I think that the Yellow Pages adverts, have a hard go now. There are so many phone companies, and different books. It was ok, when there was just one book, Ma Bell, or in my case Maritime Tel. Yellow pages work best in an area, that has people moving in and out, mainly the cities, they are the ones, who don't know anyone. If you live in a rural, small city area, all the Yellow Pages gives you is perceived legitimacy in the trade. Stores, teachers, schools and churches, and the word of mouth from them is the best advertising. Main point I am trying to make, is, know your area, and determine what will work best there. John M. Ross Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dean May" <deanmay@pianorebuilders.com> To: "'Pianotech List'" <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Friday, January 27, 2006 8:43 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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