A mail order advertisement also must be written so as to ensure obtaining the maximum of replies from the public, because it is upon replies from the public that the mail order advertiser eventually builds his business. Of the total number of replies he receives he will convert a proportion only into actual buyers of his goods, so that it will be seen that the greater the number of replies from any given expenditure the greater the ultimate results are likely to be. It will be seen, therefore, the necessity of angling as much as possible for replies in the first instance. How this might best be done is always in accordance with the proposition under consideration. To give instances here with : Advertisements No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 are all advertisements for mail order propositions. You will see that Advertisement No. 1 merely states that Sandow's latest book will be sent free. This particular advertisement gives no indication whatever of what is for sale ; it simply offers the book free without any conditions, and does not mention any purchase of any goods or anything of that nature at all. This particular book is the first shot of a mail order campaign to sell the celebrated athletic device, " Sandow's Grip Dumb-bells." Instead of advertising exactly what is for sale, i.e. " Sandow s Grip Dumb-bells," the advertiser offers to send out Sandow's latest book free.
The interest in the great physical and health culture expert Eugene Sandow is enormous. His name is a household word throughout the kingdom, and almost anybody, especially young men and young women, are interested in his work. It is therefore feasible that in offin.ing to give his book free, without any conditions, or disclosing the nature of the ultimate development of the scheme, he would be most likely to fetch the maximum number of replies, Once a reply comes for the booklet, of course the " follow-up " system converts the inquirers into actual purchasers of the dumb-bells.
The next advertisement shown is that of Messrs. Martin Bros., the cigar shippers, of Cheapside, who have perhaps the most scientifically organised mail order business in the world. It will be seen in this advertisement that while the advertisement offers a distinct bait to obtain the maximum number of replies, it also discloses the whole proposition and appeals directly to the smoker. It differs in this respect from the first one, which only angles for the reply, and does not make any proposition at all. When the replies are received they are subjected to the follow-up system in the same manner as all properly run mail order businesses.
In the third advertisement of the mail order business it will be noticed that no great point is made for replies at all ; replies are merely invited on general grounds. The advantages of buying through the mail are pointed
out, but it cannot be said in any sense that it is a strong mail order adver tisement, and if it were worded differently, in all probability the number of replies received from it would be very much greater per pound of cost in advertising space.
On general principles it may be taken that the " something for nothing" idea is the best way of securing the maximum number of replies, and that the " money-back" principle is the best method of ensuring public confidence.
Of course, the advertising and FOLLOW-UP SYSTEM (q.v.) to any mail order proposition must be designed and lilted in exactly in accordance with the needs of that proposition. But it may be well to allude briefly to the broad divisions of the mail order business, which have in themselves an influence on literature which is put out to exploit them. Sometimes an advertising mail order proposition is only intended to sell one article once to one person, as, for instance, in the case of Sandow's dumb-bells. Once the sale is effected, there the matter ends. The purchaser is not followed up any longer, as there are no more goods to offer. In this sort of business advertisements must be kept going continually to get more names. As sales are made the customer ceases to become a prospect at all, and new prospects must be found to take the place of those which have become purchasers. In most mail order businesses, however, where household articles or underwear, or some such similar goods are sold, the prospect remains a prospect for a considerable period of time. That is to say, if out of 100 replies to a given advertisement the follow-up system eventually converts 25 per cent. into actual customers, that 25 per cent. may he looked upon as a permanent clientele which can be written to from time to time.
advertising should be continued until such time as the regular list of customers is large enough to show a profit on turnover. When, how from various causes the prospects begin to die out, advertising must again be resorted to to fill the blank names. Say, for instance, after a year'~ advertising, a mail-order advertiser had an active list of 2000 customers on his books who buy regularly. He might consider it not necessary to advertise any further, and he would work those names thoroughly. In the course of time, however, it Neill be found that those 2000 names might have dropped to 1500. He must resort to advertising again in order to create more inquirers, whom his follow-up matter will convert into customers. When the lost 500 active customers are regained, he may discontinue his advertising and work his completed list. J. MURRAY ALLISON.