Do you have a great product that should be sold in catalogs, on TV, or by other mail order type companies?

If so—let us know about it.

We can help get your products placed in catalogs and sold by direct marketers!

Through our rep network, we have been successful in getting products tested and placed in these fine catalogs and others:

• Casual Living
• Walter Drake
• Starcrest
• Miles Kimball
• Whatever Works
• Solutions
• Amerimark
• Potpourri
• What on Earth
• Taylor Gifts
• Paradigm Gifts
• Healthy Living
• LTD Commodities
• QVC

Do you want a sales representative to call on buyers at catalog companies and other direct marketing companies? If you do, read on...because the NMOA offers two great programs for helping get your product placed in catalogs, sold by mail order and web merchants, and maybe even on a television home shopping channel or Infomercial.

If your product qualifies, the NMOA product rep program will present your product to catalogs and other direct marketers, handle telephone calls to buyers that are needed to create a profitable deal for the sale of your product...all with your final approval.

If you have been looking for a sales representative for your product, or have been turned down by other reps, you need to apply to the NMOA product rep program today.

The NMOA product rep services has been created as a true working partnership with you— the product supplier; a partnership that could put your product on the map.

We offer two options:

1.) A co-op rep program where you pay a reduced sales commission of just 10%, but help out with marketing expenses.

2.) Standard rep program where you pay a straight 15% sales commission. (NOTE: We only accept exclusive rep agreements for marketing the product to direct marketing merchants.)

Before we get to the details, I'll first explain why the standard rep commission (for reps in general) is around 15%-20%, or why maybe your product was turned down by a rep firm.

Most people understand that there are considerable upfront costs involved in marketing a product to resellers, not only hard costs, but also time/labor costs. Every product marketing effort has data costs, postage costs, telephone costs, mailing costs, printing costs, research costs, press release costs, and dozens of hours in phone calls and follow-up calls, contract negotiations and contract writing, and so forth...

All these marketing costs have to be made up in sales commissions. That's why product rep firms are very picky about what products they will work with right up front, and then charge somewhere around 15%-20% in commissions for sales made.

Sometimes a rep will see that a product might sell, but the wholesale price of the product is so low, that it will take forever to earn enough commissions to recoup the investment in marketing the product. So these products get turned down too.

Other times the potential market size for a niche product is perceived as too small, limiting the total number of potential products sold. Again, this makes it difficult for the rep to visualize getting their marketing investment back and making a profit. So these products are turned down too.

This is where the NMOA co-op rep program fits in. It helps to reduce commissions and product rejections by sharing some of the upfront marketing costs and forming a truly cooperative "team" marketing effort.

This way, a cooperative effort can be coordinated to the benefit of all, and more products can qualify to be represented, products that would not otherwise have been able to get representation.

This does not mean that we can, or will, accept just any product into our program; your product still needs to meet with our opinion of perceived salability and value for the price. We will not risk our relationship or credibility with catalog buyers by showing them products that we don't truly feel match the marketplace and offer a good reseller opportunity.

You also must have all your pricing figured out and product details assembled.

Your co-op investment to participate in the in the NMOA co-op rep program, if we approve you, requires a one-time co-op marketing contribution of $495.00.

1.) How the co-op rep program works

To qualify for this program you will need to:

• Pass a product review process to determine if your product is a good candidate for this program.
   
• Have professional quality pictures of your product in electronic format, with at least one picture showing the product in use. If you do not have good pictures, contact us about having them done for you. (See below.)
   
• Have a pamphlet or brochure (sell sheet) for your product. If you do not have one, or if you do not have a satisfactory one, NMOA can create one for you. (See below)
   
• Be in production.
   
• Have the means to create product before receiving payments from customers
   
• If you're not already in production, you must have a working prototype and samples.

Note: If your product falls under more than one catalog category, i.e. it could be sold by different types of catalogs, and if you want to expand your marketing efforts to also include those catalogs, there is an additional co-op marketing fee of $225.00 per extra catalog segment. For instance, if you have an auto related product, but it could also be sold by boating catalogs, there would be the additional charge for marketing to the boating catalogs.

Steps you take to start today:

1. Fill out the product evaluation form (PDF), (MS Word) print it and mail it along with your product brochure and any other information you have regarding your product. Send your best picture examples via email to schulte@nmoa.org or put them on a disk or CD and send with your evaluation form to:
    
      NMOA Product Marketing
      2807 Polk Street NE
      Minneapolis, MN 55418
   
   If you have a sample that can be sent now, please send it as well. (NOTE: Samples will not be returned.)
    
2. If your product is approved, you will receive a representation contract that you can sign and return with a $495.00 check.

Steps we then take:

1. Promote your product through the NMOA's network of marketers and be featured in the NMOA's online product showcase www.nmoa.org/Products
    
2. Feature your product in the New Product Edition Direct Marketing Digest. See sample: Direct Marketing Digest
    
3. Include your product in mailings to appropriate catalogs and marketers over the next 2 years
    
4. Personally contact buyers and introduce your product
    
5. Help you with final contracts and negotiations with catalogs and other marketers where needed
    
6. If your product lends itself to demonstration, we may also consider creating an online video for it, to help us with marketing.

Your responsibility:
As our work generates serious interest from buyers, we will put them directly in contact with you for any final pricing negotiations, account set-up, and order placing. In some cases, buyers may have specific forms they require filled out and signed by you. You may also be asked to send samples to the buyers. Of course, you will also be required to pay our 10% commission on all orders after you are paid by the merchant.

Not quite ready?

• Need a sell sheet brochure? For $300 we can create one for you. You must supply the appropriate pictures in electronic format.
• Need pictures of your product. You can take your product to a Proex or similar photo studio, or we may be able to do some photos for you. Call or email us to see if we can, and for pricing. Call 612-788-1673 or email us at schulte@nmoa.org
• Need to find an overseas manufacturer for your product? Email John Schulte with what type of product you have, and what type of manufacturing you need. schulte@nmoa.org

2.) How the standard rep program works

For all practical purposes, this program is identical to the co-op program, but you do not pay the co-op marketing fee, but rather pay a full 15% commission on all orders and you must sign an exclusive rep agreement for the product. You will still need to fill out the product evaluation form (PDF), (MS Word) print it and mail it along with your product brochure and any other information you have regarding your product. Send your best picture examples via email to schulte@nmoa.org or put them on a disk or CD and send with your evaluation form.

If you have any questions regarding either of these two product rep services, please contact John at schulte@nmoa.org

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In addition, we provide a way to help you rep yourself

The NMOA also has a Product Promotion Service to help those that want to rep themselves, or have an in-house sales department, but need some key promotional services. You can promote your product through the NMOA and have people contact you directly, thus saving you commissions. For supplemental advertising of your product to thousands of people each month, click here for our Product Promotion Package.

For a contact and mailing list of catalogs (by product category) so you can contact catalogs on a proactive basis by phone or mail, you can use the MediaFinder Catalog Database.