| Following are techniques that I tried,
| |
| | money. Remember to always think like your
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| how they failed or succeeded, what works
| |
| | customer.WORD OF MOUTH ADVERTISINGOnce I
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| and what doesn't and why. I show many
| |
| | started getting customers, because I
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| different ways of advertising your new PC
| |
| | always did a little extra for the
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| Repair Business, and what to avoid. I
| |
| | customers, I received really good
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| also show several unique types of
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| | word-of-mouth advertising and referrals.
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| advertising that get good results, which
| |
| | Referrals are gold! When you can call or
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| you may have never heard of before, but
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| | stop by and see someone about computer
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| they work! There is a lot here to read,
| |
| | problems that you already know that are
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| but you won't regret learning everything
| |
| | having (from their friend or relative)
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| that I have to show you. Don't make the
| |
| | and you can drop a name of someone they
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| same mistake I did, with trial and error.
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| | know who sent you, you are as good as IN
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| Let me show you what works.
| |
| | THE DOOR! If your service was good for
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| Enjoy!NEWSPAPER ADSI knew quite a bit
| |
| | their friend, it will be good for them.
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| about graphic design (being a graphic
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| | And when you have the name of their
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| designer for many years), so I would put
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| | friend, it is like you are their friend
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| an appetizing ad, no, in fact, a COUPON,
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| | as well.One way to get referrals from
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| in the local newspaper. People are always
| |
| | your customers is before you are
|
| looking for a discount. And EVERYONE has
| |
| | completely done with the job you are
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| computer problems. So I should just get
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| | doing for them, and they can see a
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| swamped with business just off this one
| |
| | definite improvement, give them a piece
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| ad. NOPE! I got one phone call from my
| |
| | of paper and a pencil and ask them to
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| ad. I had placed the ad in the local
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| | write down 3 friends or relatives of
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| newspaper (our city's main newspaper)
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| | theirs who could benefit just like they
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| which went to 33,000 homes, and I had it
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| | did. Most of the time they will be happy
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| come out on the biggest readership day:
| |
| | to give you the names, if you have made
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| Sunday. The ad I placed was a
| |
| | them happy. If you do this at every job,
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| professionally-designed Computer Tune-up
| |
| | your business will snowball! This is the
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| ad that I had done, giving them a
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| | best way to build a business: by doing a
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| discount from the regular price of $69,
| |
| | good job and having a good reputation,
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| to $49. They were saving $20! It was an
| |
| | with a network of people who sent you to
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| incredible deal! But I only had one
| |
| | the next customers, stamped with their
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| response. Why? What did I do
| |
| | seal of approval. It doesn't get any
|
| wrong?Unfortunately, I was forced to use
| |
| | better than that!YELLOW PAGES ADSA Yellow
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| a horrible, red border. It is HUGE! In
| |
| | Pages ad is a good thing, but you don't
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| order to get the deal I was getting for
| |
| | need to spend the big bucks to get the
|
| this ad, my ad had to be put in with a
| |
| | biggest, most colorful ad, with ALL of
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| couple of other ads (not related to the
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| | your possible services, mother's maiden
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| computer business) and have an ice
| |
| | name, the history of your business, etc.
|
| cream-looking coupon border around it.The
| |
| | on it. You need something a little more
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| ad had all of the elements of a good
| |
| | than the listing (just to stand out from
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| coupon. It has a GREAT deal! You are
| |
| | the other guys a little). Your ad should
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| saving $20 off the regular price (this is
| |
| | list your company name, address, phone,
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| the next best thing to FREE - a dollar
| |
| | and some services. One thing that has
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| value of savings). They have to act now
| |
| | helped me get business over my
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| (call to action) because it is for a
| |
| | competition is that I offer FREE Computer
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| limited time and expires in two weeks.
| |
| | Pickup. People either don't like to, or
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| People are graphic in nature and the
| |
| | don't know how to, unhook the web of
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| picture of the computer and the words,
| |
| | tangled cables to their computer, for
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| "Computer Help!" in the screen will
| |
| | fear that they will never get them hooked
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| identify with people having computer
| |
| | back up. I offer a FREE Computer Pickup,
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| problems. The headline is bold and heavy,
| |
| | where I come by and work on their
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| it stands out from the rest - so that you
| |
| | computer right there, or I unhook it for
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| don't have a paragraph of information
| |
| | them and take it back to my shop to work
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| that people won't read, and it speaks
| |
| | on it. And when I return, I don't just
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| directly to people having a slow computer
| |
| | drop it off at the front door, I go in
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| (everyone has a slow computer). Then it
| |
| | and hook it all back up for them. This is
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| goes on to explain the headline in more
| |
| | not only a HUGE benefit of them going
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| detail with a subhead. Plus, there is a
| |
| | with me over my competition (who is
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| GUARANTEE of a speed increase. You CAN'T
| |
| | standing behind a pretty glass case,
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| go wrong with an ad like this, can you?
