PLEASE GIVE PUBLISHERS A BREAK – IN THIS BUSINESS, YOU NEED PATIENCE! (written February, 1995)

Come on guys, how’s about giving the so many fine publishers out there a break – a real chance to help you with your advertising?  Somewhere along the way, we small “inner circle” mail order operators, forgot the basic concept of patience and testing in advertising. I don’t know what occurred, but why don’t you do yourself a favor and listen and learn. Send in your ad to the many fine publications out there now for a minimum of three issues. Make it a true “inquiry” generating ad, and give yourself 3 to 6 months’ time to add up the results.

What!?! Wait three to six months for the results? Are you off your rocker, big boy? I want to make money tomorrow just like I was promised! Folks – advertising doesn’t work like that. In order to truly “test” the pulling power of any excellent publication, you must have an ad that will pull in inquiries, and you must give publishers enough time to get the results you need, want and deserve.

Patience is so important in this industry, it is pathetic. Anyone of us that have lasted more than a few years will tell you that the first couple of years were rough. In fact with my own personal experience, it took me 3 years and 3 months to become a full time operator and for the first couple of years when I became full time, it was difficult for me. But once I learned to be patient, take advantage of the pulling strength of publications, and gave myself three to six months to analyze results, I became a lot more successful a lot quicker than I could have imagined. In fact I wish someone told me what to do just like I am telling you what to do a few years ago. It probably would have saved me many years of frustration – probably not unlike what you are going through now.

Do you know what publishers have to go through to publish their quality publication? I can tell you they spend hours upon hours of paste ups and set ups to get the thing off the ground – each issue. Then once it is printed, it has to be mailed, which is another time consuming function. Once these time consuming functions are completed, it’s time for another issue! Meanwhile you placed your ad in only one issue and sat back. How do you expect to get results like that? By the time you are finished analyzing your results, it is like starting over again each time!

Here is your new game plan free of charge from your Uncle L.: 1) Develop an inquiry generating ad – whether it be 1″, 2″ or 8 x 11 doesn’t matter. Just make sure you offer free information! 2) Run your ad in three consecutive issues of any publication you are interested in. Please make sure it is the same ad and it is 3 consecutive issues! 3) Analyze the results over a three to six month period. Is your ad good?  Is this publication pulling? There is no other way to do it and as soon as you learn that, you will succeed.  Happy Advertising! Please give publishers a break! Thanks.

The author of this article is Larry Costello, President of All-American Print & Mail, 2200 Wilson Blvd #102-57, Arlington, VA 22201.