Pick up nearly every book or report on Mailorder Selling and invariably you will find the same advice. When you select a mailorder product, select one which:- appeals to a large segment of the populace- is not easily available in stores- is easy to ship by mail- is worthwhile- and something that lends itself to repeat ordersMost mail order writers may also tell you to try to acquire exclusive selling rights to your product. Most writers will agree that a dealer has a better potential for succeeding in the mailorder business if he has created the merchandise himself.All of this is obviously good advice. The difficulty with it is that it generally does not go far enough. It generally does not tell you How exactly to create a product that is exclusively you own. In what follows, I would like to show you, step by step, HOW to create your own mailorder product.I would like to begin by creating a very revolutionary statement. THE INITIAL STEP ON THE ROAD TO MAIL ORDER SUCCESS ISN'T THE SELECTION OF SOMETHING! That may sound like an extremely strange statement, but there are three things you should do (in order to achieve success) before you ever decide on a product to market by mail!FIRST, you must ANALYZE YOURSELF. You will only succeed in selling a product, or a line of mailorder products in the event that you enjoy selling them, if you can be honestly enthusiastic about them, and if they're products you yourself would honestly want to buy.SECOND, you must SELECT YOUR MARKET. After you have analyzed yourself, you should sell to people who have interests similar to your own. Only then will you be comfortable in your mailorder business.THIRD, you need to thoroughly ANALYZE YOUR MARKET. Before you ever decide on a product, you have to know what your market is buying, what it wish to buy, if available, and what it will buy form you, in the near future.After you have analyzed yourself, selected your market, and thoroughly analyzed your market, you should have no trouble selecting or developing a product to market by mail. It will almost select you! Now, let's go back and study these three steps, one by one.ANALYZE YOURSELFTo assist you understand yourself, sit down and, as honestly as you possibly can, write out your answers to the following questions:1. When I go to a newstand, what type of magazines appeal to ME?2. Which kind of books do I like to read?3. When I daydream, what do I daydream about?4. What do I really do with my leisure time? (How do you spend my evenings? What do I really do on weekends?)5. What do I do on my vacation?6. What one subject interests me more than any other subject in the world?7. If I didn't need to work for a full time income, how would I spend my time?8. If I could go back to college, what subjects would I take?9. Which kind of products do I like to purchase by mail?After you have HONESTLY answered each one of these questions, you will notice an incredible pattern emerging. When you have finished, pay a visit to your local library. Visit the Reference Desk and have to start to see the latest edition of the WRITER'S MARKET. Sit back and study the Table of Contents, which lists all of the main categories of magazines becoming printed. Decide which CATEGORY interests you beyond others. It is for the reason that mailorder market that you will be most at home . . . and it is there you will be most successfulNow go back to the Reference Desk and ask for just two other publications. Either one will provide you with the information you need. They are:- THE TYPICAL PERIODICAL DIRECTORY and- ULTICH'S INTERNATIONAL PERIODICAL DIRECTORYI, of course, do not know what your interests really are, but let us, for the sake of illustration, say that you have a compelling interest in Astrology. With a little search in the typical Periodical Directory, you will find the name and address of at the very least a dozen or so Astrology magazines. In Ulrich's you can find even more, since it lists magazines published in foreign countries aswell.Write down the names and address of each and every publication. Write to all of them, on your letterhead when possible. If you don't have a letterhead, you'll still hear from many of them. Tell them you are starting a mailorder business, focusing on Astrological products, and have them for a sample copy of their publications, with their ADVERTISING RATES.When you start receiving your sample copies, save them . . . and save the advertising rate cards. They will be invaluable to you in the future.While you are waiting for these to arrive, visit the nearest second-and magazine store and buy a few dozen old astrology magazines. (The price? Probably a dime apiece!) Get as many different magazine titles as you possibly can and be sure to get copies with MAIL ORDER ADS inside them. Issues that are ten or fifteen yrs . old will be valuable to you, but also make an effort to obtain a number of the more current issues. You are now prepared to start . . .ANALYZING YOUR MARKETStart a notebook. Pick up one of many magazines which you have purchased at the second-hand magazine store. Browse the first ad. . . every type of it. Read it slowly and carefully. If you have finished reading it, see when you can describe what is being sold in five words or less. If you cannot, go back and read it again. If you can, record your description under one of three headings in your