Direct mail secrets revealed
As I've mentioned many times, it's important for you to make direct mail a substantial part of your business. It's really the only "stable media," and the only media the government collects revenue on. Unlike electronic media, it's not subject to wild swings in effectiveness... it pretty much stays the same.
Also, the universe of direct mail buyers is HUGE, and you can control how fast you build your business by the amount you mail.
Anyways, I received an excellent question regarding direct mail, so I thought I'd spend a bit of time today and answer it.
Hello Mr. X,
I know you have said several times that one of the best ways to make a substantial amount of money is to use direct mail. Could you provide a brief overview of the steps one needs to take to get started in that business? For instance, how would one find or build a quality mailing list? Would you need to create a product yourself or are there sources for finding products to sell?
Thanks for your help and the great information you provide!
Andrea
Mr. X: Andrea, thanks for writing in, and thanks for the great question. Obviously I could give a whole seminar on the answers to your questions, but for now I'll point you in the right direction and give you some basic advice.
First off, it's a good idea to spend some time learning the art and science of copywriting, as well as how to put together a direct mail package. A good (free) online resource to do this with is www.thegaryhalbertletter.com Gary has been in direct mail for many, many years, and is without a doubt one of the world's best copywriters. You'll learn a lot from reading his newsletters.
As far as finding or building a quality mailing list, the best list you can mail to is a list where the owner has a strong relationship and is willing to endorse you to that list. Nothing beats relationship when it comes to getting high response from a mailing list. After that, you'll want to spend time in the SRDS researching mailing lists, as well as talking to list brokers.
As far as creating a product or reselling one, the answer to your question is, you should do both. In the beginning you'll probably want to start with other people's tested and proven products, but as you build your business you'll want to create your own so your list will have a relationship with YOU. The biggest asset you can have in your business is your relationship with your customers, and the best way to build that is by selling both your products and quality licensed products to them.
For information on products you can license, go to:
www.michaelkimble.com/race
www.michealkimble.com/magic
Obviously there's a lot more to direct mail than what I just told you, but it's a skill worth mastering. It's very comforting to me to know that if I ever go broke, all I have to do is sit down, write a killer sales letter, and find the right list to mail it to.
One of the best resources for truly understanding how to build a profitable, long lasting information marketing business is Dan Kennedy's A-Z Information Marketing Seminar. If you don't have it in your library, you should. I've listened to it six or seven times now (in addition to attending the original one), and I get more out of it every time. You can get your hands on it at www.michaelkimble.com/infoseminar
Let's get to it...
Mr. X.
Group M Marketing
Kimble and Kennedy Publishing
Also, the universe of direct mail buyers is HUGE, and you can control how fast you build your business by the amount you mail.
Anyways, I received an excellent question regarding direct mail, so I thought I'd spend a bit of time today and answer it.
Hello Mr. X,
I know you have said several times that one of the best ways to make a substantial amount of money is to use direct mail. Could you provide a brief overview of the steps one needs to take to get started in that business? For instance, how would one find or build a quality mailing list? Would you need to create a product yourself or are there sources for finding products to sell?
Thanks for your help and the great information you provide!
Andrea
Mr. X: Andrea, thanks for writing in, and thanks for the great question. Obviously I could give a whole seminar on the answers to your questions, but for now I'll point you in the right direction and give you some basic advice.
First off, it's a good idea to spend some time learning the art and science of copywriting, as well as how to put together a direct mail package. A good (free) online resource to do this with is www.thegaryhalbertletter.com Gary has been in direct mail for many, many years, and is without a doubt one of the world's best copywriters. You'll learn a lot from reading his newsletters.
As far as finding or building a quality mailing list, the best list you can mail to is a list where the owner has a strong relationship and is willing to endorse you to that list. Nothing beats relationship when it comes to getting high response from a mailing list. After that, you'll want to spend time in the SRDS researching mailing lists, as well as talking to list brokers.
As far as creating a product or reselling one, the answer to your question is, you should do both. In the beginning you'll probably want to start with other people's tested and proven products, but as you build your business you'll want to create your own so your list will have a relationship with YOU. The biggest asset you can have in your business is your relationship with your customers, and the best way to build that is by selling both your products and quality licensed products to them.
For information on products you can license, go to:
www.michaelkimble.com/race
www.michealkimble.com/magic
Obviously there's a lot more to direct mail than what I just told you, but it's a skill worth mastering. It's very comforting to me to know that if I ever go broke, all I have to do is sit down, write a killer sales letter, and find the right list to mail it to.
One of the best resources for truly understanding how to build a profitable, long lasting information marketing business is Dan Kennedy's A-Z Information Marketing Seminar. If you don't have it in your library, you should. I've listened to it six or seven times now (in addition to attending the original one), and I get more out of it every time. You can get your hands on it at www.michaelkimble.com/infoseminar
Let's get to it...
Mr. X.
Group M Marketing
Kimble and Kennedy Publishing
