It's in the Mail How to land your product on the pages of a catalog

Catalogs fill the mailboxes of consumers everywhere, retailingevery product under the sun--from household items to gifts to food.You name it, and there's probably a catalog that specializes init. If you're aching to see your product on the pages of one ofthose fancy catalogs, the good news is that it's definitelypossible. "Merchants are always looking for greatproducts," says George Hague, senior marketing strategist withJ. Schmid & Associates, a catalog consulting company in ShawneeMission, Kansas.

The key is to research the catalog that best suits your productwith the right niche and price point. One mistake new entrepreneursoften make is not understanding catalogs' margins and pricepoints. "Catalogers like to operate on a more than 50 percentmargin," says Hague. "If the retail price is $10, thencatalogers will [likely] ask you to sell it to them for $3.50 or$4."

Identify the catalog's main consumers and the types ofproducts offered to see if it's a good fit for your product.Michelle J. Massman, 38, and Jackie Urbanovic, 52, did just thatwhen they pitched their Maggie Comics line of notecards and gift products tothe Femail Creations catalog a few years ago. They loved theartistic products the catalog offered and found its focus onwomen-owned businesses inspiring.