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Can your business sell its products to other businesses using a mail-order catalog? Probably. And make a profit? Maybe, as long as you follow some proven guidelines. Here are a few of them.

Niche and grow rich
Your catalog needs to fill a specific void in the market. Brand">All of the successful business-to-business (B2B) catalogs target a narrow slice of a larger market. In the home workshop marketplace, U.S. General Supply sells tools, nuts and bolts. In the business products marketplace, Chiswick sells packaging supplies. If you try to produce a catalog that sells everything to everyone, you will sell nothing to anyone. You need a niche.

One way to niche
If your current catalog sells many products to many audiences, consider producing a mini-catalog that sells just one line of products (laptops, for example) or that sells multiple products to just one audience (laptops, desktops and servers to banks, for example).

Target the decision makers
In B2B catalog sales, you are often selling to more than one person. Often, someone influences the buying decision, another person authorizes the purchase and yet another person places the order. Make sure your copy meets the unique needs of each audience that your catalog must reach.

Use even prices to suggest premium quality
Murray Raphel, in the book 2,239 Tested Secrets for Direct Marketing Success, says even prices suggest higher quality. I agree. You don't increase sales of a $10,000 automated payroll system by offering it for $9,995.

Make it a keeper
Add how-to articles, editorial features, industry news, user tips and other helpful information throughout your catalog to give it added value as a reference guide'one that customers keep longer.

Keep it fresh
Prevent prospects from thinking that your latest catalog is the same as the old one they already have. Change your cover graphics with each new catalog, and display a prominent banner that says '38 New Products' or '10 More Pages' or something similar.

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