OCTOBER 2007
Greetings & Salutations:
Hey ... I thunk this one up over 7 years ago:
Business, business, quite capricious,
How do you make it grow?
One sale at a time, with constant purpose,
And duplicates all in a row.
That says it all. -- There ain't any more. -- That's all there
is.
It doesn't matter whether you're talking about the "Fortune
500," or a work-at-home Mom, that little ditty is the foundation
of ALL business success.
Every business only makes "one sale at a time." --
There may be a thousand customers line up to buy your product,
or service, but each customer represents only "one sale;"
whether that sale is one unit or a thousand units ... it is still
just "one sale."
The first requisite to business success is to find one (just
"one") product, or service, that sells, and Sells,
and SELLS. Then, just keep on selling it ... that's where
the constancy of purpose comes in.
Benjamin Disraeli said, "The secret of success is constancy
of purpose."
Once you have "one" (just "one") product,
or service you can sell profitably ... no matter what it is,
or how small the profit ... you are on a solid road to success.
But ...
As Mark Twain once said, "The problem with success is
it goes around disguised as hard work."
Unfortunately, most people do not "fail" at business.
In the vast majority of cases, they just quit. In some
cases, they don't find just "one" product, or service,
they can sell profitably, consistently - but - in most cases,
even when they have "one" product that sells, they
just don't keep-on keeping-on.
Why? -- Simply because they honestly believe the "business
fairy tales" about making millions upon millions of dollars
selling "one" product to a gazillion people, overnight.
Therefore, when the "one" product they are selling
doesn't make them great-gobs of money ... immediately ... they
quit and begin looking for something else to sell that will.
Over the past 30+ years in mailorder, I have seen it happen time
and time again. -- I have had dealers for some of my products
who started earning good commissions ... $200 to $500 per month
... almost immediately. Then, they just stop.
When I have asked those dealers why they quit, I invariably get
the same answer, "It wasn't making enough money. I
want something that will pay me thousands of dollars each month;
not a few measly hundreds." -- Then, I have watched them
chase that same rainbow for years, and years, and years.
Here's a little illustration:
Let's pretend that I mail 1,000 flyers and make a "real"
profit ... after all expenses ... of $100. -- Not much money,
is it? -- But, if 1,000 flyers make me $100; 10,000 flyers will
(statistically) make me $1,000; 100,000 flyers will make me $10,000;
and 1,000,000 flyers will make me $100,000. (By the way,
that's the "real" way it works in the "real"
mailorder business.)
The problem arises with the seeming "hard work" that
comes with mailing 1,000,000 pieces.
Unfortunately, novices in the mailorder ... or any other ...
business look at the added "hard work" involved in
duplicating their efforts as though they would continue doing
everything the same way they did it on the smaller scale. --
They envision themselves sitting at the kitchen table trying
to address, stuff and stamp 1,000,000 envelopes. Or, they
envision hiring a hundred people to address, stuff and stamp
1,000,000 envelopes. (Where will they ever get the money
to pay those people?)
With those visions in their head ... I call it "kitchen
table thinking" ... they decide ...
"It ain't worth it. I'll just keep looking for something
to sell that makes a ton of money with less effort, just like
the big-boys told me they do."
Hey! -- When I started in mailorder, I had more than a few shekels
in my jeans - but - I was unsure of myself and didn't know whether
or not mailorder was a way to go. So, instead of dumping
a big bundle of long-green on mass mailings I was unsure of,
I decided to just put 100 pieces in the mail each day ... until
I knew what I was doing would work. -- I actually addressed,
stuffed and stamped 100 envelopes each evening for the next day's
mailings.
As the money began coming in ... every so slowly at first ...
I computed my costs and, thankfully, showed a profit. It
wasn't anything to brag about - but - it was a "profit."
Since I was making a (very) small profit on my 100 piece per
day mailings, I increased my mailings to 200 pieces per day ...
still addressing, stuffing and stamping the envelopes myself
each evening.
When my 200 pieces per day mailings maintained about the same
"profit per envelope mailed," I began mailing 500 pieces
per day; then 1,000 pieces per day. -- I bought an addressing
machine first (one of those smelly mimeograph kind); then a postage
meter, to reduce my personal labor.
Even with the addressing machine, and postage meter, at the 1,000
pieces per day level, I was really working my tail off to get
my mailing out each day. Then, it happened ...
