Should You Rip Apart Your Catalogs or Hand Them Out In-Tact?

[redsoxgirl]

By this I mean do you rip them apart and then put them in a binder with clear page protectors for your shows rather than give a whole catalog as-is to people?

I did this for the F/W catalogs, but now I'm wondering if I should leave them in tact so I can pass them out later.

Part of me says I should stick with it because it's only 20 catalogs, I only have to switch out a couple things each show (recipe, monthly specials) and the catalog always looks nice.

Part of me says go with a folder with stuff stuck in it (in-tact catalog being one item) so people can take them when they leave a show.

What do you think?
What do you do?

 

[wadesgirl]

I bought "report" binders at Dollar Tree. They are a clear protective cover with a slide on binder piece that holds it secure. This has kept my catalogs in good shape and if someone wants one they just have to take the binder off.

 

[pchefjaime]

i do rip them apart. my guests love it. it looks great.

 

[chefjeanine]

I use intact catalogs. I would say only about 1/4 of the guests want to take home a catalog and I don't mind. When I was new, I had a totally different perspective and hung on to the catalogs for dear life. Now I look at it as fairly cheap advertising. I don't want the extra weight or effort of tearing apart and putting in page protectors. I use lapboards (with a business card, catalog, order form and guest care card). These weigh plenty.

 

[sklay723]

I use lapboards and give out the catalogs, and then tell them if they want to recycle they can turn them back in (or hold on to them if they want to keep them). BUT I do have two catalogs in binders, separated and put into the clear page protectors. One I bring to shows with me to keep during my demo, so that food doesn't get on the pages if I have to flip to something during a recipe. The other one stays in my car at all times so I always have it handy if I need to show someone something. I keep two or three extra cattys in my car, too, so I have some to give out if I run into people while taking care of errands, etc., but it's nice to have one in a binder with the specials on the front and back covers (I use the binders with the clear pockets on the outside).

 

[wadesgirl]

I use lapboards and give out the catalogs, and then tell them if they want to recycle they can turn them back in (or hold on to them if they want to keep them). BUT I do have two catalogs in binders, separated and put into the clear page protectors. One I bring to shows with me to keep during my demo, so that food doesn't get on the pages if I have to flip to something during a recipe. The other one stays in my car at all times so I always have it handy if I need to show someone something. I keep two or three extra cattys in my car, too, so I have some to give out if I run into people while taking care of errands, etc., but it's nice to have one in a binder with the specials on the front and back covers (I use the binders with the clear pockets on the outside).

I guess I do have one in a binder at my desk. Makes for easy flipping and locating when I'm on the phone with someone. I have it marked up with products I own, products I want to own and products I want another one of!

 

[chefann]

I just had this conversation with a cluster mate the other day. She mentioned that she buys 700-800 catalogs a year, and will be switching to catalogs in page protectors and folders for the Spring season. Her plan is to take some catalogs to shows for people to take home, but they'll have to ask her for them. She figured she was losing 10-12 catalogs a show from people taking them home or returning them so she can reuse them, but returning them in such bad shape that she had to throw them out. At 6-8 shows a month, that was 60-96 catalogs lost per month! And her random orders from those customers just didn't justify that type of investment. I'm seriously considering doing the same thing this season, too. DH keeps moaning about how much I spend on supplies, so if I can cut the number of catalogs I use in half, that's good.

 

[DebbieJ]

I use intact catalogs. I would say only about 1/4 of the guests want to take home a catalog and I don't mind. When I was new, I had a totally different perspective and hung on to the catalogs for dear life. Now I look at it as fairly cheap advertising. I don't want the extra weight or effort of tearing apart and putting in page protectors. I use lapboards (with a business card, catalog, order form and guest care card). These weigh plenty.

I agree with Jeanine. Catalogs are a walking business card for you.

 

[PamperedK]

I always stress that my customers are free to take their catalogs with them. I want them to write in them and make them theirs. I rarely get any catalogs back at my shows but I really don't mind. Since doing this, my show average has gone up and my customers have been calling me the next day asking to add to their orders. I certainly don't mind spending the money on extra catalogs.

 

[vwpamperedchef]

I have one catalog in a binder. I use that at my events, and if people place an order they get a new catalog. If they don't then they get a mini catalog.

I also use it for me, at my shows. At the check out when I am with a customer, some one will always have a question "where is this" I can quickly flip thru and find what they need.

As far as my shows, I clean up after the guests, if there are ones laying around I take them and recycle them! I've was lucky in F/W I only had to buy an extra 25 after the first 100. Granted I didnt do as many shows as I wanted, but you get the point.

HTH

 

[jrstephens]

I give them the catalog as is. That's way too much work to put them all in binders in my opinion! I haven't had problems with mine getting messed up and not being reusable. I tell my guest they are welcome to take the catalog home if they ask for it. So far after 2 years though none of them that have taken them with them call me out of the blue with an order either.

I do hand out a business card with a recipe on it to them all so they will have my contact infomraiton on it. I put a recipe on it b/c I figure that makes them more likely to hold on to it.