| |
| | waiting for business to come through the
|
| Well, I did. I don't believe that the ad
| |
| | door), but also shows that I really did
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| is evil and doesn't work. I believe that
| |
| | fix their computer and it now works and
|
| I had the ad where people don't
| |
| | works better. It is a reassurance factor
|
| look.Whenever you get ready to do any
| |
| | and builds credibility.In a Yellow Pages
|
| type of advertisement, you should
| |
| | Ad, you can get carried away by trying to
|
| test-market it, first. Whether it is an
| |
| | do a long sales pitch, when, in fact, you
|
| ad, a website (or page), direct marketing
| |
| | can just list a few important things you
|
| (such as mailers, mailed brochures or
| |
| | do, and tell them to visit your website
|
| ads), etc., you should test it on
| |
| | for the full details. This gets them to
|
| different types of people to see how they
| |
| | your website and there you can give them
|
| will respond, and record their responses.
| |
| | the full scoop and exactly how you can
|
| In the case of the ad, I should have
| |
| | help them. Just don't spend $100 or $500
|
| passed this ad out to several people and
| |
| | every month to tell a story that you can
|
| got their responses of the ad. I should
| |
| | do for free on a website.Here is my
|
| have then placed this ad on a page with
| |
| | Yellow Pages Ad.I spend $50 per month on
|
| several other similar ads and got
| |
| | this ad:
|
| responses from different people looking
| |
| | (my logo)
|
| at the entire page of ads, had them put
| |
| | -Computer Tune-Ups
|
| down the page, and asked them to tell me
| |
| | -Small Business Networking
|
| what stood out. Could they remember any
| |
| | -Wireless Networking
|
| good deals? This would tell me if my ad
| |
| | -PC Troubleshooting & Repair
|
| would stand out in a newspaper, among
| |
| | -Custom-Built Computers
|
| other similar ads.In my particular
| |
| | -Computer Upgrades
|
| instance of only getting one response
| |
| | -OnSite Support
|
| from my "great" ad, it was literally
| |
| | -Microsoft-Certified Techs
|
| buried in with other ads that looked
| |
| | -Website Design & Hosting
|
| similar to mine. In fact, my ad was not
| |
| | Columbiaville, MI
|
| even on a page with other services, but
| |
| | (810) 793-1093
|
| "hidden" on a series of pages that had
| |
| | FREE Computer PickupBROCHURES & BUSINESS
|
| nothing at all to do with what I was
| |
| | CARDSOf course, you definitely need
|
| offering, or computers, or even a story
| |
| | something to leave with potential and
|
| about a computer... nothing! People who
| |
| | current customers. You absolutely MUST
|
| would be looking for my type of service
| |
| | have a brochure and business card, and
|
| were not going to look where my ad was,
| |
| | NOT the peel-off or perforated card stock
|
| and that is the lesson: PUT YOUR AD WHERE
| |
| | you get from your local office supply
|
| YOUR POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS WILL LOOK, NOT
| |
| | store, and print them off on your ink jet
|
| WHERE YOU GET A GOOD DEAL ON ADVERTISING
| |
| | printer! Your brochures and business
|
| ! and DO TEST MARKETING.After my ad came
| |
| | cards are sometimes the only thing that a
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| out, I gave my wife the newspaper and
| |
| | potential customer will see that
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| asked her to find my ad (test marketing
| |
| | represents your company. Now, you may
|
| after the advertising came out... too
| |
| | work out of your home, but you don't want
|
| little, too late). It took her TWO TIMES
| |
| | it to look like you do. You want to
|
| of going through the newspaper,
| |
| | appear as if you are a HUGE computer
|
| page-by-page (and this is a small city
| |
| | company, capable of handling any of their
|
| newspaper) to find my ad (and she knew
| |
| | computer needs. A basement business card
|
| what to look for and what the ad looked
| |
| | job doesn't say that. If you want to gain
|
| like). So how are potential customers
| |
| | good credibility, spend a little money
|
| going to find my ad if they don't even
| |
| | and get commercially-printed brochures
|
| know that they need to look for it???