notebook:- Merchandise- Information- ServiceAll mailorder offerings come under one of many three headings listed above. If the ad was for an Aquarian Necklace, it must be listed under Merchandise. If it had been for a treatise on Flying Saucers, it ought to be listed under Information. If it was an offer to chart your horoscope, it must be listed under Service.Once you have analyzed the first ad, go on and study the next ad. Continue until you have thoroughly analyzed each and every ad in the magazine, including the classifieds. While you are through, you should have three lists:- A list of Astrological Merchandise for sale- A listing of Astrological Manuals (Information) on the market- A list of Astrological services for sale.As you read, watch out for:UNDEVELOPED IDEAS -- Especially in older issues, you will see really good ideas that were, for one reason or another, never developed. Possibly the originator lost interest or didn't have the administrative centre to develop his idea. He might have died or he may have run off with a chorus girl from NEVADA and forgotten about the mail order business. If you can develop the idea, you've got a mail order product.WHOLESALE SOURCES -- Watch out for ads that say "Dealers Wanted" (in more current issues, needless to say). Here could be the perfect source of mailorder products for you personally.STUDY THE ARTICLES -- They will demonstrate what the readers want in and they'll give you clues in regards to what the readers need it. Remember the articles are doing two things -- they are printing articles about subjects which the readers are already interested. But they may also be CREATING NEW INTERESTS in the minds of the readers. IS IT POSSIBLE TO CREATE A PRODUCT THAT READERS WILL NEED DUE TO READING THOSE ARTICLES?You can be amazed at what you would discover once you read magazines from the viewpoint of a mailorder man!While researching this manuscript, I analyzed three completely different magazines from the viewpoint of a mailorder man. I'd like to share a few of my findings with you. Don't worry if the fields are different from those which interest you. MAILORDER PRINCIPLES ARE THE SAME FOR EACH AND EVERY MARKET!The first magazine that i analyzed was ASTROLOGY - YOUR DAILY HOROSCOPE, December 1975. I would like to begin with the item Offerings.ASTROLOGY (MERCHANDISE)The first ad is for personalized stationary. Any mailorder man knows you can sell personalized stationary to any market. But this dealer took a commonplace product and adapted it to the Astrological market. Next to the name and address which he prints on the stationary, he prints the Astrological sun sign and he calls it ZODIAC STATIONARY.Another ad is for another very commonplace product -- soap! You can buy soap in any supermarket. But this soap is special. It has YOUR ZODIAC SIGN imprinted inside it, and it lasts so long as the soap lasts. Here's another good example of adapting a commonplace product to the special interests and desires of your prospective customers.Should you be now selling something by mail and you wish to increase you sales, create a list of the forms of people you would like to sell it to. (For example, doctors, waitresses, farmers, gun collectors, etc.) Then go back and ask yourself what you could do to your product to create it appeal to every individual group. You'll be amazed at the best way to turn commonplace items into red hot mailorder sellers just by taking the time to place yourself in your customer's shoes for a while.The next merchandise offering is for "SEASHELLS FOR VIRGOS AND SCORPIOS". Brother, it is a fantastic idea. Had this advertiser offered plain old seashells in an astrology magazine, his mailbox would probably have been empty. Had he advertised "Seashells for Astrologers", he could have gotten a few orders. But he made his seashells special, exclusive, and incredibly, very desirable, because they're only for Virgos and Scorpios. He is catching the attention of 1 reader from every six and I'd bet that ad was a mailorder success! Here's a concept worth remembering. Try to apply it to YOUR product!Another merchandise offering was a "Hand Bio-Rhythm Computer". For recent years, Astrology magazines have been running article after article on the Bio-Rhythm Theory (i.e. every male and female person has emotional, intellectual and physical cycles, and this can be predicted beforehand). The Astrology magazines, in place, have been creating a mailorder market because of this sort of new product. The ad promises, "it reveals your emotional, intellectual and physical state . . . EVEN BEFORE THE DAY BEGINS!" This dealer was clever enough to do something concerning this new interest. If he had not studied his market, he could do not have discovered the necessity for a Bio-Rhythm computer!ASTROLOGY (INFORMATION)Individuals who read Astrology magazines have become thinking about Love, Money, Success, Power, Miracles, Prayer, etc. One enterprising dealer has written six "personal guidance" manuals, and runs full page ads in Astrology magazines, selling them form $2.00 to $11.00 each! His ads have already been running successfully for years. Back 1960, when I first became thinking about selling by mail, this dealer was running small ads in mail dealer magazines, selling mailorder manuals!Here are some of another information manuals which dealers have written and so are