When you receive hundreds of different informational packets
from all over the country do you consider it junk mail and file
it in file #13 without even opening the envelope?
Tens of thousands of mailorder dealers and enthusiasts send out
informational packets every day. Combine this with all the
other commercial advertising and promotional materials that
float through the mail and its easy to see how the Postal
Department stays in business. However, there is a big
difference between so-called « Junk Mail » and « Big Mail ».
Big mail consists of a great variety of advertising circulars,
adsheets, magazines, mail order and income opportunities,
multi-level marketing concepts… and a million illegal chain
letters every day. Most of the multi-level marketing programs
are about as worthless as the chain letters, neither producing
any money, not even for the ones who initiate the programs.
However when you look over the advertisements and offers in
« TRUE » Big Mail you will find a great deal of interesting
information, and quite often a good money-making proposition.
You will find various articles written by publishers and
mailorder dealers that add to your knowledge. In fact if you
are going into the mail order method of doing business, or if
you are already heavily involved in mail order, the information
you receive in the form of Big Mail is a must.
So… Make a trip to your nearest store. Pick up a copy of the
latest business opportunity, and/or money-making magazine,
review the thousands of classified and display ads. Send for
the information and offers that appeal to you. You will be
flooded with various material from all over, including every
kind of marketing program and, eventually, 500 different kinds
of illegal chain letters. Open it all! Stay away form the
chain letters and « make a million dollars-overnight » deals but
review it all… You will find some good and lucrative
money-making plans… and many good ideas that may spark that
million dollar idea that has been floating around in the back of
your head for the past 2 years.
And of course, in the process of receiving, reviewing, analyzing
and filing the valuable portion of the materials you receive you
will be building up a good name list, to use for your own offers
or for rent or re-sale to others. You never know, the next
piece you open may spark than million dollar idea! A word of
warning though… When it start coming it never stops… At
least I still have it coming in by the ton… and it’s 20 years
and 2,000 tons later!
Money in « BIG MAIL »!
The amount of money you make with Big Mail depends primarily on
how your programs are handled and on the materials you make
available for the Big Mail Packet!
Unless you have a number of your own offers to include in the
packet, to get started you may have to re-mail some of the big
mail you receive from other dealers. They won’t mind… If you
are not buying perhaps your customer will. It is much better
for them than to have it wind up in your file « 13 ».
To get the Big Mails coming in, you will have to promote to the
effect you are a professional mailer and for a reasonable fee
will mail circulars, ad sheets, etc, to the inner circle, outer
circle or both, depending on the best route for a particular
offer. You can stuff many offers in a packet weighing just a
few ounces.
A certain amount of free mailing of commission circulars which
offer good selling products can also enhance your operation by
keeping your inventory of « BIG MAIL » offers sufficient to fill
demand.
On the outgoing side, promote the fact you have « thousands of
offers » from « hundreds of dealers » available for a small fee
(assuming, of course, this is fact). This is better than using
the over-worked words « BIG MAIL ».
Include your own offers with all the outgoing packets. Get 100%
value for the high postage costs. Fill them right to the weight
limit!
How to Mail 1,000 Big Mails Free!
Keep advertising.
Place at least one ad each day until you are receiving an
average of 34 a day or 1,000 each month. If you will use the
following ad, this plan will not be hard to implement as it
should bring lots of orders:
« How to mail out 1,000 big mails free! » Complete plan 50 cents.
(Your name and address) »
This 50 cent plan weighs only 1/10th of an ounce or less and
will go for the minimum postage. You can fill the envelope with
another 1 and 9/10 (Nine one-half sheets…or…Four 8-1/2×11
sheets.. or…almost 70 3×6’s) for a free ride without paying
additional postage i.e. You can make up a big mail weighing 1
9/10 ounces, or less, and you can mail it out free with the
plans you advertise.
The « Big Mail » can include imprints that pay you a commission or
you can charge others for mailing their circulars and include
them. The main point is that ads selling the 50 cent plan will
usually pull many more orders than just « Big Mail 50 cents ». A
good dealer will make extra income with ads like this.
And in the event you didn’t understand what plan we’re talking
about, it’s the one you are reading right now!
How to Get Your Circulars Mailed Free!
There is another way to get your circulars mailed free. As soon
as you can afford it, become a supplier of commission circulars.
The easiest way to do this is to take « all-profit » offers and
have circulars printed on two sides. On one side have your own
name and address printed. On the other side, leave space for a
rubber stamp imprint.
Offer these circulars to circular mailers on a commission basis.
They keep a commission from 50% to 100% on the one side, and you
make your profit on the other. Use the same method for any
offers that you develop for yourself.
You can reach these mailers by advertising in, or subscribing to
several mailorder trade magazines and adsheets. Another way to
locate mailers for your literature is to notice the ads by
mailers; usually at the bottom of their ads they state
« Commission circulars Mailed Free », which means they get one
side and you get the other, as above.
If you really want to get rolling using this method, take two
« all Profit » offers, one on each side, and give the mailer 100%
on one side. You still make yours on the other offer.
Also, if you are interested in obtaining additional commission
circulars for yourself, include « Commission Circulars Mailed
Free », in your own ads.
Still another way to get your literature mailed free is to
include this little note in all your advertising… at the end
of the copy… « Stamp appreciated ».
It only costs you two words, but it could save you a great deal
in postage. If you are advertising in trade publications or
adsheets use « SASE » which means « Self addressed, stamped
envelope ». The savings for envelopes, addressing labor and
postage can add up fast. Many small dealers use this method
exclusively, even in the large circulation magazines. They have
been using it for years and it still works!
Financial Considerations with « BIG MAIL »!
A 8-1/2×11 sheet of #16 bond paper weighs 8 pounds per thousand.
(2 reams). (128 ounces or 7.8125 sheets per ounce). #20 bond
paper weighs 10 lbs. per M. (160 ounces or 6.25 sheets per
ounce).
If you are mailing out the « equivalent » of 100 8-1/2×11 #16
circulars for your clients at $2.00 and receiving $2.00 for 4
ounces of your big Mail, how do you come out? What are the
costs involved? To start with we will have to figure in
« equivalent » units because of dealing in circulars, adsheets,
etc., of all different kinds, sizes and weights. Also, some of
the circulars will pay us a commission on sales made.
Due to the hundreds of variations in a program from one mailing
to the next and the varying postal rates per ounce, it is
difficult to write a set formula for cost determination. A
simple rule of thumb will suffice much more adequately and with
no big mathematical « Brain Drains » involved. Figure
conservatively by allowing six 8-1/2×11 sheets of #16 or five
sheets of #20 weight paper for each ounce. (Accurate postal
scales are a necessity).
In equivalent units then, we can safely figure 12 (1/2 sheets)
of #16; 10 (1/2 sheets) of #20; or 36 #16 (3×6’s); or 30 #20
(3×6’s); per ounce. In other words you can send out some 120
3×6’s in a four ounce packet… etc…
Depending on the weight of each packet, it now costs some $2.50
to $3.50 average to mail 100 equivalent full sheet circulars,
exclusive of envelopes, advertising, labor and general overhead
expenses.
When preparing the mailing packets, sorting and stacking can be
very time-consuming. If folding, cutting or stapling is
involved it is just that much more out of potential profits.
You must remember that « TIME IS MONEY »! Allocate your time to
the programs that are bringing profits! Drop the non-producers.