Business Marketing - Direct Mail Publishing Tips to Developing Your Own Publishing Enterprise

You suddenly become aware, of the possibility that come over you when you think of direct mail publishing, business marketing. With the phenomenon of world wide money getting, the possibilities are endless..

It excites you thinking of waking up and going about your daily routine, and suddenly the door bell rings it's your mail man he has a huge bag crammed full of mail with your name on it.

You quickly invite him in and have him drop the mail on the floor, sign the acceptance form and quickly shut the door behind him. You rush back to the thousands of letters that are on your living room floor and start opening them one by one to realize that they are all full of checks, money orders, cashier checks, and even cash, all sighed to YOU.

This is what it is like running a profitable marketing business, AKA direct mail order enterprise (self publishing) from the comfort of your own home.

I recall dreaming night after night about the possibilities of staying home and self publishing, I thought of it as a money getting phenomenon marketing my business using direct mail to make thousands of dollars.

Here's are some tips & tactics on how you can excel at developing your business - marketing direct enterprise:

1- Develop your own sales letter copy, the ideal set of sales literature contains a sales letter, a sales circular that further describes the item. There must be an order coupon on the sales page or circular. There are various companies to make use of print services, flyers, sales letters, post cards, self-mailers, business cards ext,

2- Pricing the product, self publishing can be started with very little money. $375 can get you started in self publishing almost instantly, (That is only about $1 per day over a year!) Compare this small amount to that of opening your own retail store with requirements of $25,000 to $100,000!

3- Marketing, is the most important aspect of any business. If you do not market a product correctly, you will never make any money. If the type of marketing you are going to be using is direct mail publishing. In this case you will need a list of opportunity seekers, or an e-mail list to mail your offer to if you have one.

4- Renting a mailing list, is the first step in direct mail. Renting a mailing list consists of sending a letter & payment to a -list broker. The broker will need to know the quantity of names you wish to rent, you will need to ask for a list of (opportunity seekers).

5- List building is the epitome of marketing, If you dont have a mailing list no one will see your offer. And no sales will take place, Ezine marketing is a great way to build an email list this can be just as effective as direct mail publishing.

The dream of self publishing is not just a dream but a reality. The truth is we live in the information age, self publishing can be very lucrative and pays more then the mind can imagine. What one can think and imagine can be put into action. Would you like to know how I build my direct mail publishing enterprise using ezine article marketing? Discover your inner talent.

How to Use Direct Marketing For Business

For any business, marketing is an essential means of getting the word out about a product. This could be done in an assortment of ways. Big businesses will necessarily have a different means of marketing compared to smaller firms. Not only will the big guys have more funds in order to maintain public awareness of its products, but their established reputations require less elaboration as to what these goods and services are. If you're a small business, you might be intimidated by this knowledge, of large companies having much greater media artillery and clout. You can nonetheless level the playing field to a certain degree, through the proper use of direct marketing.

Direct marketing is the soliciting of one's goods or services through 'direct' means. This includes telemarketing and e-mail marketing. You are probably thinking, "Oh I hate telemarketers! And I loathe spam!" but don't shut your mind too quickly on the matter. After all, the use of the telephone or the use of e-mail per se are not wrong. Right? You may have bad experiences with certain styles of sellers, but this does not mean that you could not apply this kind of marketing in a more dignified manner.

Firing off spam and dialing random numbers is really not a way to do business, not just because of the bad will that it fosters, but because it is an inefficient use of your resources. It is not really what direct marketing is about. What you have to do is gain access to a database of telephone numbers and e-mail addresses of people who are likely to be interested in your product. There are legal and non-intrusive means of doing this, all with your intended client's prior consent.

By targeting a particular crowd or group for your niche market, you have a better 'batting average' when it comes to favorable responses. When a potential client bites, you then have to handle things in an even more direct manner. If you are hiring several people to man the phones or computers, make sure they are well trained not just to rattle off details about your products, but rather to listen to what this customer-to-be wants or needs. A customer who is explaining to you that he mainly uses a printer to produce company handouts for immediate disposal will be turned off if you go on ranting about what wonderful color and precision your laser printer model is capable of. You must not lose sight of what direct marketing is all about - 'tailor-made' solutions.

