TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Starting Your Mystery Shopping Business

Introduction

i

Chapter 1

 Setting up a Business

1.1

Naming Your Company

2

1.2

Locating Your Office

5

1.3

Furnishing and Equipping Your Office

9

1.4

Getting a Business Phone Line and a Yellow Pages Listing

11

1.5

Getting Online

12

1.6

Designing Stationery

14

1.7

Taking Care of Legal Details and Opening a Business Bank Account

16

Chapter 2

 Marketing Your Services

2.1

Advertising in the Yellow Pages

19

2.2

Writing and Distributing Press Releases that Promote Your Company

21

2.3

Developing Relationships with Marketing Managers at Shopping Malls

29

2.4

Using Direct Mail and Telemarketing

32

2.5

Conducting Awards Programs that Generate Publicity

37

2.6

Promoting Your Company on the Web

39

2.7

Networking Through Local Business Groups
(Optimists, Chamber of Commerce, Women’s Chamber, etc.)

42

Chapter 3

 Targeting Specific Customers

3.1

Developing Specific Marketing Strategies

45

3.2

Composing Marketing Letters

49

3.3

Following Up with Phone Calls

59

3.4

Developing Content of Your In-Person Sales Calls

61

3.5

Writing Proposals
(sample proposals pages 68-85)

66

Chapter 4

 Preparing Mystery Shoppers

4.1

Identifying the Profile of a Good Shopper

88

4.2

Finding Shoppers in Your Network

90

4.3

Advertising in the Classifieds

92

4.4

Posting Your Jobs on the Internet and with Web-Based Shopper Placement Services

94

4.5

Collecting Resumes and Letters of Application

97

4.6

Screening and Interviewing Prospective Shoppers

104

4.7

Explaining Conditions of Employment
(sample contracts pages 110-115)

108

4.8

Preparing New Shoppers

116

4.9

Grading Standards

119

4.10

Assigning Work

139

4.11

Keeping Shoppers Sharp

141

Chapter 5

 Tracking Work in the Office

5.1

Shoppers’ Logs

143

5.2

Customers’ Logs

146

Chapter 6

 Evaluating Shoppers’ Reports

6.1

Checking for Completeness, Accuracy, and Consistency

150

6.2

Examining the Written Comments for Clarity and Pertinence

151

6.3

Reviewing the Timeliness of the Reports

153

6.4

Identifying Excellent Reports

154

6.5

Identifying Problem Reports

164

6.6

Words to Avoid on Reports

174

Chapter 7

 Designing Reports

7.1

Report Formats

176

7.2

Samples of Report Formats for Various Kinds of Customers

177

(sample reports pages 178-222)

Chapter 8

 Statistical Reporting

8.1

Using Statistical Reports

224

8.2

Producing Statistical Reports

226

8.3

Samples of Statistical Reports

227

(sample statistical reports pages 228-246)

Chapter 9

 Other Services You Can Offer

9.1

Awards Programs

248

9.2

Shopping the Competition

250

9.3

Informing Manufacturing Representatives

251

9.4

Hostess Services

252

9.5

Mall Intercept Services

253

9.6

Sales and Customer Service Training

254

9.7

Telephone Evaluations

255

9.8

Follow-Up Telephone Calls to Customers

256

9.9

E-Mail Service Evaluations

257

Chapter 10

 Pricing Your Services

10.1

What to Pay Your Shoppers

259

10.2

What to Charge Your Customer Per Report

262

10.3

Typical Charges per Mystery Shopping Report

263

Chapter 11

 Managing Finances

11.1

Managing Receivables

265

11.2

Keeping Complete Records

266

Chapter 12

 Ethics and Success

268

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