selling by mail:- How the Maya Indians Foretold the Future - $15.00- Powerful Words to Be Recited Daily to End Your Money Worries - $4.00- How exactly to Spiritually Heal Your Pets - $5.00- A Manual on Etheric Astal Projection, written "specifically for the Neophyte" - $3.00Can you develop a WORTHWHILE manual for this market? (I predict that the initial dealer who writes an excellent manual on Bio-Rhythm will make a fortune!) If you want ideas for manuals, study the subjects on offer in the Astrology magazines. Remember --the readers are interested in those subjects! In the problem of ASTROLOGY - YOUR INDIVIDUAL HOROSCOPE which I read, the following information articles appeared. (That is only a partial list.)"Yearly Forecast for Sagittarians" "Basic Astronomy for the Astrologers" "Sybil Leek Analyzes YOUR Dreams" "How to Make Your Dreams PAY BACK" "How Mercury Inspires Your Creativity"A report of OLD Astrology magazines will provide you with an abundance of subjects for New Mailorder Manuals (or folios).ASTROLOGY (SERVICE)If there is one thing people who read Astrology magazines love, it is this . . . They WANT TO BE ANALYZED AND COUNSELLED BY PROFESSIONALS. Are you experiencing specialized trained in the art of Horoscope Reading? If that's the case, you can sell your services by mail. Below are a few of the news form ads offering such services:- "Let an Expert Discuss YOUR Life!"- "This Horoscope is about YOU"- "Now . . . a significant study of YOU!"- "Now there is really a Horoscope written for the TWO OF YOU! . . .One for you personally, one for your cherished one! It might mean thedifference between a Happy Marriage and an agonizing Divorce!"- "1976 - 1977 - 1978! Is one of these YOUR Year of Destiny?"(This had been running in Astrology magazines for at the very least tenyears. Every year, the advertiser simply changes the dates!Other services being offered in this magazine include:- Personal Questions Answered by Psychics and Mystics- Spiritual Readings- Tarot Readings- Palm Readings- Handwriting Analysis- Questions answered through Astro-Extra Sensory PerceptionAre you trained to provide such services through the mail? Or are you interested in receiving such training? (You will find many such offers to train you in a newstand magazine called FATE.) If you answer is Yes . . . that's where you should begin your mailorder career.Another magazine I analyzed was the November 1975 problem of FIELD AND STREAM. Since this magazine is targeted at two mailorder markets, hunters and fishermen, I analyzed only those ads regarding Hunters.HUNTERS (MERCHANDISE)Men who hunt for wild game spend big money on the hobby. They buy excellent hunting clothes. (Who would like to go hunting in a CHEAP pair of jungle boots?) They spend big money on the guns, their hunting knives, and at the top quality binoculars. There are numerous dozen well-established mail order companies selling this sort of merchandise to hunters. If you ar planning to set up a one man mail order operation, you'd be well advised not to try to contend with these companies. Instead, search for something unique a hunter can USE, and commence you mailorder business there.Here are a few merchandise offerings being made by enterprising dealers:"Deer Hunter's soap" (Bathe in soap scented with the aroma of a lady deer and you may attract a Buck. Only $1.50 per bay!) Notice what sort of smart dealer ADAPTED a commonplace item to a specialized market. Notice too, he adapted it to ONLY ONE SORT OF HUNTER. HE DIDN'T OFFER IT TO BEAR HUNTERS, TO COON HUNTERS, TO QUAIL HUNTERS, OR TO GAME HUNTERS GENERALLY. He offered it to deer-hunters! If you're a deer-hunter, you'll observe that ad!""Curtain rods for HUNTING Vans - $3.95 a pair." (Sure, you can buy curtain rods in any dime store, however, not curtain rods for HUNTING VANS! Another excellent exemplory case of going for a commonplace item, adapting it to a specialized market, and developing a new mailorder product.Also offered:- Gun cleaning cloths (10 for a dollar)- Brass Nameplates for HUNTING DOGS (not for any old dog!)- ID Tags for Your Hunting Dogs- Handwarmers and Bodywarmers (Boy, would you use these when you get lost in the snow!)- There was a little classified ad offering "Fish and Game Rubber Stamps." I am hoping this dealer got many orders, but if he didn't, I suspect it had been because his offer was too general. To begin with, it would have sold better with an illustrated display ad. But even better . . . let us go back to the Virgo and Scorpio concept above. How about rubber stamps for Coon Hunters? Or for Pheasant Hunters? Or rubber stamps for Taxidermists? You will always have more orders in the event that you direct your ad to specific people.HUNTING (INFORMATION)Frankly, I was amazed at the volume of Information Folios being sold to Hunters. Here are some examples:"How to Build YOUR PERSONAL Gun Cabinet""Duck Calling Instructions" (half an hour on tape!) A lot of information, atlanta divorce attorneys field, is currently being placed on cassette tape and sold by mail. If you would prefer to talk than write, this may be an aspect of mailorder selling so you might consider."Chart showing Life-size Tracks of 38 Animals in the Adirondack Mountains" (Incidently not all information is written. Lots of people buy plans, diagrams, etc. To digress, recently a dealer advertised plans to build your