Why settle for a 3% success rate? Compared to most advertising methods, direct-mail enjoys the highest success rate with an assumed average of 1-3%. You can send out a variety of materials which your clients can readily use such as brochures, postcards and of course, catalogs through catalog printing.

If you are a small business with a limited marketing resource, it's not quite feasible to send out catalogs to as many people as possible, especially if you don't have a mailing list. 1) Compared to other prints, catalogs are expensive to print and mail, and 2) Blind advertisement, sending out unwanted catalogs to consumers, will train your prospects to screen out mails from you next time you send them.

The Means to Getting Increased Response Rate

1. First things first - no amount of advertising can substitute quality products or good customer service. They make one or two time purchases. However a business survives not on chance purchases but repeat sales and referrals. Always think of subsequent purchases.

2. Before investing in catalogs, invest in building customer relationship. Get to know your customer. Distinguish between your one-time buyers and your regular customers.

3. Create a database if you have to. Understand their motivations and their needs. Know your prime clients' preferences.

4. From this list, determine your prospect and prime prospects. Send them a catalog if and only if, you feel their interest matches the catalog. Remember every catalog costs money and every missed hit is a waste of money.

5. Personalize. When you do decide to send out the catalog, include a short note, greet them by their name, address your client explaining why you sent the catalog and sign it. Also, a simple line such as: "I thought you might like the _______ on page. It's in the new look or model out now, " would be pretty useful and thoughtful as well.

6. Include an order form or information on how they can place an order (i.e. your shop's telephone, website address etc). Offer to deliver, inform them of special rates or modes of payment, and anything else that would motivate them and make ordering convenient. Make it hassle free for your customer to make the purchase.

Always think that what you are selling are not products, but customer satisfaction. You are providing them solutions and benefits as well. Have a sincere desire to help the customers. Create products that offer answers to their needs and be keen on understanding the customers' wants and demands too.

Don't spread yourself too thin. Stop trying to sell your products to everyone. Concentrate on the ones who truly need them and gain more repeat purchases.

• The key to increasing customer response to direct-mail advertising is to focus and be precise. Take advantage of small businesses is the personal relationship it has with its customers.

• Also, think of your catalog as a supplement to your other marketing strategies. It may take more than one approach to win a customer. It may take following-up with calls, brochures, or incentives to win them. Send a brochure offering technical support, a demo presentation, money-back guarantees, etc. Create a consistent marketing strategy that is focused on customer relationship.

The only measure of a successful marketing strategy is the amount of profit it makes. Customers won't pay for award-winning advertisements or witty tag-lines. The only thing they are willing to pay for is their satisfaction - that is your business. Make your catalog printing in tune with your goals and be ready to get profitable responses.

Tips on Catalog Printing can be found at 4 Color Digital Printing - Digital Room.