We have looked at both telemarketing and spamming primarily because these are what give direct marketing a bad name. As you can see, it's not as bad you think it is. But there are other means of marketing not yet considered. There is the use of coupons or leaflets, either dropped off in mailboxes or handed to you near the vicinity of an establishment. And infomercials are also considered under this category due to their 'Call Now!' nature.

Direct marketing is about being as direct to the customer as can be. Not only can you provide exacting standards according to your customer's specifications, but you can learn more about your market as a whole, which translates to buyer satisfaction and increased productivity and profits.

The Importance of a Game Plan in an Internet Marketing Home Business

In order to be able to attain real success in an internet marketing home business it is imperative to have a game plan in place. A game plan will essentially act as a guide in that will keep you on track focusing on the key result areas of your business. By neglecting to put a game plan in place to direct your actions and activities, you are setting yourself up for failure.

One of the most important reasons you must take the time to put together a game plan if you wish to have success in your internet marketing home business is because it will allow you to take focused and directed action. In many ways, a game plan acts like a set of directions. What do directions do? They take you from where you are to where you want to go. Well this is exactly what having a game plan in place allows you to do. By being focused on and knowing exactly what it is you need to get done each month, each week, and each day, you can go to work on those things and get them done.

A second benefit to having a game plan in place for your internet marketing home business is that it will drastically increase your efficiency. It is very easy to get distracted online and the effects of this are much lower efficiency and productivity. People spend time doing things that do nothing to build their business or to help it grow. By comprising your game plan of activities that directly impact your business in a positive manner (helping it grow and become more profitable) you can focus your efforts on these tasks. The result of spending more time and focusing more energy and effort on income producing activities and key result areas, you will substantially increase your efficiency and productivity.

An additional benefit of implementing a game plan in your internet marketing home business is that it will also enable you to prioritize the importance of the activities you engage in. The biggest waste of time is doing something that doesn't need to be done at all. With a game plan in place, you can ensure that you are spending your time completing the tasks that are essential to the life of your business. Each day you can block out time to complete these important tasks and ensure they get completed. With the absence of a game plan, many unsuccessful marketers spend time doing things that do not have any real impact on their business. If these individuals had a game plan in place, they could much more easily prioritize their activities and get the key tasks done each and every day. This would directly result in more favorable results.

The fact is having a game plan in place is going to set your internet marketing home business up for success. A game plan will enable you to focus in on the key result areas of your business, prioritize those tasks, and subsequently complete them habitually, drastically improving your efficiency and productivity. A game plan will keep you on the right track and not allow you to be thrown off. Your actions will stay directed and your internet marketing home business will be set up for success.

Direct Marketing Internet Business - The Future Of Great Wealth

There are approximately 6.4 Billion people on earth. Even in Asia where more than half of the worlds population resides; at least 1 in every 3 homes have a personal computer installed. Not to mention the Internet. This marks the beginning of the direct marketing Internet business era.

Very conveniently I glanced at my dictionary and found juicy bit for you. Direct marketing means, "the business of selling products or services directly to customers who order by mail or by telephone". Internet business means, "an entity that profits from a transaction of goods over the Internet". Hope it not too complicated for you.

Contrary to what many people or top Internet marketers tell you, the market for certain niches is never saturated. Everyday there are new problems that arises and needs to be solved. Here is where you come in to fill that gap and make a profit by running a direct marketing Internet business.

For instance, you want to start a business but really do not have a knack for talking to people or even have technical knowledge about HTML. Do you think that will make you a failure? No. Far from that. In short, your direct marketing Internet business already took that task for you.

The key component you need to discover is the secret to be good in direct marketing. The Internet just allows you to position yourself to earn even while you sleep. It also acts as a medium for communicating with your customers.

Marketing and selling are really two different things. Try not to be confused with this. Instead know that marketing has 3 main processes that you need to know:

1) Market Research

2) Strategies and Planning

3) Execution and Measurement

The 3 steps as highlighted above is just a very short summary of a good direct marketing Internet business process. Your responsibility is to be diligent and have the patience to experience the processes in your life positively.

Sure, we all have had bad days and sometimes we tend to get impatient when our efforts are not bringing in any sales. You say, "what the heck! I've done my marketing and the Internet is supposed to reel in the profits!". Cool it. Like I mentioned earlier you need to experience the process not the result.

Results are static. If you want to really position yourself to reap the future of great wealth with your direct marketing Internet business be prepared to become a student for life. Find a system or learn by investing in good direct marketing Internet business courses. If successful marketers invest in themselves; then so should you.

