A Nice Catalog

By Jim Whelan

Saturday, September 22, 2007

I was just looking over the mail, something I do almost every afternoon at about 3 PM. Usually there is nothing of real interest, but somehow just getting mail is therapeutic.

I have a system for sorting. I have a crate for bills, a crate for things that might be interesting, and a rolling 30-gallon trash can for all the junk, and there is a lot of that.

The ratio of junk to anything of interest was fairly high today, and then I stumbled upon a catalog from a company I used to do business with years ago, and for some reason I just stopped.

I can't remember why.

The company is called Geerlings and Wade, and they are in the wine business. I used to order wine from them starting in 1988 or 1989, and ordered for the next ten or 11 years, then stopped. Back in those days they weren't very sophisticated at marketing, but everything they recommended with regard to wine was spot on.

To tell you the truth, I hadn't even thought of them in years. Then today I get this very nice catalog from them and it seems they have a website too. What they specialized in was finding wines and wineries that most folks had never heard of, but made incredibly good wines.

Reading the catalog today, they have remained true to their vision, and judging by their full color glossy catalog, they have been pretty successful.

I'm reading and drooling at the same time.

Here is something else that they did that was very smart.

They kept me on the mailing list, even though I haven't purchased anything in 9 or 10 years. The catalog jogged all the good memories I had about doing business with them.

Today or tomorrow I'm going to order something from them. I might just buy all my business Christmas presents in one place this year.

You can find Geerlings and Wade at: www.geerwade.com

I'm betting they'll treat you right. Before they inexplicably dropped off my radar, they always did right by me.

From the big saddle,
Jim Whelan

P.S. If you really want to be successful, you need to develop a mailing list, both internet and snail mail. Our internet and marketing experts here at The Joan Randall Agency can help you master a way of marketing that never goes out of style, no matter what those idiots in NY and LA think. Some of the old mail order gurus made more money than these young bozos ever dreamed of. I'll tell you one thing, no oldtimer would have ever rented his Mercedes. (Datz because he had a Rolls parked out front of the house, which was also paid for.) We know the new, and revere the old, which still mints money today. Call us at 206 407 3124, or send an email to: mediarelations@thejoanrandallagency.com. here can help you

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Geerlings and Wade

A Nice Catalog