Catalogs, catalogs, catalogs everywhere

Tuesday, August 28, 2007  by Susan Julien-Willson
Category: selling, catalogs, product features

I've been called the Catalog Queen, the Catalog Expert, the Catalog Collector ... anything catalog, I love it. Of course, I am especially proud of Quixtar Catalogs (they're my pride and joy, actually), but my love of catalogs doesn't stop there. I can't get enough of 'em. In fact, my office is full of 'em. My magazine racks at home are bulging with the latest issues of JC Penney, LL Bean, Eddie Bauer, J Jill, Sephora, Sundance, Lands End, Frontgate, Sharper Image, Title Nine, Athleta, Coldwater Creek, Chico's, and more. I like to keep up with what other catalogers are doing or not doing ... from the look and feel of the catalog to the copy tone and content, to the products and models and backgrounds. What catalogs sell the product off the page? What catalogs seem to struggle with the easy shopping and ordering promise? What catalogs don't give you enough product info to make a buying decision? What ones are cluttered and difficult to shop from? Which catalogs compare favorably to Quixtar Catalogs?

I am curious as to what catalogs you receive and what ones you think are good - and why. What catalogs succeed in piquing (sp) your interest... does the cover entice you to open the catalog ... do the product photos and copy convince you to purchase a product? Do you look for brand name logos? price displays? headlines and call-outs? What catalogs give features and benefits that are of interest to you? Do you order from Quixtar Catalogs? Other catalogs?

Are printed catalogs with product photos and copy enough to sell you on a product or would you rather discuss a product with a salesperson? Do you like getting smaller specialized catalogs more frequently or do you prefer a larger more general catalog a couple times a year?

Tell the "Catalog Queen" what you think. I'd love to know!

P.S. People at the office make jokes about all the catalogs in my cubicle. I'm not kidding when I say I love catalogs!

 

Comments

# tman said on August 28, 2007 6:29 PM:

Susan,

This is a great topic. One of the things that I love about this business is that we offer options on how to order. I live in the midwest and spend a lot of time in rural areas and you don't always get a good internet connection. Between building this business and my day job I am constantly on the go. My day job is a sales position where I am out on appointments on a regular basis. A lot of times I will use the time in between appointments for education. I always have a periodical or catalog of some sort with me to catch up on what is happening. As far as our catalogs are concerned I think you guys do an excellent job. The look and feel, content etc. My favorite is probably the Krakoosh (because it looks like a magazine yet has the product in it so it can be used just to read for quick product info and/or with a potential new client/ibo as a prospecting tool or again for product info). I also like both the Choices and Supplement Catalogs because of the info provided in those catalogs. Do I order from catalogs? That is a hard one to answer? Will I pick up the phone and order a product from a catalog? No but I do use that catalog for info. Most of my ordering is done on the internet. The catalogs I read outside of the business are usually tech related. So in this area again I use it mainly for photo's and info. In the Tech world it is almost senseless to have a catalog unless again you have web presence to back it up because by the time it is printed the pricing is irrelevant. Personally I believe the way we are doing it now works for me.  

Thank you for your helpful comments on catalogs in general ... and our catalogs. Good to hear you read our catalogs! Please keep commenting on our catalogs, product brochures, and website. How can we make it easier for you to sell products? What do you need for customers? Your feedback is so valuable and appreciated. sjw

# Sivaram Rajagopalan said on August 28, 2007 10:59 PM:

Susan,

You guys have been fabulous in creating visually compelling catalogs, product relevancy and themes. Keep up the great work.

At the same time I realize that you are also dealing with a very demanding category of Quixtar business, as the catalogs may

come under more price scrutiny  especially towards end of seasons.

Plus you have to select products, fashion, and pricing that will remain stable and less volatile to pricing & model changes even at the end of seasons.

Q 1. Will it be better for Quixtar to gradually move its catlog

    model to pure B2B Partner Model of Quixtar.com ? This way

    the pressure to compete will be upon the Partner(s). One of

    the challenges with this suggested model is the reduced

    PV/BV as compared to the Quixtar catalogs. The "Special

    Price" products are the most attractive on Quixtar Store for

    More" catlogs.

Q 2. The selection of catalog frequency should be risk mitigated

    against seasonal appropriateness, product/brand popularity,

    Pricing fluctuations and cool phase-to-yawning phase of new

    products. But your market research seem to be very good

    based on years of Quixtar catalog success and customer

    reception, except may be for Electronics such as Printer,

    which are prone to more price and Model swings.I like the

    current frequency of your catalog publishing.