Kelley Direct Degree Supplies Grad with the Skills to Stay Afloat after Hurricane Sandy

As the supply planning manager for several production lines in Windsor Locks, Conn., that run 24/7, John Boullie puts his Kelley Direct degree to work on a daily basis.

However, it wasn’t until Hurricane Sandy struck that he came to truly appreciate the skills he gained in the school’s Global Supply Chain Management program.

“We had to shut operations down entirely when the governor of Connecticut closed the highways,” says Boullie. “When we reopened a day and a half later, we had to manually coordinate our just in time raw material deliveries with each supplier and look at how the unplanned shutdown would affect our promised ship dates to customers.”

Complicating matters even further was the extensive destruction found in the ports of New York and New Jersey.

“The ports were closed for more than a week with no power and a great backlog of traffic,” he says.

Keeping his plants running and shipments moving in the midst of such chaos was no easy task. To stay on track, Boullie relied on his Kelley Direct education.

“The process mapping skills I learned in Prof. Lummus’ class allowed me and my team to outline and focus on the pieces of the chain that were the most critical and needed the most attention,” Boullie says.  “I even pulled out some of the Excel files we worked on to help me maximize our production output and get the most shipments out in the smallest amount of time!”

Things are getting back to normal now, but Boullie continues to be thankful for his Kelley degree.

“Getting a Global Supply Chain Management degree from Kelley Direct was a great decision for me,” he says. “I’ve applied many of the more unique tools and concepts I learned at Kelley to my work here.”

Kelley Direct students help launch a start up to cap off their studies

By Kelley Direct Programs

Most graduate students have to write a thesis to complete their degrees. A recent group of Kelley Direct students helped launch a company.

As their capstone experience, a group of six students embarked on a two-phase consulting project for Covinia—a technology start up focused on enterprise social business software.

First, they developed a Private Placement Memorandum (PPM), including a detailed market and competition analysis, a risk analysis, and financial projections.

Next, they initiated the first round of funding, contacting venture capitalists, angel investors, and others who would be interested in financing Covinia.

And they did it all virtually.

“Our team was not only spread from coast to coast across the U.S., but we had a team member serving in Kabul, Afghanistan, as well,” said Ron Gicka, project manager. “But we turned the spread-out nature of our team into a strength. When necessary, someone could be working on the project almost 24 hours a day!”

Shari Abbott, president of Covinia, was very happy with the results.

“I was very pleased with the caliber of the students on our team. I like to think they were excited that they were not only learning, but doing something real,” she says. “The work they’ve done for us will actually help the company get up and running. That’s pretty cool.”

That, says Phil Powell, faculty chair for the Kelley Direct MBA and MS Programs, is the whole point.

“Capstone projects like this allow students to roll up their sleeves and get working, using all the skills they’ve learned at the MBA level to solve a problem,” he says. “ It solidifies the development of their management acumen . . . the only way to learn this stuff is by doing it.”

Gicka agrees. “This project has been an excellent way to end my time at Kelley Direct. The project was real, the customer was real, and most importantly, the deadline was real—this wasn’t a case from the Harvard Business Review,” he says. “I don’t think I have ever been more proud of earning an A in a class as I was in this one.”

Kelley Direct Online MBA Students Explore Emerging Markets in South Africa

Phil Powell, Faculty Chair of Kelley Direct

Africa offers opportunity, and that is why I am here with Dean Ash Soni, Professor Jamie Prenkert, and Kelley Direct’s executive director Terrill Cosgray, and 17 online MBA students from our program.  I teach MBA students to look not just at, but beyond the horizon, and in twenty years, Sub-Saharan Africa will be booming like China and India. 

For two days, we have had great sessions led by faculty from GIBS (University of Pretoria’s award winning business school – www.gibs.ac.za) briefing us on the peculiarities of business in Sub-Saharan Africa.  Ethnic diversity, political risk, and selling to markets “at the bottom of the pyramid” are topics of special emphasis in these emerging markets. 

Tomorrow we head to Alexandra Township to help family enterprises identify small improvements they can make in their business models.  The township is a poor community scarred by the racial discrimination of Apartheid, but it is full of new public investment and private entrepreneurship.  The consulting experience will make real the challenges and opportunities of small business in South Africa and hone the executive mindset of our online MBA students.

