Reading Material

[Morticia]

Has anyone considered putting catalogs in the rooms or common areas ?
I've gotten some requests for Brookstone, LL Bean, and Sharper Image.
How do hosts feel about these catalogs that sell stuff ?
I am a on the fence, but am listening to my customers..

Really? Requests to put catalogs in rooms? I've never had that. Here's how I would decide...what do you want your guests' experience to be? A sales pitch? A relaxing vacation? Unless they can pop out the door to one of those stores I wouldn't put their catalogs in the room. It really looks like another guest dropped them there and no one cared enough to pick up the room. Unless, like I said, they can walk out the door to one of those stores, then they might think it was cool.
However, I spend a good chunk of my summer throwing out the catalogs from one of those places.
.

It's nature of the location. Outlet malls.
People must have it on their minds and they consider shopping relaxing ?
Some online catalogs give you commission as well, so I wonder if it's worth it as risidual income.
.

How does the commission work? I've seen that work if you have links from your website to theirs so they can track it but do they give the person some sort of code in the catalog so they know they got the catalog from you? Who do you contact for the catalogs that pay you a commission because there are enough outlets near me that I could make a killing?

 

[JBloggs]

Ahhh now we come to the real reason.

 

[swirt]

Has anyone considered putting catalogs in the rooms or common areas ?
I've gotten some requests for Brookstone, LL Bean, and Sharper Image.
How do hosts feel about these catalogs that sell stuff ?
I am a on the fence, but am listening to my customers..

Really? Requests to put catalogs in rooms? I've never had that. Here's how I would decide...what do you want your guests' experience to be? A sales pitch? A relaxing vacation? Unless they can pop out the door to one of those stores I wouldn't put their catalogs in the room. It really looks like another guest dropped them there and no one cared enough to pick up the room. Unless, like I said, they can walk out the door to one of those stores, then they might think it was cool.
However, I spend a good chunk of my summer throwing out the catalogs from one of those places.
.

It's nature of the location. Outlet malls.
People must have it on their minds and they consider shopping relaxing ?
Some online catalogs give you commission as well, so I wonder if it's worth it as risidual income.
.

How does the commission work? I've seen that work if you have links from your website to theirs so they can track it but do they give the person some sort of code in the catalog so they know they got the catalog from you? Who do you contact for the catalogs that pay you a commission because there are enough outlets near me that I could make a killing?
.

It is standard affiliate marketing. If they click through from a link on your site, and then purcahse something, you get credit fo the sale and get a warded a percentage (1%-10% depending on the program). Some limit the time frame to a week, some to 30 or 60 days. 60 days is the best, because they may have window shopped from your site, but then didn't buy anything for a few days, then when back and ordered. There are usually no provisions for people who browse online then call on the phone to place the order... you get nothing for that.
SOme of the big stores are pretty picky about who they allow into their programs....others let anybody who wants in, in.

 

[Morticia]

Has anyone considered putting catalogs in the rooms or common areas ?
I've gotten some requests for Brookstone, LL Bean, and Sharper Image.
How do hosts feel about these catalogs that sell stuff ?
I am a on the fence, but am listening to my customers..

Really? Requests to put catalogs in rooms? I've never had that. Here's how I would decide...what do you want your guests' experience to be? A sales pitch? A relaxing vacation? Unless they can pop out the door to one of those stores I wouldn't put their catalogs in the room. It really looks like another guest dropped them there and no one cared enough to pick up the room. Unless, like I said, they can walk out the door to one of those stores, then they might think it was cool.
However, I spend a good chunk of my summer throwing out the catalogs from one of those places.
.

It's nature of the location. Outlet malls.
People must have it on their minds and they consider shopping relaxing ?
Some online catalogs give you commission as well, so I wonder if it's worth it as risidual income.
.

How does the commission work? I've seen that work if you have links from your website to theirs so they can track it but do they give the person some sort of code in the catalog so they know they got the catalog from you? Who do you contact for the catalogs that pay you a commission because there are enough outlets near me that I could make a killing?
.

It is standard affiliate marketing. If they click through from a link on your site, and then purcahse something, you get credit fo the sale and get a warded a percentage (1%-10% depending on the program). Some limit the time frame to a week, some to 30 or 60 days. 60 days is the best, because they may have window shopped from your site, but then didn't buy anything for a few days, then when back and ordered. There are usually no provisions for people who browse online then call on the phone to place the order... you get nothing for that.
SOme of the big stores are pretty picky about who they allow into their programs....others let anybody who wants in, in.
.

I was just wondering how it worked with catalogs. If the company sends catalogs to put in the rooms, how do they pay the commission. You'd still need links from your site and I would never put retail sales links on my website. (In spite of multiple offers to make big bucks every month doing so by linking to xxx sites!)