Q 3. Will it be better for Quixtar to focus ONLY branded products

    that are marked "SPECIAL PRICING" for the catalogs. Of

    course good brands lure more customers such as Calvin Klein

    for Men's wear etc.

But overall, given so many challenges I applaud your dept for doing a great job. Thank You.

Insightful and interesting comments. Thank you very much. I will share them with the team that works on catalog, which as you know, includes me. I am very proud of the catalogs we do at Quixtar and when I hear from IBOs that they're compelling, I am thrilled. It's the ultimate compliment. Please keep commenting on our catalogs, fliers, brochures, and website -- and how we can help you sell products to customers. sjw

# rdknyvr said on August 29, 2007 1:52 AM:

Hi Susan, a thought occurred to me this evening. How have you designed the catalog given that it has to function as both a silent sales person when a Customer (or anyone) is looking at it without an IBO present, and as a selling aid/tool for an IBO needing to get up to speed a bit "on the spot" perhaps when presenting a product or product line to a prospective Customer?

Also, has your dept. been able to link up and collaborate with the Quixtar U and other training people, so the "tools" you develop synch up with what they are doing?

Finally, in one of the Ada-tudes postings from Jim or someone this past summer, mention was made of changing how you look at IBOs -- changing from treating them like "customers" to treating them more like a "sales force" of independent business owners. Has that had an impact on how you look at doing catalogs?

With appreciation,  :)

 

Excellent discussion questions. You challenge us and make us think ... and for that, we are grateful. Our catalogs are and will be changing as we move forward and transition the business. Selling product to customers is a focus for IBOs and for us. We'd like to know how we can help IBOs sell product ... what do you need? what do we produce now that's helpful or could be tweaked to be more helpful and compelling? Watch for exciting changes in Spring 2008--yes, we're already working on catalogs for 2008! Keep the comments and questions coming. We need and value IBO feedback!

# mark said on August 29, 2007 11:41 AM:

Susan,

   Thinking about the questions you poise -  I like the catalogs currently.  They are great for at home viewing.  The truth is most of my selling to customers is not at home; it is on the spot.  It would be great to have smaller pocket sized catalogs with product spotlights and specials ie XS, TRIM, special pricing etc.  Not large, but just a few pages of the most popular products.  

   The larger catalogs are great for establish customers and IBO's. To entice, maybe smaller more with more sight appeal could be better. A size that I can carry on my person ,at a moments notice give someone without thinging of the cost.

 Great idea! Thanks for sharing. sjw

# rdknyvr said on August 29, 2007 9:35 PM:

Susan, another thought regarding 'quality' and 'pricing' concepts. Why not deal with this issue up front with a page right up front in the Choices catalog (and be 'up front') on "Our Approach to Quality and Value." And say right out and unapologetically that we (Quixtar) chooses to focus its offerings on high quality, high value, potentially life-changing products. The business focus is on "premium quality" market segments, primarily in the Personalized Health, Beauty, and Sports Nutrition categories. Don't spin it but come right out 'in your face' with it. Give three or four types of product categories (following are examples only) --

* Unique, high quality/high value -- give a couple of examples like Double X, 'whose value is most appreciated by those who place a high premium on good health'.

* High quality, priced-for-mass-market products like XS Energy, XS Nutrition bars

* Exceptional performance, concentrated household products that are -- on a cost per use basis price competitive with anything on the market

* Convenience-priced products -- not our main focus but included and priced on a convenience basis... be honest and implicitly acknowledge that these are not priced as cheaply as possibly, but for convenience. Personally, I wish we could address aspects of the discount pricing segment -- a range of aspirational benefits per the book "Trading Up" but since we don't at this point, lets at least be frank about our position on what we do offer.

The above is not exhaustive, as you know, but I think when the price/category questions are acknowledged up front in the context of "value" and agreeing that some products are not priced to be the lowest but are there for convenience -- and if this can be done in unapologetic, forthright, non-spin verbage,  then the customer will have our products appropriately positioned at the beginning, they can make a choice about which premium products they want to proceed to purchase through Quixtar, and which they may still purchase from a discount store. Lets be honest, until Steve Lieberman gets a chance to move in some of the areas of his mandate -- expanding our "retail competitive" offerings -- many or most customers will continue to split their purchasing between the unique or fun products we offer, and products from other sources. And this is OK, for now.