On a visit to my printer; to get some more mailers printed, I
told him how hard I was working to get my mailings out each day.
He told me about a typing service ... right in my home town ...
that would do all that work for me; on a per-piece basis.
At that time, I was making about 30¢ profit on every envelope
I put in the mail. The typing service only wanted 6¢
apiece to do the work for me. So, using their service,
I was still making 24¢ per envelope ... without doing all
the work myself.
Later, I bought my own printing presses, sophisticated addressing
machines, postage metering machines, inserters, etc., and hired
people to run that machinery for me.
I simply found ways to "duplicate" my efforts; rather
than trying to multiply myself. But, if I had envisioned
doing it ALL by myself, I might well have done as most novices
do and quit before I ever succeeded.
Okay! Let's talk about ...
Duplicating Your Efforts!
(Not Multiplying Yourself)
Sometimes I daydream about having six men exactly like me.
I wouldn't have to teach them anything; or oversee their work,
just turn'em loose and let'em go. -- Wouldn't that be loverly?
But, it ain't gonna happen.
No matter how hard you try, you can "duplicate your efforts,"
but you cannot "multiply yourself."
For example, what if Henry Ford had decided to "multiply"
his company. He would have had to put a "Ford"
manufacturing plant in every city in the U.S.; selling "Ford"
automobiles right off each production line. -- Instead, he kept
the manufacturing plant in Michigan and "duplicated"
the "sales effort," by putting a "sales agency"
in every U.S. city. -- See the difference?
The same holds true in most businesses. That's why we have
franchises, chain stores, agents, dealers, distributors, associates,
affiliates, and sales people of all kinds. -- Why try to "multiply,"
when you can "duplicate?"
No matter what business you have, in order achieve the ultimate
success, you must find a way to duplicate your efforts.
The only way you have of duplicating your efforts is by employing
...
Dealers & Distributors!
Dealers and distributors who will ultimately take your products,
or services, into the homes and offices of your potential customers
across the country. But ...
Where & How Do You Find Them?
My answer used to be, very simply, "Advertise" for
them - but - one of my dealers inadvertently gave me the "key"
to getting more dealers and distributors.
For over 20 years, I had mailorder dealers selling subscriptions
to my paper & ink newsletters. -- In order to become a dealer,
they had to be a paid subscriber themselves.
When they signed up for a dealership, I would send then a packet
of master copies of flyers they can use to sell subscriptions.
-- One of those flyers was entitled, "Wanted - Mailorder
Dealers." It sold subscriptions to my newsletter and
let the respondent sign-up for a dealership at the same time
... with the dealer who sold them the subscription earning the
commission. (NO, it wasn't MLM. The dealer only got
paid for the subscriptions they personally sold.)
Then, I got a harsh note from one of my dealers. -- He had been
selling a few subscriptions ... earning a few commissions ...
but decided to change to the dealers wanted flyers; instead of
the straight subscription flyers he had been using. -- His complaint
was that he had mailed 2,000 of the dealers wanted flyers and
not received one (not even one) new subscription from that mailing.
It was a puzzlement. -- I thunk and I thunk. What could
have caused it? Then it dawned on me.
When I called the dealer back, I asked him only one question,
"What list did you mail the flyer to?" -- He answered
that it was the same list that had been buying subscriptions
all along. -- That was his mistake.
Since the flyer he was using was headed, "Wanted - Mailorder
Dealers," if the list he was mailing was directed to
people who weren't interested in "mailorder," or in
becoming "dealers," the mailing was wasted. -- So ...
When you are trying to enlist dealers, or distributors, for your
product, or service, make sure you ...
Market to People Who Want to be Dealers!
Don't try to market your dealerships ... even if the dealership
is free ... to people who have not shown an interest in becoming
dealers, or getting involved in marketing. -- Don't waste your
money advertising to people who are interested in any of the
other thousands of business opportunities. If they are
not interested in marketing; or dealerships in general, they
are not candidates for your dealership offers.
Of course, you can used either ...
Direct or Indirect Advertising!
Direct advertising is just what you might imagine ... like my
"Wanted - Mailorder Dealers" flyer ... directly
soliciting people to become dealers to sell subscriptions to
my newsletter. -- That flyer indirectly sells subscriptions
to the newsletter.
