Acquire New Customers... Without Spending $1K/M (1,696 words)

By Denny Hatch

Periodically I get phone calls from fledgling entrepreneurs who have great products and want to get into direct mail.

"What else have you got?" is always my first question.

"Wha ... what do you mean?"

"What other products?"

"This is my only product."

I say, "In the words of consultant Susan McIntyre: 'The key to long-term profitability is to build a large house list of repeat buyers.' That's true for any direct marketing business—catalog or otherwise."