 

[Innkeeper To Go]

Ahhh now we come to the real reason..

There you have it.

 

[wendydk]

Ahhh now we come to the real reason..

Ahhh now we come to the real reason.

I knew it. Why can't people just come on and introduce themselves honestly before trying to "trick us" into making them money their first day and post on the forum?

 

[IronGate]

Has anyone considered putting catalogs in the rooms or common areas ?
I've gotten some requests for Brookstone, LL Bean, and Sharper Image.
How do hosts feel about these catalogs that sell stuff ?
I am a on the fence, but am listening to my customers..

Really? Requests to put catalogs in rooms? I've never had that. Here's how I would decide...what do you want your guests' experience to be? A sales pitch? A relaxing vacation? Unless they can pop out the door to one of those stores I wouldn't put their catalogs in the room. It really looks like another guest dropped them there and no one cared enough to pick up the room. Unless, like I said, they can walk out the door to one of those stores, then they might think it was cool.
However, I spend a good chunk of my summer throwing out the catalogs from one of those places.
.

It's nature of the location. Outlet malls.
People must have it on their minds and they consider shopping relaxing ?
Some online catalogs give you commission as well, so I wonder if it's worth it as risidual income.
.

How does the commission work? I've seen that work if you have links from your website to theirs so they can track it but do they give the person some sort of code in the catalog so they know they got the catalog from you? Who do you contact for the catalogs that pay you a commission because there are enough outlets near me that I could make a killing?
.

It is standard affiliate marketing. If they click through from a link on your site, and then purcahse something, you get credit fo the sale and get a warded a percentage (1%-10% depending on the program). Some limit the time frame to a week, some to 30 or 60 days. 60 days is the best, because they may have window shopped from your site, but then didn't buy anything for a few days, then when back and ordered. There are usually no provisions for people who browse online then call on the phone to place the order... you get nothing for that.
SOme of the big stores are pretty picky about who they allow into their programs....others let anybody who wants in, in.
.

I was just wondering how it worked with catalogs. If the company sends catalogs to put in the rooms, how do they pay the commission. You'd still need links from your site and I would never put retail sales links on my website. (In spite of multiple offers to make big bucks every month doing so by linking to xxx sites!)
.

He mentioned "online" catalog. I missed that the first time I read it. Maybe having the catalog in the room will inspire the impulse to buy, causing the guest to go online to order, thus generating the residual income.

 

[Morticia]

Has anyone considered putting catalogs in the rooms or common areas ?
I've gotten some requests for Brookstone, LL Bean, and Sharper Image.
How do hosts feel about these catalogs that sell stuff ?
I am a on the fence, but am listening to my customers..

Really? Requests to put catalogs in rooms? I've never had that. Here's how I would decide...what do you want your guests' experience to be? A sales pitch? A relaxing vacation? Unless they can pop out the door to one of those stores I wouldn't put their catalogs in the room. It really looks like another guest dropped them there and no one cared enough to pick up the room. Unless, like I said, they can walk out the door to one of those stores, then they might think it was cool.
However, I spend a good chunk of my summer throwing out the catalogs from one of those places.
.

It's nature of the location. Outlet malls.
People must have it on their minds and they consider shopping relaxing ?
Some online catalogs give you commission as well, so I wonder if it's worth it as risidual income.
.

How does the commission work? I've seen that work if you have links from your website to theirs so they can track it but do they give the person some sort of code in the catalog so they know they got the catalog from you? Who do you contact for the catalogs that pay you a commission because there are enough outlets near me that I could make a killing?
.

It is standard affiliate marketing. If they click through from a link on your site, and then purcahse something, you get credit fo the sale and get a warded a percentage (1%-10% depending on the program). Some limit the time frame to a week, some to 30 or 60 days. 60 days is the best, because they may have window shopped from your site, but then didn't buy anything for a few days, then when back and ordered. There are usually no provisions for people who browse online then call on the phone to place the order... you get nothing for that.
SOme of the big stores are pretty picky about who they allow into their programs....others let anybody who wants in, in.
.

I was just wondering how it worked with catalogs. If the company sends catalogs to put in the rooms, how do they pay the commission. You'd still need links from your site and I would never put retail sales links on my website. (In spite of multiple offers to make big bucks every month doing so by linking to xxx sites!)
.

He mentioned "online" catalog. I missed that the first time I read it. Maybe having the catalog in the room will inspire the impulse to buy, causing the guest to go online to order, thus generating the residual income.
.

Well, I'm confused by the whole thing. He said he was near outlets and that he could get paid to have the catalogs in the rooms. Given that I'm near outlets and none of them have ever approached us with so much as a coupon program much less an offer to 'share the wealth' I still don't know how it works if you don't have links on your website to the catalog.

