Dean, Dean, Dean, It's called a business expense...it's basically paying for itself...not even hardly killing me David Ilvedson, RPT Pacifica, California ----- Original message ---------------------------------------- From: "Dean May" <deanmay@pianorebuilders.com> To: "Pianotech List" <pianotech@ptg.org> Received: 1/27/2006 4:43:45 AM Subject: RE: prospecting for customers >David, David, David, >You are killing yourself with your yellow page ads as your numbers are >proving. $180 to generate a couple of customers is not break even. I >have proved it to myself. I also have brothers in various other >businesses who have proved it to themselves. Yellow Page advertising is >not good investing. Just get the minimum one line, don't even pay extra >for bold. People who use Yellow Pages are usually price shopping so they >will go down the entire list to call everyone. I do that all the time >and I consider the ads an annoyance. They make it more difficult to go >down the list. >Dean >Dean May cell 812.239.3359 >PianoRebuilders.com 812.235.5272 >Terre Haute IN 47802 >-----Original Message----- >From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On >Behalf Of David Ilvedson >Sent: Friday, January 27, 2006 12:10 AM >To: pianotech@ptg.org >Subject: RE: prospecting for customers >I went into my Time & Chaos program and searched for Yellow Pages filter >I enter with new customers if that is how I got them...I have about 60 >customers referred to me from the Yellow Pages since about 2003 or >so...maybe 20 a year...a couple a month....not many it would seem. I >think David Love only has a one line listing? I have an inch & a half >ad. I pay about $180 a month for 3 phone books... >David Ilvedson, RPT >Pacifica, California >----- Original message ---------------------------------------- >From: "David Love" <davidlovepianos@comcast.net> >To: "Pianotech List" <pianotech@ptg.org> >Received: 1/26/2006 8:16:31 PM >Subject: RE: prospecting for customers >>You might be right, I can't speak for all areas. In the areas I am >familiar >>with, the one and only local phone service provider (land lines, pole >>service, connection boxes, etc.) offers a Yellow Page directory that is >>distributed to all customers who use their service. That's virtually >>everyone, though the cell phone boom has created an ever increasing >group >>who only have cell phones. In addition to their Yellow Pages there are >any >>number of smaller "Yellow Page" directories operating under a slightly >>different names: Valley YP, Mountain YP, Big YP, Small YP, Your YP, My >YP, >>blah blah blah. They also offer advertising and it doesn't matter what >>phone number you put in there. Problem is, their distribution and >accepted >>use by consumers pales in comparison to the local phone service >provider. >>So you aren't reaching as many people. Also, when you call information >for >>a number, the one that is given is the number listed by the local >service >>provider. No way around that. There is no information for cell >phones. So >>if you are going to advertise in the YP, be aware of which one you are >>using, what the distribution is and the relative costs. While I do >>advertise in several local directories (there are sorted by region >here), I >>can't say that they've ever provided more than a handful of customers. >>Almost everything is referral. The calls I get from the YP are usually >>shopping price. >>David Love >>davidlovepianos@comcast.net >>-----Original Message----- >>From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On >Behalf >>Of William R. Monroe >>Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2006 7:51 PM >>To: Pianotech List >>Subject: Re: prospecting for customers >>Not necessarily true, David. I advertise and only list my cell phone - >only >>have my cell phone for business - no business line. So it will depend >upon >>your area. Obviously yours requires a business line. >>Regards, >>William R. Monroe >>----- Original Message ----- >>From: "David Love" <davidlovepianos@comcast.net> >>To: "'Pianotech List'" <pianotech@ptg.org> >>Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2006 7:58 PM >>Subject: RE: prospecting for customers >>> They won't let you advertise without a phone line that you pay them >for. >>> >>> David Love >>> davidlovepianos@comcast.net >>> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On >>Behalf >>> Of pianotune05 >>> Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2006 5:53 PM >>> To: Pianotech List >>> Subject: Re: prospecting for customers >>> >>> Hi Sid, >>> I'm definitly looking into the yellow pages. I'm hoping that they'll >let >>me >>> >>> advertise since I only use my cell phone. I don't see the need for a >lan >>> line. We used to have a weekly like that, but it went out of >business, >>The >>> Penny Saver I think it 's called. Im going to keep checking. I >>appreciate >>> the ideas a great deal. I'll let you know what I came up with. >>> Marshall >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>> From: "Sid Blum" <piano@sover.net> >>> To: "Pianotech List" <pianotech@ptg.org> >>> Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2006 8:30 PM >>> Subject: Re: prospecting for customers >>> >>> >>> > When I was starting out on my own, after five years of >apprenticeship, >>the >>> >>> > most productive and cost effective advertising was the local buy >and >>sell >>> >>> > weekly. A simple listing in the yellow pages is also a must, in my >>> > opinion. >>> > >>> > Sid Blum >>> > >>> > >>> >>Hi everyone, >>> >>I wanted to know if anyone out there knows of a directory of piano >>owners >>> >>that I can obtain in order to prospect for customers. I'm looking >for >>> >>something like a "coles" directory that only has piano owners, >piano >>> >>teachers etc in it that I can contact in order to gain >opportunities to >>> >>tune. Thanks in advance. >>> >>Marshall >>> > >>> > -- >>> > _______________________________________________ >>> > Pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >>> >>> >>_______________________________________________ >>Pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >>_______________________________________________ >>Pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >_______________________________________________ >Pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >_______________________________________________ >Pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
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