www.manuren.com

Can your business sell its products to other businesses using a mail-order
catalog? Probably. And make a profit? Maybe, as long as you follow some proven
guidelines. Here are a few of them.

Niche and grow rich
Your catalog needs to fill a specific void in the market. All of the
successful business-to-business (B2B) catalogs target a narrow slice of a larger
market. In the home workshop marketplace, U.S. General Supply sells tools, nuts
and bolts. In the business products marketplace, Chiswick sells packaging
supplies. If you try to produce a catalog that sells everything to everyone, you
will sell nothing to anyone. You need a niche.

One way to niche
If your current catalog sells many products to many audiences, consider
producing a mini-catalog that sells just one line of products (laptops, for
example) or that sells multiple products to just one audience (laptops, desktops
and servers to banks, for example.

Target the decision makers
In B2B catalog sales, you are often selling to more than one person. Often,
someone influences the buying decision, another person authorizes the purchase
and yet another person places the order. Make sure your copy meets the unique
needs of each audience that your catalog must reach.

Use even prices to suggest premium quality
Murray Raphel, in the book 2,239 Tested Secrets for Direct Marketing
Success, says even prices suggest higher quality. I agree. You don’t
increase sales of a $10,000 automated payroll system by offering it for $9,995.

Make it a keeper
Add how-to articles, editorial features, industry news, user tips and other
helpful information throughout your catalog to give it added value as a
reference guideone that customers keep longer.

Keep it fresh
Prevent prospects from thinking that your latest catalog is the same as the
old one they already have. Change your cover graphics with each new catalog, and
display a prominent banner that says “38 New Products” or “10 More Pages” or
something similar.

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About the author
Alan Sharpe is a business-to-business direct mail copywriter and lead generation specialist who helps business owners and marketing managers generate leads, close sales and retain customers using business-to-business direct mail marketing. Learn more about his creative direct mail writing services and sign up for free weekly tips like this at http://www.sharpecopy.com.

© 2005 Sharpe Copy Inc. You may reprint this article online and in print provided the links remain live and the content remains unaltered (including the “About the author” message).

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