Do this in, say, 14 point, uncluttered, easy-to-read sans serif font (sends a message of 'openness' and 'transparency', with visuals of a sample product in each category -- and default to those which are our category leaders -- Double X, XS Energy, etc.

I'm sure someone else can improve on these ideas... I'm just throwing the out for discussion... what do you think?

WOW! I think these excellent ideas need to be shared with the Marketing and Communications teams working on product marketing strategies and sales materials to support strategy and objectives. I LOVE the idea ... and yes, easy-to-read, clear, concise bullet points are the way to go--maybe 12 pt. : ). I agree that being direct and straightforward about who we are and what we offer is a wise move. Are you suggesting we communicate this to IBOs only? As we move forward, we want to develop customer-focused materials. "Stuff" that's targeted to end-users of the product. Would you advocate a similar approach for them? Thanks for your comments. Keep your ideas coming!

# rdknyvr said on August 30, 2007 12:30 AM:

Susan, here's another reason I was harping on the range of models representing products in catalogs and other Quixtar materials, including the new Quixtar Business Opportunity Brochure that Robin's people (I guess that would include your team?) put out. http://www.directsellingnews.com/article_app.php?articleid=106

Your part of Michigan seems to be very northern European from the mix of faces in some of the pictures in posts by Robin and Leyla... some of the rest of us live in highly urban parts of the continent that have a rainbow of beautiful colors and cultural backgrounds... these really need to be front of mind as your team designs materials in the future... same for Quixtar U and the Website. :)

With appreciation,

We hear you! Robin and I have both been letting the Comm team know the importance of reflecting the ethnic backgrounds of our IBO and customer base in North America. We even went back and changed some of photos in the Choices Fall-Winter Catalog that comes out October 1 to better reflect the cultural diversity in our business. I can't promise perfection but I can promise that we will pay greater attention to this most important detail!  Thanks again for your feedback. Always appreciated. sjw

# rdknyvr said on August 30, 2007 12:42 AM:

Susan, in fact, I would be very happy to see no more than 25-30% of the models in the catalogs, etc. from a caucasian background... look at the cultural groups who are most actively growing this business, and reflect THEIR faces in Quixtar materials... give THEM the resources to grow their business if that's who has the drive, dream, and intestinal fortitude to make it happen!!! :)  And if you do, it certainly won't crimp my ability to build in the communities with which I have contact. :) (all comments intended joyfully :) )

# rdknyvr said on August 30, 2007 10:18 AM:

Susan, responding to your question, comments above regarding positioning and pricing are intended for use with both IBOs and potential Customers. :)

# rdknyvr said on August 30, 2007 5:29 PM:

Susan, more reasons to keep the font size appropriate! http://money.cnn.com/2007/08/09/magazines/fsb/older_owners.fsb/index.htm?postversion=2007081303

The font and leading in the current catalog (Choices 2006-2007) is good. :)

# ER said on August 31, 2007 1:31 AM:

Hi Susan,

I think the catalogs are great, especially the new Personal Accents catalog which displays the jewelry so beautifully. Sometimes it's difficult to capture the quality of the product in a photo. Keeping the end users (customers) in mind, one suggestion is to allow IBO's to customize their catalogs with a space for name or mailing labels in the back (much like what you have for the current Ribbon catalog). This is especially important if you offer 3 options for someone to buy: via the internet, phone or IBO. The info on how to order more Quixtar catalogs is really unnecessary for a customer to know and I usually put my information over this-IBOs can easily find this information in their online office. I saw from another blog posting that you will finally be taking out the info meant only for IBOs from the SFM catalogs (e.g. PV/BV and b2b info) which is great. From a literacy standpoint, simpler is better, everyone is going for 'easy-to-read' nowadays, visual aids are even better such as before and after shots as well as product testimonials. If we want to make our products accessible to a majority of the population in N. America at the very least rule of thumb is to write at a literacy level at least 6-8th grade (or even lower). Highlighting whether an item has been endorsed, won an award, or featured in popular media may also attract buyers. The "as seen in" catches the eye (e.g. espring- as seen on Extreme Makeover, Artistry-as seen in Redbook or as seen on the runways of [designer]).  Smaller supplemental catalogs are also easier to carry and pass around (especially for those who have to be discrete at our day jobs). The availability of an online catalog to match our hard copies would also be nice - right now we only have 1 for personal accents and Ribbon - why not SFM and choices. As it stands, the website is difficult to navigate from a shopper's standpoint - if I want to find a sweater I saw in the SFM catalog - I'd first have to choose to search by category or  by exclusives, then i can choose apparel, then i have to go through all the products to find what i want. for some reason, if i have to click 3 or more times into another sublevel - I get frustrated. Well, those are my suggestions for now, hope that they are helpful. Look forward to the new fiscal year.