own flying saucer detector!)"Developing Box Traps - $1.00""My Secret on Coon Trapping, after 50 years. Guaranteed, $1.00""Mount fish for Fun and Profit - Easy instructions - $1.00""Tan Your Own Hides - Hair on or off - Complete, easy to follow instructions and Formulas - $1.00""Build (meat, fish, sausage) smoker! Inexpensive, protable.... easy plans, $1.00""Wild Game and Fish Recipes - Deer, Bear, Rabbit, Trout, Salmon and dozens more - $1.00"Is it possible to write an information manual for hunters? Is it possible to tell him how exactly to shoot ducks? Or how to hunt buffalo? . . . Or what to do for snake bites? . . . Or how exactly to sign up for a Big Game Safari in the wilds of Africa? When you can, write an excellent manual (or put it on tape!) and sell it by mail!HUNTING (SERVICE)Unlike the readers of Astrology magazines, Game Hunters don't give a damn about being analyzed or counselled! But when you can teach his hunting dog how exactly to chase a bear up a tree, he then will most likely pay you for the services. Is it possible to repair his gun? Or is it possible to stuff and mount his catches? If that's the case, you can build a mailorder business offering such services.The ultimate publication analyzed was the WRITER'S DIGEST of November, 1975.WRITING (MERCHANDISE)If you are interested in the craft of writing (or in case you have done well in creative writing classes) you may decide to create a mail order business catering to the needs of hundreds of thousands of persons who dream of becoming professional writers. here are several of the merchandise offerings being designed to writers:- "Copyright and Related Laws for Writers"- "Grants and Aids to Individuals in the Arts - 1500 Sources." (What writer isn't searching for a grant?)- "I receive checks weekly for features, fillers, news. Free details."- "Gagwriters Guide"- "Secret Way to Make Money Writing - $2.00"- "EARN MONEY Writing Fillers! Up-to-Date Filler Directory."- "International Directory of Little Magazines and Small Presses."When you can produce an information manual showing writers how to write better, or how to sell their manuscripts, then write it and sell it by mail. You should have CREATED a fresh mailorder product! (To obtain ideas for subjects of interest to writers, study the articles in such publications because the Writers Digest, The Writer, Saturday Review, etc.)WRITERS -- (SERVICE)A number of the largest mailorder business in the world sell correspondence courses teaching people how exactly to write for a full time income. There are also a dozen or even more large printing companies (called "Vanity Publishers" in the trade) whose sole business is printing books for authors, whose works have already been rejected by the regular publishing houses.If you are a serious literary person, with a gift for writing, you could very possibly establish a business offering your services to writers. Here are a few of the services that have been being offered in the November 1975 issue of Writer's Digest:- Literary Counseling- Literary Criticism- Literary Editing- Short Story Evaluation- Manuscript Analysis- Article Evaluation (No Fiction)- Ghost Writing- Newspaper and Magazine Reference Service (Authors often need such a service.)- Manuscript TypingAre you qualified to provide these services by mail? In case you are, you have found something to market by mail! If you're not now qualified, why not acquire professional training . . . and offer your services by mail?IN CONCLUSIONI realize that I have just touched the surface of three different mail order markets. There are a huge selection of other mail order markets that you should explore! Analyze yourself and select the market that is best for you.Study your market thoroughly . . . AND NEVER STOP STUDYING IT. Most successful mailorder people read dozens of magazines every month. They Know very well what their customers are thinking about, what they need, and what they will buy.Successful mailorder people are interested in the requirements and WANTS of their customers FIRST. They recognize that if they concentrate on those, profits will flow naturally. Those who think only of profits soon go by the wayside.In the beginning of the manual, I asked one to write to every magazine in your selected field. Subscribe to as much as possible. Once you have created your first product, then start advertising in those magazines (which is why I thought to keep their rate cards.) Never run an ad unless you can run it in three consecutive issues. Then CONTINUE running it for as long as it continues to create new customers for you. Slowly add new (but related) items to your line. Whenever you can, expand your business by inserting your ads in new publications.Remember these simple guidelines:- DON'T COPY ANYONE ELSE! You are a distinctive individual. Express your personal individuality in your Mail Order business.- CREATE SOMETHING NEW AND EXCITING!- CREATE SOMETHING HELPFUL AND WORTHWHILE!- CREATE SOMETHING YOU YOURSELF WOULD LIKE TO BUY!Copyright by DeAnna Spencer 2004This article may be reproduced and redistributed freely on the net provided that the resource box remains intact.DeAnna Spencer is a virtual assistant that helps entrepreneurs run an effective business by providing affordable administrative help. She also publishes a blog for small enterprises. Visit this small company resource today.