Associations and non-profits are a powerful resource for building and expanding networking and business opportunities. Associations hold conventions, print reports and literature, promote their cause, and use your services!

The Directory of Associations is a comprehensive source of information on associations and professional societies including business and trade associations, 501c non-profit organizations, chambers of commerce, and other charity and community associations.

Available on CD-ROM, in print, and on mailing labels -- or search online and download results using our powerful search interface.

For more information or to order, call 800-575-5369 or go to http://www.marketingsource.com/associations.

I frequently get e-mails from people wanting to know where they can find mailing lists. Sometimes, these e-mails have an air of desperation, as if a list is an elusive thing that must be hunted down and captured.

Well, if you're looking for a list, you can rent one from a commercial mailing list broker. Please be aware that if you take this route, it's going to cost you money.

Okay, so you're not flush with money right now. How can you find a mailing list? That's easy. You build one yourself.

For example, you may be targeting a certain industry. Just about every industry under the sun has a trade directory. For example, if you were seeking clients in the bicycle industry, you'd want to get a copy of the Interbike Directory. Going after radio stations and record companies? People in the know refer to that directory as "R & R."

How can you find out the name of the trade directory covering your target industry? Well, you'd go to the library and make friends with your reference librarian. (Here in Tucson, the place to go is the Main Library business section, and your best friends would be business librarian Tom Farmer and his staff.)

If you'd like some more "build it yourself" mailing list tips, check out the Postcard Marketing Secrets downloadable manual! It will show you how to build—and maintain—your mailing list.

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Martha Retallick, "The Passionate Postcarder," hails from Tucson, Arizona, USA. She is the author of Postcard Marketing Secrets, a downloadable PDF manual will show you how to put postcards to work for your business—profitably. Learn more about it at: http://www.PostcardMarketingSecrets.com

Concept Marketing Group, Inc. introduces a postcard product offer that, unlike any other in the market, allows your business to conduct direct mail promotions as easy as 1-2-3 (Designed - Printed - Mailed). Reach 5,000 prospects or customers today for as little as $0.33 each, including postage costs!

Our services include:
• Business and Consumer Mailing and Phone Lists
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These 5 common advertising mistakes cause you to lose sales. But you can easily avoid these mistakes once you become aware of them.

1. STOP AND GO ADVERTISING

Many businesses reduce their advertising when they are getting plenty of sales. Then they increase their advertising when sales decline. This pattern of stop and go advertising creates a repeating cycle of high sales volume and low sales volume. It also prevents the business from growing.

Develop and follow a plan of regularly scheduled advertising regardless of your sales volume. Continuous advertising produces steady growth. It also reduces the time you have to spend on making advertising decisions.

2. ONE SHOT ADVERTISING

Businesses often devote all of their advertising efforts to attracting new customers. But they devote little or no effort to cultivating these prospects for future sales.

Most prospective customers will not buy the first time they hear or see your sales message. But many will buy later if you follow up with them. Your follow up can be as simple as contacting them periodically with a new offer.

TIP: Customers are prospects too. Stay in contact with them. Find or develop other products or services you can offer them. It's easier to make a sale to a previous customer than to someone who never bought from you.

3. COPYCAT ADVERTISING

Businesses often copy their competitors advertising ideas. This can be effective for a short time. But results quickly decline as more and more competitors copy the same idea.

Instead of copying your competitors advertising ideas, improve on them. Create something better - something your competitors cannot copy.

For example, give your customers a reason to buy from you instead of from a competitor. This can be as simple as including a unique bonus only you can offer - or providing the personal attention your competitors are not willing or able to provide.

4. SCATTER SHOT ADVERTISING

Many businesses get poor results from their advertising because they reach too many prospects with little or no interest in what they are selling. This often occurs because they choose the cheapest advertising instead of looking for low cost targeted advertising.

Take some time to research and plan your advertising efforts. Look for ways you can reach concentrations of prospects likely to be interested in your product or service. Then design your message to appeal specifically to their interests and needs.

TIP: Look for alternative media your competition may be overlooking. For example, many online marketers have started using direct mail postcards to generate traffic to their web sites. It's a low cost way to bypass the heavy competition online.

5. SELF FOCUSED ADVERTISING

Advertisers often promote facts about themselves or their products in their advertising. But facts don't sell. Benefits sell. For example, which of the following has more impact?

1. "We provide complete marketing services for starting your own business"
2. "No more time clock. Work when you want. Take long vacations"

The first focuses on the company and describes the service it provides. It's boring and unattractive. The second focuses on the benefit provided by that service. It attracts attention and creates excitement - and generates more sales.

These 5 common advertising mistakes cause you to lose sales How many are you making? Apply the information revealed in this article to avoid these mistakes - and maximize the results you get from your advertising efforts.

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Bob Leduc is a Sales Consultant with 30 years experience in building successful businesses. He just released a revised and completely updated New Edition of his manual, "How To Build Your Small Business Fast With Simple Postcards", and several other publications to help small businesses grow and prosper. Email: BobLeduc@aol.com Subject: "Postcards" Phone: 702-658-1707 after 10 AM Pacific Time/Las Vegas, NV