it comes to marketing nutraceuticals.

Most people don't know that Joe Polish (famous Dan Kennedy protege in the carpet-cleaning niche) was behind much of the success of EAS and Bill Phillips. He was Bill's marketing consultant.

Aloha,

Jason

PS: I am listening to those guerilla tapes you sent me a couple years ago on the 7 Secrets... good stuff!

GordonJ March 21, 2007 10:28 AM

My belief about nutritional supplements is that it is the MARKETING that sells...
 
That being said. I'm skeptical about most supplements. Some are even dangerous, like ephedrine. Anyhow, I want to answer Jason's post:

Aloha Gordon,

I would like to see all three of those topics covered...

1. Nutrition supplements from concept to market.

My opinion is MARKET FIRST. Except for one a day type vitamins, all supplements should be targeted. Take "arthritis" type formulas, with glucosmine, chondroitin and perhaps hyaluronate (today, these formulas have mostly 3 ingredients).

OK. There are TONS of supplements for "joint pain", right? But who has the joint pain?

LARGE market: Boomers. Segments: Golfers. Subsegs: Male Golfers in FL.

A full page ROP ad might pull in leads for a pain killer product. An ad in a golf magazine might pull in leads for the golfers. A DIRECT MAIL piece, one that is targeted to Male Golfers in FL...might pull in DOLLARS.

The one advantage YOU may have over the big companies is this very niche specific market, because the big boys have to cover their overhead. But a personal letter, maybe even a greeting card type promotion might work and of the millions of male golfers in FL, getting 500 or so on an Auto-Ship program for their arthritis "pills" can happen very quickly.

Now you have some idea of TARGETED marketing. How do you develop your proprietary formula? Search for "designer" supplements, private label supplements, etc.

A few phone calls or emails today, and you'll find scores of companies ready and willing to build just about anything you want. Maybe you add a very small amount of White Willow (as an example) Bark to the big 3 tested and proven arthritis formulas.

Or just use what the company has "off the shelf"...you'll need a good name for it...Golfer's Joint Ease...or something like that...and for Tennis Players, maybe Tennis Player's Joint Ease...same product, different labels...and you'd have enough lists from SRDS to keep you mailing small targeted lists for the next decade.

That is a way to go about developing a SUPPLEMENT...MARKET first.



2. A list of reputable companies that are in the business of formulating, labeling and drop-shipping.

I think this is readily available with some google searching. Search for "private label supplements" with the quotes and you'll see a place to start.

http://www.supplementsresource.com/d...lementtop.html

is another resource to get anyone started.


3. How to market to Wal-Mart, Target, etc.

Let me start with the How to Market part first.

If I were getting into this, I'd locate niche MARKETS first. Or subsegments of a segment market as with my example of Golfers, Boomers, FL.

There are lots of ways to market. James Vincent talks about the AUTO-Ship program...and this would be the only way to get into this market.

Gary Shawkey used a Network or MLM approach, and this has worked for over 70 years, Nutralite began this way.

You could target a segment of a niche again, Overweight Christians. And you would design your promotions to appeal to this sub segment, that might be reached through a list of Ministers, heads of churches, who "sell" to their congregation...a whole lot of this is going on, a lot of info type products like CD's, audio and now DVD's...

Again, these are examples of how to market...using a niche approach. Many companies and their small fry owners make billions doing this and never bother with the Wal-Mart thing. BUT,

you have to know how things work. Wal-Mart has X amount of shelf space for, say, dietary supplements...a couple of years ago MOST of that space was given to Trim Spa and the Anna Nicole promotion. There has been a surge in Anna Nicole interest...and the shelf space has recently increased at the Wal-Marts I check. And it is a great RESEARCH center for product development too.

The products I've been associated with had very little shelf space, and it was hard to pick them out...so the label and design of the bottle is an important KEY to shelf marketing...walk down the laundry detergent and see how TIDE still jumps off the shelf after all these years.

PACKAGING is a subject all in itself...with colors, eye appeal, product placement, etc.

So to get into a Wal-Mart, you have to know how they work, how they buy, what they are already selling...and most of this info is available at their site for any would be marketer to read.

But, there are local stores, regional chains, super chains, and many different opportunities to get into. Today, there is a Multi-Channel push for products...

An Infomercial. AS SEEN ON TV spaces in retail outlets. Web Sites. Direct Mail. Space Ads. etc.

But having a product on the shelf of Wal-Mart MAY be a good thing, but you'd better be good at the Shelf Level.




There is a lot of competition in the field.

Yes there is, and because it is so PROFITABLE.



I think in order to get traction, a marketer would have to find his niche.