This trip marks a renewed emphasis of Kelley Direct on executive leadership education and management literacy within emerging markets.  Such an opportunity would not typically be associated with an online MBA program, but thirteen years of online MBA teaching experience place Kelley Direct as a global market leader in curricular innovation.  As Kelley Direct’s new faculty chair, I am proud to help lead this charge.     

- Phil Powell, Faculty Chair of Kelley Direct

Amazing 2011-12 Online MBA Graduate Salary Data

By Darren Klein, Kelley Direct Staff

Every year we collect data from our graduating students.  We want to understand the impact that earning the Kelley MBA online through Kelley Direct Programs is having on their careers.  We also want to understand the return our students are getting on their investment.  For the class of 2011-12, the outcomes continue to be outstanding.  Specifically:

• The average salary three months after graduation was $104,160.  This is a 36% increase over the average salary of the graduates when they started the program.
• Over 66% of our graduates received a promotion during their time in the program.
• Based on this data, the average amount of time for our graduates to receive a full pay back on their investment in their online MBA is 2 years.

For 2012 graduate Katie Davis, the impact of her Kelley education has been immediate.  Since starting the program, she has been promoted 4 times at Ingersoll-Rand.  "The coursework with Kelley really has enabled me to grow, and it's enabled me to accept new challenges."

     

New Spring MBA Application Deadlines

By Darren Klein, Kelley Direct Staff

As summer turns to fall, it is not too early to start thinking about starting your application to Kelley Direct.  For international students, the application deadline is January 7, 2013.  For domestic students, the application deadline is February 1, 2013.

If you are interested in scholarships we encourage you to apply early. Scholarship decisions are made at the same time as admission so the earlier you apply, the more likely it is that scholarship funds will be available.

Finally, we invite you to our upcoming events, both in-person and online.

September

• 19:  Chicago Cocktail Reception  RSVP 
• 25:  Online Virtual Open House  RSVP
• 26:  Online Admissions Q&A   RSVP

October

• 1:  Philadelphia Cocktail Reception & Dinner  RSVP
• 2:  New York Cocktail Reception (Financial District)  RSVP
• 3:  New York Cocktail Reception (Midtown)  RSVP
• 4:  Alexandria, VA Cocktail Reception & Dinner  RSVP
• 9:  Cincinnati Cocktail Reception  RSVP
• 17:  Online Virtual Open House  RSVP
• 19-20:  Bloomington Experience Kelley Weekend  RSVP
• 24:  Online Sample Class  RSVP

November

• 7:  Louisville Cocktail Reception  RSVP
• 8:  Lexington Cocktail Reception  RSVP
• 14:  Online Virtual Open House  RSVP
• 28:  Online Financing Your Kelley Degree  RSVP

December

• 5:  Online Admissions Q&A  RSVP
• 11:  Online Virtual Open House  RSVP
• 12:  Online Student Q&A  RSVP

We look forward to meeting you soon!

A Visit to Washington, D.C.

By Karen Villatoro, Second-Year MBA student

I consider myself really fortunate to be part of the group of KD students attending a Business and Public Policy course at the Washington Campus in D.C.

Whether we are well aware of this or not, there are key policy issues being developed in Washington on a daily basis, and these policies are likely to have a considerable impact on the businesses we own or work for, so it’s of paramount importance that we gain a better understanding of how our government works and how we can participate in the policy making process.

The course Business and Public Policy: How Washington works and what issues really matter, accomplishes just that objective: it’s teaching us how the government works, why we should care about it, and how we can take action to be effective participants in the process.

Our teachers this week have been an impressive array of Washington characters. We have heard from lobbyists, former congressmen, former White House officers, senior vice presidents from well-respected think tanks, and current staff directors working on committees from the House of Representatives, just to name a few.

All of these people are true Washington insiders who provide a unique perspective on how things are done in our nation’s capital. You may agree or disagree with their particular point of view; but without a doubt it is extremely valuable to hear their insights, and we have heard some really candid feedback, so you can form your own opinion.

I came in with some preconceived notions that have been blown away during these few days. I used to think a lobbyist was a synonym for an individual who was up to no good; this couldn’t be farther from reality! I have heard that the act of lobbying is actually protected under the First Amendment of the Constitution, where it allows for “… the petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances.”