On the other hand, we put a similar "Wanted - Mailorder
Dealers" flyer in with the newsletter circulation 2
or 3 times a year. That flyer worked to indirectly sign-up
dealers from those people who were already reading the newsletter.
-- In the parlance, that indirect recruiting is called ...
Retail Recruiting!
As a matter of fact, 30 years ago I made a ton of money using
"Retail Recruiting" in some Multi-Level Marketing (MLM)
programs.
Unlike most of the others who were dealers, I NEVER tried to
recruit dealers or distributors for any of the programs I was
involved with. -- Instead, I sold the product, or service, without
even mentioning the MLM program. Then, after the product
was shipped, the customer was offered the opportunity to participate
as a dealer (or whatever).
One MLM program produced over $20,000 per month in commissions
for me - but - I NEVER got involved in the MLM program.
I NEVER recruited any dealers or distributors. -- I just sold
the service and some of those customers chose to participate
in the program ... to my profit.
That's how you get dealers (distributors, associates, affiliates),
but ...
How Do You Make Them Work For You?
Simple answers ... you don't ... you can't ... and you won't.
-- It is impossible to push a man up a rope.
Have you ever heard it said that 20% of your sales people will
produce 80% of your business. Well, that's wishful thinking
when you are talking about most dealerships.
Over the years, I have signed-up tens of thousands of dealers
for my various products and services ... one program had over
100,000 (that's right, One Hundred Thousand) registered dealers
but that was a fluke. -- How many of them made money? -- Maybe
2% of them; at best.
In the deal that had over 100,000 registered dealers, there were
about 1,500 of them earning commissions ... most of them earning
$10 to $20 per month ... maybe a dozen of them earning $100 to
$500 per month ... and 2 or 3 or them making $5,000 (or more)
per month ... with one of them regularly earning over $10,000
per month. -- My all-time BEST dealer (selling another of my
services) consistently turned from $50,000 to $100,000 per month.
Remember what Mark Twain said, "The problem with success
is it goes around disguised as hard work."
Becoming a dealer (of any kind; for anything) is much like religion
... Ever'body wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.
At one time, I even tried "motivating" my dealers by
offering them incentives and bonuses, and using all of the other
methods of motivation taught by the great gurus of positive thinking.
-- Guess what! -- All of the incentives and bonuses went to the
very same people who were already producing.
So, if you are employing dealers, distributors, associates, affiliates,
or whatever ...
Don't Try to Motivate'em ... Fire'em!
Instead of wasting your time and money trying to get "do-nothings"
to do something, spend your time helping and assisting those
who are already doing what they should be doing. Make it
easier, more profitable, less burdensome, for your productive
people.
Do nothing to encourage the "do-nothings." -- You may
be able to inspire them to "dream bigger dreams" but
you will never inspire them to do what is necessary to their
success. But, when one of them does start producing ...
even on a limited basis ... jump right in with your support and
encouragement.
Now, go back to the beginning and reread the little ditty I writ
... it will have far more meaning to you now.
Can you stump the old master? --
Betcha can't!
Over the past 50 years (man and boy), I have made bundles
of money in direct selling, service contracting, wholesale merchandising,
entertainment (I was a professional Trumpet player, vocalist
& Radio Announcer), freight forwarding, import/export, retail
merchandising, warehousing, real estate, electronics manufacturing,
finder's fees, closeout merchandising, financial brokerage, business
consulting, steel fabrication, gold and coal mining, offshore
banking, mailorder, writing, and publishing. -- That being the
case ...
No matter what business you're in ... whether you're just
starting, well on your way, or at the top of the heap ... I've
probably been where you are, done what you are doing. -- So ...
Anytime you have a question about 'how' to do something in
your business - or - if you have any comments about anything
I've said in issues of this e-Letter; or if you want to add your
2 cents worth ... just "ask" me or "tell"
me.
Send your Questions, Comments or 2 Cents Worth
to ...
with "Question" - "Comment"
- or, "2 Cents Worth" in the SUBJECT.
If I, personally, don't have an answer to any question you
may ask, I will contact some of the professionals in your field
of endeavor (I will probably know one or more personally) to
get the real 'skinny' for you.
Note: If you want to ask a question anonymously
just tell me so when you send in the question. -- Nobody but
you and I will know who asked the question.
Copyright - 2007, J.F. (Jim) Straw. All rights reserved.