Or have deep pockets. OR to direct market to the segment niches and establish your own identity.

I think Vincent James's 12-month millionaire course was damn good. It covered all the fundamentals of direct marketing within this niche.

Not all the fundamentals, but it was pretty solid in what he did. He did cover a lot of the basics of parts of direct marketing and demonstrated how just about anyone can get into it.

Although he went to Federal prison, it is obvious he does know his $#!t when it comes to marketing nutraceuticals.

Ah. I think most of the survivors know how to push the HOT buttons, not much secret in that. Vincent James brings to mind Paul Monea (M. and A. father and son) of Tae-Bo fame...but also of "The Stimulator" sale...

which sold close to 90 million dollars in the same time that Vincent sold his purported 77 million in supplements. OH, and Paul Monet might be serving his FED term for money laundering. OH BOY, these guys.


Most people don't know that Joe Polish (famous Dan Kennedy protege in the carpet-cleaning niche) was behind much of the success of EAS and Bill Phillips. He was Bill's marketing consultant.

You have a case study right there. We talked about Bill Phillips a few years ago on SowPub, some of us were actually going to DO IT. What a well thought out campaign...

See, it starts something like this:

MARKET. Front End. Lead Generator. Targeted Marketing. AUTO SHIP? Back end? What else?

The BOOK as the front end is about the same strategy we see today with The Secret. DVD, then all kinds of things.

The Book then EAS supplements. Works like a charm.


Aloha,

Aloha back. Ya know Jason, I'm a former student of Hawaiian Folk Lore and know that there are some unexploited products that might have a little HUNA Magic to them...not unlike the Hunza Magic of the NO HUNGER BREAD campaign...still being discussed 3 decades later.

I think you need to take an extended vacation and search the islands for the next great pineapple/coconut/seaweed that grows only off the Maui coast diet/pain killer/anti-aging Nutraceutical. Let me know, I'm ready to write on THAT (after some intensive research of my own HA!)

Jason

PS: I am listening to those guerilla tapes you sent me a couple years ago on the 7 Secrets... good stuff!

Guerrilla INDEED. Was it you that said I sounded like an Ape choking on a bananna? You should have seen the DVD...YIKES!

billts March 21, 2007 01:09 PM

Re: Infomercial man shares handy-dandy secrets... $55 Million Later...
 
I have watched this guy market for years.
Now he has his daughter doing it as well.
Pure marketing genius.


Billts:D

Dien Rice March 21, 2007 10:40 PM

Re: The point I was trying to make
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by mtran2000 (Post 14535)
Is there are a lot of nutritional products being sold claiming to cure all sorts of things. Eventually the products that have merit end up at Wal Marts, Targets etc at much lower prices.

It has yet to be proven that higher priced products with very similar ingredients are superior than store brands.

As Gordon pointed out, does everyone shop at Wal-Mart? The answer is "No". So why should they do without, rather than purchase through direct response (catalogs, infomercials, internet)?

Some people don't shop at Wal-Mart because it's too inconvenient. They have no time - they're too busy. It's much quicker to order from a website or by phone, than to spend an hour or two wasting time at Wal-Mart. Not everyone has an hour or two to spare... And some people have more money than time. They'd rather spend their money (even if it's more expensive) than spend extra time.

Also, Wal-Mart may not have the precise type of "herb" or "vitamin" they want. If you want something generic, sure, they may have it - but if you want something more "specialized" they may not have it.

The bottom line is - plenty of businesses make money selling vitamins, minerals, and herbs via direct response methods...

An important lesson is - not everyone thinks like "you" do, or likes what "you" like. This is a lesson from "Business 101". Even if you would never shop anywhere but Wal-Mart, there are millions of other people who never shop at Wal-Mart. Not everyone thinks like "you" do - so just because "you" would not do or buy something, doesn't mean that others won't. (The only way to find out is to "test" - or to see if others are succeeding at it already.) It's a good lesson for business beginners like Mark to learn from.

- Dien

James Anthony March 21, 2007 11:07 PM

Re: Nutraceuticals... A 12-Month Millionaire...
 
Hey Jason,

You might want to look into kava, grown all through the islands of the South Pacific. It's nowhere near a saturated market and isn't as popular as it could and should be.

Gordon mentioned that you are in Maui?

I've got a source there that I could give you if you'd like.

They don't dropship for anyone at the moment but you might be able to work something out with the guy. He's an entrepreneur who owns a few businesses in Maui and I'm he'd sure would be willing to work out some sort of win/win deal.

Jim


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 08:23 PM.

Powered by vBulletin Version 3.6.0
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.