It's in the Mail How to land your product on the pages of a catalog
Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.
Catalogs fill the mailboxes of consumers everywhere, retailingevery product under the sun--from household items to gifts to food.You name it, and there's probably a catalog that specializes init. If you're aching to see your product on the pages of one ofthose fancy catalogs, the good news is that it's definitelypossible. "Merchants are always looking for greatproducts," says George Hague, senior marketing strategist withJ. Schmid & Associates, a catalog consulting company in ShawneeMission, Kansas.
The key is to research the catalog that best suits your productwith the right niche and price point. One mistake new BIZ Experiencessoften make is not understanding catalogs' margins and pricepoints. "Catalogers like to operate on a more than 50 percentmargin," says Hague. "If the retail price is $10, thencatalogers will [likely] ask you to sell it to them for $3.50 or$4."
Identify the catalog's main consumers and the types ofproducts offered to see if it's a good fit for your product.Michelle J. Massman, 38, and Jackie Urbanovic, 52, did just thatwhen they pitched their Maggie Comics line of notecards and gift products tothe Femail Creations catalog a few years ago. They loved theartistic products the catalog offered and found its focus onwomen-owned businesses inspiring.
Getting into a catalog takes time. Even with a good initialresponse from the catalog owner, getting Maggie Comics'products into the catalog still took about two years. Sinceappearing in the catalog in mid-2004, Maggie Comics has seenwebsite traffic increase, and the catalog has already placed areorder that Massman and Urbanovic hope will increase theirpart-time business's four-figure sales.
To speed up your own process, find out exactly what your targetcatalogs want. Ask about their price points, margins, volume (thequantities they expect their vendors to provide) and turnaroundtime (the time when you might expect a reorder). Send qualitysamples. Hague suggests putting together a merchandising summarysheet with a good image of the product, product description,benefits, retail price points, terms (how you'd like to bepaid) and shipping turnaround time. And don't overpromise onproduct quality or the quantities you can deliver. "If youhave those points covered," says Hague, "it makes iteasier for the merchant to say yes."