| |
| | and business cards.You will want a good
|
| They won't!Think of it like this... if
| |
| | image design (designed by a professional)
|
| you want to sell motorcycle parts, put
| |
| | with raised ink on the business cards and
|
| your ad in a motorcycle magazine. You
| |
| | some kind of color (no black and white
|
| have to think like the customer. A
| |
| | business cards or brochures). If you can
|
| customer wants motorcycle parts, so where
| |
| | afford it, get matching business cards
|
| should they go? They start looking at
| |
| | and brochures, with the brochures on a
|
| places that sell motorcycles and
| |
| | white or ivory, gloss stock (like a 70#
|
| accessories, groups that are associated
| |
| | gloss text). You don't want it to look
|
| with motorcycles, magazines that cater to
| |
| | like you photocopied the brochures. And
|
| the motorcycle crowd, message boards and
| |
| | it is proven that by adding some color to
|
| websites that are all about motorcycles.
| |
| | your marketing pieces, your responses are
|
| You may or may not go to the newspaper
| |
| | MUCH higher, than with black and
|
| and look through every page and see if
| |
| | white.And by having matching business
|
| someone is selling motorcycle parts. In
| |
| | cards and brochures (the same color stock
|
| fact, it is probably safe to say that a
| |
| | and printing), you show your potential
|
| person looking for motorcycle parts won't
| |
| | customers that you have it together and
|
| leaf through pages of articles in a
| |
| | this isn't some basement operation
|
| newspaper, looking for motorcycle parts.
| |
| | (although it might be). Appearance and
|
| They may look through the only place in
| |
| | perception is everything. And your
|
| the newspaper that they think might list
| |
| | marketing material represents how you
|
| places that sell motorcycle parts, and
| |
| | appear to your customers. Don't skip
|
| that would be the business section of the
| |
| | corners here; you will regret it and it
|
| newspaper and/or the classifieds. So, if
| |
| | will cost you more money doing it the
|
| you were in the business of selling
| |
| | hard way. Trust me!If you would like to
|
| motorcycle parts, you would want to have
| |
| | have the rest of this article, in the
|
| an ad right where your potential customer
| |
| | form of a 15-page "Marketing
|
| expects to find an ad for motorcycle
| |
| | Techniques... What Works and What Doesn't
|
| parts. Place the ad in those sections
| |
| | For a PC Repair Business", along with
|
| ONLY. Do not place it where I did (in the
| |
| | accounting forms for a PC Repair
|
| middle of a bunch of articles) because I
| |
| | Business, a PC Repair Business Website
|
| got a good deal.So, in case your eyes
| |
| | FULL of Content, Step-by-Step How-to's
|
| just rolled back in your head, here is
| |
| | and much, much more, visit for all of
|
| the gist of what I just said... when
| |
| | the details.I have worked in the IT field
|
| placing an ad for PC Repair in your local
| |
| | since 1989 and hold several Microsoft
|
| newspaper, either place it in the
| |
| | certifications. I am a network
|
| Business Listing for Services in your
| |
| | administrator and owner and operator of
|
| area, or place it in the proper
| |
| | Lapeer Tech Group, located in
|
| classified sections, where people will
| |
| | Columbiaville, Michigan (just outside of
|
| look for your type of service. Do a test:
| |
| | Lapeer). During these years, I have
|
| ask a few people you know where they
| |
| | supported both Macs and PCs, am an
|
| would look in your local newspaper if
| |
| | accomplished graphic and web designer,
|
| they needed PC Repair Help. Let's say
| |
| | and have had the opportunity to support
|
| that their computer was running extremely
| |
| | 2nd and 3rd level enterprise networks for
|
| slow and they needed help before they
| |
| | GM, EDS, Delphi and Delco.© Copyright
|
| pulled out the rest of their hair, where
| |
| | 2005 Lapeer Tech Group (810)
|
| in the newspaper would they look. Ask at
| |
| | 793-1093Visit our website at or email us
|
| least 10 people. And whatever the
| |
| | at If you would like to use this article
|
| majority is, that is where you should
| |
| | for any publication, you may do so if you
|
| place the ad (no matter how much it
| |
| | do NOT change any of the content, and the
|
| costs). If not, you are just wasting your
| |
| | tag lines remain intact.
|
