Who is the NMOA?
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The NMOA works as a coordinator, a guide to direct marketing and interactive mail order selling through the web, and other direct to consumer channels. We want to provide unique opportunities that you will find nowhere else. New products, selling tactics, partnerships. Every product maker needs a product marketer, and the product marketer needs the marketing tools that yet others provide. The NMOA is a central location for all to meet and help each other in a mutually profitable way.

The NMOA was founded in 1972 by mail order expert and advertising man Paul Muchnick in order to help small to midsize businesses and entrepreneurs involved in, or wishing to be involved in mail order marketing, now commonly referred to as direct marketing.

'Mail Order Selling' and 'Direct Marketing' are terms that encompasses many different methods and mediums of soliciting and/or selling products or services at a distance where the potential customer is not physically present at a store or other location to see the product or to place an order. In parts of Europe this is also referred to as 'Distance Selling.' The marketer is 'Reaching Out' to the consumer from a distance.

The mail order business (or direct marketer) promotes their product or service through one or more types of media, either print or electronic. This would  using print catalogs, direct mail, electronic catalogs, website stores, email, television, radio, ads in magazines and/or newspapers, billing and package inserts, etc.. The order (or an inquiry of interest) from a customer is then placed remotely through telephone, mail, fax, electronic shopping cart, email, or other device.

Finally, the fulfillment (delivery) of physical goods ordered via mail order is done through a common carrier such as the United States Post Office (USPS), United Parcel Service (UPS), FedEx, and others. In the case of electronic products or services, delivery can occur via telephone, fax, the Web, email or other device.

A key element of mail order advertising, promotion or other direct marketing tactic is that it produces a measurable and traceable response and at the same time captures important customer (sales lead) information that can be used to further expand sales and marketing opportunities.

Right now there is a big focus on selling through the Internet, or Web. This is simply a new medium for mail order sellers, it is still mail order. Your goods and services are still presented and sold with pictures, videos and words. The ordering is done remotely, and the delivery is done via common carrier or electronically. So, if you don't have a complete understanding of the mail order business (direct marketing), then you will have a hard time finding success selling on the Internet/Web.

What is the NMOA Mission?

The mission of the NMOA is to provide education, information, and business connections to entrepreneurs and small businesses around the world for the purposes of making money through the use of direct marketing and mail order selling tactics.

How does the NMOA Accomplish this Mission?

Everyone that comes to the NMOA has a slightly different situation; their skills, their experience and the resources available to them are different. Some people are looking to start a business and some already have a small business that they are looking to make more money from. Some people have a lot of one thing, but nothing of another. This is common. But entrepreneurs and small business owners need to wear many hats, they must constantly build their skills, resources and know-how -- or they need to work/partner with others that can supplement their weaknesses.

Some people may be great marketers, but they have nothing to sell, and others may have something to sell, but they are not good at marketing and sales. So the NMOA tries to do things that bridge these weaknesses.

So, for the sake of brevity, and the fact that some things change in the business world; what we may be doing today to help you, may not be the same as we are doing next month to help you. Therefore, in general terms, we will itemize a list of main key points here.

1. For the person just starting a business or investigating the possibility of doing so.

First off, if you are of the "Get Rich Quick" mentality, or believe that there is some easy 'secrete' road to making money in your own business, the NMOA is not for you. We will tell you right now there is no such reality as something for nothing. So that's the first thing, we do our best to weed out the BS that is so prevalent on the subject of business start-ups and home business.

If we were to pick one quote that coincides with our philosophy as an organization, it would be the one by Andrew Carnegie -- "There is no use whatever trying to help people who do not help themselves. You cannot push anyone up a ladder unless he be willing to climb himself."

True opportunity comes to those that develop specialized marketing know-how and then take action to get into the game. Therefore, to get you off on solid footing on starting a business we have a book in our bookstore called the - Direct Marketing Toolkit for Small and Home Business.  It was written by NMOA president John Schulte. A person that has 30 years of real experience doing what he outlines in the book, not someone that has simply researched the subject or copied someone else's work to sell on the Internet.

This book by itself is useful no matter what kind of business you are going to start; a service related business or one of selling a products. However, if you are starting a business that involves selling products manufactured by someone else, i.e. you buy wholesale and sell retail, then you will want to consider the NMOA's Business Start-up Package that includes a Professional Wholesale Buying and Sourcing Directory and other related information.

Once you understand how to use the tools available for marketing and promotion, and the strategic thinking and business concept development that goes with this, we continue work to put new opportunities in front of you. This could be in the form of uncovering new products you can sell, or introducing new lists, marketing tactics, or other promotional opportunity, or finding a partner or business for sale through one of our social networks, or maybe helping you uncover a service you can provide in your local area. It's hard to say what we may uncover for you once you have the skills to recognize true opportunity and move forward with it, and not waste time and money on projects that have little likelihood of success.

When you are part of the NMOA network we also work to further develop your marketing know-how through special educational opportunities that include industry trade shows, conferences, webinars, seminars, and instructional home study classes. 

2. For the person already in business and is looking to make it bigger.

Each week we send out a concise marketing and business newsletter via email that features, new products you can sell to your customers, a business article, a new industry contact, and a book that relates to advertising, marketing, promotion, or business. We will also announce important new statistics and marketing data when available. This service is part of our basic member network and is free for all. You can sign up here for the NMOA Member Network.  

If you are a company that sells products to the end user, i.e. Retail, not Wholesale, and you have a website, we have a special free program that will list and link your website at no charge in our new Consumer Shopping Department - the details of this special offer is outlined here: Special Membership for Web Store Retailers.

3. For the Inventor, Manufacturer and Wholesale Distributor.

If you have a product that you are looking to have sold by others, i.e. catalog companies, web merchants, television (DRTV) marketers and home shopping channels - and other specialty marketers, the NMOA offers you a low cost way to reach out to them. Using our Product Promotion Program you can reach all our network members and thousands more. People that are specifically looking for new products to sell.

Things that we do to serve all people in our network, large and small.

You can find industry events here: Direct Marketing Events

Social Networking Opportunities on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter.

Linkedin: NMOA Linkedin Group:
Facebook: Drop Ship Wholesale:
Facebook: Direct Marketing and Mail Order:
Twitter: Follow NMOA President:

A special note to our entrepreneurial visitors.

We are here to help you create opportunity for yourself. If you simply think about starting a business, but never take any action because you are waiting for just the right moment or idea, we're here to tell you there is never really a perfect time except for NOW! If you don't act, you will be sitting and thinking for years to come, never doing anything. You may not be where you want to be when you start, or the exact business you want to be in, but the universe seems to favor those who take action, therefore leading them to just the right thing. Thomas Edison said: "Genius is one percent inspiration, and ninety-nine percent perspiration." It's the same with business, taking action puts you in the game, and you need to be in the game for anything worthwhile to happen.

Get a good handle of the marketing and promotional tools you have available to use. (See DM Toolkit above.) Take an idea and start. See what you can do. Get practical experience. It can be as simple as finding a product in our new product and wholesale sourcing department and buy a few and sell them. Don't delay your future...make it happen by taking action!

Today the NMOA is comprised of the President and Chief Manager, John D. Schulte, his staff, and a large (and growing) number of nationally prominent industry experts that volunteer information and education to the NMOA weekly e-newsletter.

To learn about the different types of membership and promotional opportunities available to serve you, please click here.

You may join our basic business network at no cost here: http://www.nmoamembers.org/network/

A large archive of direct marketing and mail order information is also available at no cost in our Information Library.