BEGINNERS TAKE NOTICE!

BEGINNERS TAKE NOTICE!

Would you send Sears $20 and expect them to know you were

ordering without you specifying it in your order form? Would you send

your electric company a check for $15 and expect them to know what

account you were making a payment on? Of course you wouldn't so

how are mail order businesses suppose to know what you're ordering

or requesting?

And a note like "Send me info" is NOT sufficient enough. Remember

the rule of "who," "what," "when," and "where" we learned in grade

school English? "Send me info" still doesn't tell a business what you

are ordering. Most mail order businesses carry a large number of

different products. If they send you information on everything they sell,

not only would it cost a lot more in postage and require a 9x12

envelope but you'll get a lot of different information on products you

may not be interested in. In fact, the business may not include the

information you originally requested because they had no idea what

you were ordering and couldn't afford to send you everything they

have.

Then, to top it off some of these people that wrote to the mail order

business requesting information will get upset and file a complaint

against them because they never sent the proper information. This is

a big problem we see getting bigger and bigger and I hope this report

will do a small part in clearing it up.

Okay let's be realistic. If you are guilty of inflicting pain on dealers

by not letting us know what you are ordering or requesting information

on don't worry. We don't hate you and want you to hang your head

down and slink away in shame. On the contrary we want your

business and we want to keep you happy as a steady customer. The

next time you order something, read your note or letter ONE time

before putting it in the envelope and sealing it shut. Ask yourself if you

have provided the business with enough information to process your

order. That's all there is to it!

A correct form of writing a business letter should go something like

this:

"Dear (Name): We noticed your ad in (name of publication) and would

like more information on (product or service). Your attention to this

matter would be greatly appreciated." If you don't want to take the time

to write this much, you could just cut out the ad you saw and tape onto

your letterhead or a note paper. Enclose the proper stamps, money or

SASE for a reply and you're ready to fold in an envelope and mail.

And by all means place your RETURN ADDRESS on the outside of

the envelope. Believe it or not, I personally receive 100's of orders per

year without a return address with a few dollars stuck inside an

envelope. I have no clue "what" is being ordered and even less of a

clue as to "where" to send it.

As mail order dealers, we sometimes believe that we are totally alone

in this business. Since most of us work by ourselves, isolated from

most of the working 9-to-5 world the dreaded "lonelinosis" sets in. But

remember just because we don't see our mail order dealers and

distributors face to face, they are there. This statement may sound a

little too elementary, but sometimes we overlook the obvious. Mail

order is full of fine, upstanding and caring mail order dealers. Every

one of us are breathing, thinking human beings. We fall in love, have

personal problems, have bad days, have slow months, have busy

weeks and have lives to lead. A majority of us have children and all of

us have family and friends that occupy our time.

We should all support each other and make as many friends as we

can. Although the world seems like it is self-oriented half the time, the

only person that can begin a change is the one in the mirror. Think of

others and try and be more understanding. I think I speak for all

dealers in saying that we all WANT to fill your orders and process

them as quickly as possible.

All we ask if that you let us know WHAT you are ordering or WHERE

you saw our ad so we can send you the correct information you need

the first time around.