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