Thank you for all your great suggestions ... I will share them with Catalog Marketing and Communications! We are looking into smaller-sized catalogs and other customer-focused materials for the future. We work so far in advance for print materials, it's hard to react too quickly to all these excellent suggestions, but please know that all of them will be discussed here at Quixtar. Obviously we have many considerations when we develop catalogs, such as postage rates, printing capabilities and budget, etc. Keep the comments coming! We value your input. sjw

# Joyce Carabajal said on August 31, 2007 2:23 PM:

Just one more time I'd like to encourage Quixtar/Amway to come up with a customer version of WYW magazine.  It seems like our personal web pages are to replace the need for catalogs but they do not.  Just yesterday I was on a mid-speed internet connection looking at our products.  It was totally exasperating and I am familiar with the web site and don't have to click around a bunch to find what I'm looking for.  Yes, the internet is the wave of the future, but there are just too many people with slow connections or no connections to do without catalogs.  Plus the other day our electricity was out for several hours, there goes that connection again.  I can carry a catalog anywhere, but quality internet access is not available anywhere.  Please don't forget our customers.

Excellent point, and I assure you we are looking into customer-focused communications ... in print and online. Look for them in 2008. Thanks for your comments. Keep 'em coming! sjw

# Bridgett said on September 2, 2007 4:25 PM:

Because we have so many product lines, I would love to see more "mini-catalogues" like the Sports Nutrition Brochure (400294) and the Kids Brochure (400624). Bite-sized pieces. Ways of sloooowly introducing all our products/product lines to potential new customers. A confused mind always says "no". I prefer this type of booklet, over the trifolds (like 400006), or full-page (8.5" x 11")brochures(like 524917). More portable, durable, classy and cute. Can you be classy and cute at the same time? :)

Keep the Ribbon Gift Catalogues the size that they are. You need them that size to show all the variety. And I'd still keep the Choices, for people like me who buy a ton of stuff and it makes sense to have everything in one place (even though you repeat some products--like Double X--over and over again, which I understand is a marketing technique).

The one thing I would improve on is to offer smaller quantites--with both printed materials AND samplers. A 10-pack or 25-pack is too high for those of us who promote MANY product lines on a PART-TIME basis. A 5-pack is much more up my alley.

If I were only promoting, say Artistry, and it was my full time gig, then yes, I could go through 10-25 brochures and samplers easily. But I don't think that's the situation with most IBOs (at least here in North America). I think you'd see more orders if you lowered the quantities (w/o increasing the price-per-unit).

Also, I would LOVE to see an SKU that offers one (1) each of ALL the catalogues, brochures, we offer. OR, let us view them via PDFs. I think this would also increase sales of the sales support materials b/c I think what hinders IBOs from buying these things is that we don't know what we are buying. So we don't buy them.

Look at the Sampler Card for the Satinique Capture Color (400539). Why wouldn't the picture at Quxitar.com https://www.quixtar.com/products/product.aspx?itemno=400539

have the INSIDE of the card, which shows the actual sample packets and the writing? Yes, there's a written desciption of the cards, but SHOW don't TELL me. Just like in Kindergarten--It's "show and tell", not "tell and show".

:)

Thank you for sharing your ideas. Much appreciated. Please keep your ideas, comments, and suggestions coming. sjw

# E.Rodriguez said on September 4, 2007 12:10 AM:

Susan,

I receive several catalogs as well and just thought of another idea- the one I just flipped through was Pottery Barn Kids. What about a "Get the Card" section on the How to Order page? Notice that many dept. and online stores promote their own credit cards, offering discounts to their customers for their first purchase along with other perks. We have a Quixtar visa card which offers great benefits to Quixtar IBO's (PV/BV on all purchases), but what about offering this card to our customers too? Maybe give them the benefit of a 5% discount on their first purchase and special customer deals-this would tie in nicely if Quixtar is considering revamping the customer webpages so they're more customer-friendly. In this "Get the Card" promo section there would be a referral code: the IBO's #. That IBO would gain the credit for gaining a new customer not only for Visa but for our business as well. Not sure if this is where to post this suggestion, but hope it will be taken into consideration. It may be a big plus as well because our catalogs are steering away from traditional order forms, taking checks and money orders (which still may not be a bad idea by the way), to encouraging others to order online or over the phone which requires a debit or credit card. Question- is adding an consumer-friendly order form in the catalog totally out of the question especially if not everyone may have an internet connection?

