A: It's a good idea to do a some research to find out if you have competition in mail order similar to yours. If you do not find competition, that is a strong indication what you are offering may not work. Test your idea by taking small steps at a time and let the marketplace tell you whether to continue or not.

Q: How should my mailer be designed?

A: The mailing piece must be printed clearly, should be easy to read. Coupons, business reply envelopes and postage-paid reply envelopes are additional strategies to consider. Toll-free phone number and acceptance of credit cards for payment make ordering easy. Convenience is the key. Remember to apply KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) to everything you do in mail order.

Q: How can I test my mailer?

A: Mailing it to friends and/or business associates works great. Let them tell you candidly what they think of the offer and what they like and dislike about the mailer. Make changes and revisions accordingly, and be sure you get a large enough sampling to justify the changes.

Q: What types of mailing lists are available?

A: There are three basic kinds of mailing lists: A compiled list, inquiry list, and a respondent list. A compiled list is like a directory (the telephone book is a complied list). An inquiry list is usually a list of people who responded to a classified ad offering free information. A respondent list is a list of people who bought something by mail. This is the most responsive of all three kinds of lists and therefore commands a higher rental fee. Now that you have established a profile of your prospects, you are ready to choose a mailing list to test. This will require contact, with list owners and brokers.

Q: Which list should I pick?

A: To select the right mailing list, you first must clearly establish a profile of your likely prospects. A profile of a prospect could include what kinds of offers he/she has responded to in the past and whether or not they spent money by mail. Other profile considerations could include sex, whether he/she is a credit card buyer, and whether he/she provided a telephone number willingly. Request a test quantity and let the results of the tell you whether to continue with that list or to try another mailing list.

Q: What things should I look for in a broker/list owner?

A: Ask the following questions when looking for a broker/list owner:

1. What is the size of the list offered- you want a list to be large enough to allow you to re-order if the test works successfully.
   
2. How often is the list updated, and how often are new names added to the data base?
   
3. What guarantees are offered by the list owner/broker offering the list?
   
4. How long has the list owner/broker been in business?
   
5. What is the method of payment?
   
6. How promptly can the order be shipped, and what is the method of shipping?
   
7. What methods of addressing are available, such as Cheshire labels, pressure-sensitive labels, 1/2" magnetic tape, IBM/1600 or 6250/BPI with record layout and dump or IBM compatible computer diskettes?
   
8. What other lists are available from the list owner/broker?