I also used to think the Executive Branch was the most powerful branch of government, but I have come to realize most of the power actually resides with Congress. From appropriation of funds to the ability to declare war, there are so many things the Executive Branch couldn’t possibly do unless Congress takes specific actions. Similarly, I have learned that most of the work Congress does takes place at the Committee level, so you really need to know who is the Chairman and who are the members of the key Committees that are more likely to have jurisdiction over your industry, and thus have a large probability of impacting your business operations.

We even had the opportunity to see the government in action, by attending a Senate session in the Capitol. We had gallery passes that allowed us to watch the action in the Senate Chamber. There were just a few Senators on the floor, given that most of their work takes place outside of the chamber, but their staff is always monitoring the action on the floor so Senators can go to the chamber when there’s a call to cast votes on the issues being discussed. 

And what stay in Washington would be complete without a visit to the Washington Monument and all the memorials in West Potomac Park? At each one of these sites there are always people trying to take in all the history and significance behind these memorials, and reflecting on the thoughts and actions of great leaders who have helped build this nation.

Reflecting on the Dean’s Words

The beginning seems so fresh in my mind. I recall the opening ceremony in Bloomington. Dean Dan Smith welcomed us to campus in the beautiful Whittenberger Auditorium at Indiana Memorial Union. Listening to the dean speak was like building a collage in my mind. He said he wanted to remind us that choosing to pursue an MBA from a top-ranked institution was “doing nothing short of changing our lives.” The dean continued by saying that, make no doubt about it, the Kelley School “chose us.”

Those were powerful statements. I exited the auditorium ready to take on the world, and the next week was filled with networking opportunities that validated the dean’s comments. Each student I met was impressively successful, intelligent and ambitious. I knew that I was with current and future leaders of the world’s most important organizations.

Nearly a year later, I’m returning to Bloomington, remembering my initial feelings and the memories I’ve created over the past year. The dean’s comments seem as true now as they ever have. I feel privileged and honored to be a small part of the Kelley School.

A year later, wiser and more experienced, I can’t wait for the dean’s next words to build in my mind. I wonder which words will stick with me this year. Will they be broad, inspirational phrases that make good quotes at the bottom of emails? Or, will it be the subtle guidance that is typical of great leadership? I’m thrilled to find out.

Kelley Direct Online MBA Fall Application Deadline Now July 1

We have good news for Kelley Direct fall 2012 online MBA and online MS applicants.  The application deadline is now July 1, 2012.  This will provide you a couple of extra weeks to get your recommendations lined up, your personal statement perfected, and to prepare for the GMAT.

In the meantime, we do want to remind you of two more opportunities to learn more about Kelley Direct:

• Financial Aid Q&A - May 23, 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.  Jay Adams of the IU Office of Student Financial Assistance will join KD Executive Director Terrill Cosgray to discuss the various options available to finance your Kelley online MBA or MS investment.
• An Evening with Dean Daniel C. Smith - June 6, 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.  Dean Smith will provide an overview of the Kelley School and share what makes Kelley Direct so unique among online MBA and MS degree programs.  He will also answer your questions.

To RSVP click here.

We look forward to talking with you soon! 

Intro to Kelley Connect Week

I had the privilege and pleasure of attending the first few days of Kelley Connect Week last weekend to help new students start their journey with Kelley. For those who don’t know, Kelley Connect Week is a one-week course held on the Bloomington campus for new MBA students in Kelley Direct. This week introduces them to the program, the staff, the faculty, and IU. It’s a chance for the students to meet each other face-to-face, work together as a team, begin their course of study, and present to faculty what they learned. This term’s program also had the in-residence course for 2^nd year students as well, so 1^st years and 2^nd years could meet each other.

The week started off with registration on Saturday afternoon (March 3^rd). I (along with four other current students and one alumnus) greeted each student as they arrived for registration. We gave them information about the mentoring program for 1^st year students and the Student Advisory Board and answered questions that they had. That evening, we attended the induction ceremony, champagne reception, and dinner where we got a chance to talk with students more.

On Sunday, March 4^th, we had a panel discussion for an hour where the new students could ask any questions they wanted. Later in the day, we mingled with students during lunch and also at dinner where the IU/Purdue basketball game played on a large screen in the background.

I met many interesting and impressive people last weekend, and I believe that they will all do well at Kelley. I hope that many will keep in touch and let me know how the program is going for them. Best wishes to all of them!