Another quick question: Will it be possible for IBO's in the future to create their own specials and have it backed up online/customer service? For example, let's say I want to offer a 10% discount on the purchase of all Time Defiance systems. I send out a note to my current customers with the Time Defiance materials. Someone likes what they see and they decide to call the 1-800 customer # instead of me. They ask for the customer's referral code: my IBO #. Is it possible for me to set up a code that indicates 10% off Time Defiance for all my orders? The customer just has to provide the sku #s/item description - the customer service rep can see that this discount applies to thits purchase and can calculate the total amount for the customer- and I made the sale. Same thing online - if someone decides they want to order through my qbeautyzone.com website rather than calling me directly, can I create a code that allows for specifc products to offer that discount to my clients? can we create special section that highlights a product I want on sale for my business? I think that this type of support would also help tremendously.

Thanks for all your great suggestions. I will pass them on to Marketing, Sales Support, and IT.  sjw

# rdknyvr said on September 4, 2007 12:47 AM:

Susan, were you ever able to follow up on your thought that you might get a copy of BrandSimple and give it a read? What did you think of the book? :)

I haven't read it  yet because I didn't find it at the local bookstores. I will have to order it online. Where did you find it? Our Partner Store, Barnes & Noble.com? I'd love to read it and then have others in the department read it, as well. Thanks! sjw

# rdknyvr said on September 4, 2007 11:02 AM:

Hi Susan, yes, it's available through B&N online... red cover with prominent title. :)

$10.17 from Amazon or $19.96 from Barnes and Noble.

It's ordered. I'm reading it first and then I'll pass it on to Robin and the rest of the editors. Thanks for the recommendation. sjw

# C. Haynes said on September 6, 2007 12:24 AM:

Can you tell me how to purchase a Quixtar gift catalog?  I think they are a great idea and it seems to me that information would be available online but I can't seem to locate it.

Thanks for your help.

Glad you asked. Not entirely sure which catalog you're referring to, but hopefully it's one of these:

Ribbon Gift Albums can be purchased online at:

Ribbon Gift Cards/Albums

The Store for More Holiday Catalog will be available online for advance order by Monday, September 10. You'll be able to find it under Merchandising Materials:

Holiday 2007 Catalog

# Jeffrey said on September 10, 2007 6:28 AM:

I second the motion for smaller quantities. 2-packs or single copies. If we don't specialize in a certain area and a customer wants a copy, we order a 10-pack and then end up throwing some away when they've expired. I also liked the idea of the pdf showing the entire catalog so we know what we're buying, like a test drive for a catalog.

Thanks for your feedback! Keep reading and commenting. Your input is valuable and appreciated. sjw

# TomC said on May 18, 2008 11:25 PM:

Hi Susan,

First I'd like to say all of your catalogs are world class

and I'm very proud to share them with my customers.

Since more and more of business is conducted on the web with

drop shipping the trend for the majority of customers.

I've got a suggestion to help increase business.

Why not have catalogs available in eaches. So,when my customer orders a couple of products, I can add a catalog to the box and maybe encourage future orders. I'd even like to see the jewelry and supplement brochures in eaches.

Even Fuller Brush places a catalog in every order they ship!

Just my 2cents!

# Ciao Bella said on June 27, 2008 4:51 PM:

I love catalogs!  The more colorful the better. It's marketing. Thats the reason XS was so successful at first- because of the great graphics and colors. We do a great job at making our Choices catalog inviting- so that someone wants to look inside.

It is so important to have information about each product in the catalog as well. There are still soooo many people that don't go online to read about the product. I personally like laying in bed at night and looking at catalogs and reading up on things.

The competitive info we have in our Choices is awesome. To really see how we compare product wise and price wise to leading brands is great. That helps us show the value of our products.

# Ciao Bella said on June 27, 2008 4:55 PM:

Our Core products, Artistry, Nutrilite and SA8-home care are the most important part of our volume in this business. We need to keep those products that we are 100% loyal to in a Catalog by themselves. Thats how we teach new IBOs how to save the most money and make the most money. They are our foundation. You get the most bv/dollar spent. Thats what I teach new IBOs to switch out first.

In each of those catagories we are #1

Lets highlight those!

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