 

[IronGate]

Ahhh now we come to the real reason..

Ahhh now we come to the real reason.

I knew it. Why can't people just come on and introduce themselves honestly before trying to "trick us" into making them money their first day and post on the forum?
.

Ahhh now we come to the real reason.

I knew it. Why can't people just come on and introduce themselves honestly before trying to "trick us" into making them money their first day and post on the forum?

I think you are misreading and/or leaping to conclusions. He was asking about putting catalogs in his rooms, which would generate residual income from those guests' orders. It has nothing to do with making any money from members of this forum. Having catalogs in guest rooms seems a bit odd, but given his location near an outlet mall and the possibility of actually generating some revenue from it, it is worth thinking about. So, he came here and asked other innkeepers' opinions.

 

[JBloggs]

Nope. Anyone who posts that as their first post, who leaps in and starts a new thread, it is called a red flag. It is the same pattern each and every time, they are never someone new to the forum who begins posting comments or adding their opinion, it is always a question that leads to them having the answer.
Just like those who go to churches to try to get a hold of their church directories with names and addresses so they can send them marketing or pyramid scam stuff and act like so and so sent me (since they have other names and info).
They come and go on this forum. They are typically flagged and most people don't see them. Playing by th rules so far and not posting the info until asked. But don't be surprised if your inn is listed on the forum if you received stuff in the mail shortly.

 

[user 26]

all i can think of would be a local coupon book to have for sale ... if not for sale, then one of those local give-aways ... unless you run a shop and stay package where you've worked out a deal with an outlet mall

 

[Blenderboy]

I don't KNOW, this is why I'm asking in this forum.
I don't see how online link would provide better guest service.

 

[EmptyNest]

Has anyone considered putting catalogs in the rooms or common areas ?
I've gotten some requests for Brookstone, LL Bean, and Sharper Image.
How do hosts feel about these catalogs that sell stuff ?
I am a on the fence, but am listening to my customers..

If you happen to have some catalogs around, leave them out. I wouldn't go out of my way to provide this kind of stuff for them. Let them get them themselves. Why would a B & B have to have such like these on hand. We aren't airlines.

 

[Morticia]

I don't KNOW, this is why I'm asking in this forum.
I don't see how online link would provide better guest service..

I don't KNOW, this is why I'm asking in this forum.
I don't see how online link would provide better guest service.

You are answering yourself in this post (#75239) so it's hard to answer when no one knows what the question is.
Here's how I see the thread going...

1. You post about having reading materials, possibly catalogs.
2. A little while later you mention you have been approached to have catalogs in your rooms.
3. You then mention 'residual income' from catalog sales.
4. You state you are near outlets, implying that's who has approached you.
5. You mention names of catalog companies.

All well and good. But I think you brought up the idea of residual sales from catalog orders and the rest, well me anyway, are curious how you would do that? I can't answer that question for you as you seem to know way more about it. To get residual sales you would need to connect those catalogs with your place(s). How does that happen? I'm asking you because you brought up being approached and expecting income from this.
Now, maybe you heard about this somewhere else and wanted to know how it's done, but it felt to me like you had more info than anyone here about how it's done but you were wondering if anyone does it.
If I could get residual sales from catalogs without having to put links to those catalogs from my website, I'd be darn interested in talking to those catalog companies. Otherwise, catalogs take up too much space.

 

[Joey Camb]

I havn't a clue about any of the above. but how about approaching local businesses for discount coupons for our customers? I think someone mentioned a similar thing higher up in the thread? A local restaurant us pushing us if you send ten people to them you get a free meal (I wouldn't send if the quality wasn't there mind) and have invited us for a free lunch to test them out. It wouldn't make us any money but it might be nice for customers.
It would be a faff maybe to organise? what do people think? or is this a new thread?

 

[Morticia]

I havn't a clue about any of the above. but how about approaching local businesses for discount coupons for our customers? I think someone mentioned a similar thing higher up in the thread? A local restaurant us pushing us if you send ten people to them you get a free meal (I wouldn't send if the quality wasn't there mind) and have invited us for a free lunch to test them out. It wouldn't make us any money but it might be nice for customers.
It would be a faff maybe to organise? what do people think? or is this a new thread?.

I havn't a clue about any of the above. but how about approaching local businesses for discount coupons for our customers?
It would be a faff maybe to organise? what do people think? or is this a new thread?

It's a great idea and would make a good new thread. Always looking for ideas on how to make this work!

 

[Blenderboy]

I found this from Sharper image, but it looks more like online website stuff.
http://www.sharperimage.com/Pages/Affiliate+Program/