DIRECT MAILING

[John Ross]

You have to watch out with yellow page advertising.
It works in some areas, mainly areas with a population that is always 
changing.
In other areas, it doesn't work at all.
It depends, on the type of clientele also.
If there are lots of names of piano tuners in the YP's, then you need 
something that will make them pick you.
The one thing that YP's do, is give you legitimacy, deserved or not.
YP's in my area, have one telephone book, with more than one area of YP 
charges.
I have wondered lately, if YP's are as beneficial for advertising, as 
they used to be. With so many different servers, and each with their own 
book, your coverage is watered down.
Just something to think on.
John M. Ross
Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada
jrpiano at win.eastlink.ca
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Richard Gullion" <pianoguy at rogers.com>
To: "Pianotech List" <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Wednesday, March 08, 2006 4:44 PM
Subject: Re: DIRECT MAILING


> It wont have to be in a budget. You start paying when
> it is published....the ads pay for themselves with the
> tunings that come from them.
>
> --- pianotune05 <pianotune05 at comcast.net> wrote:
>
>> Hi William,
>> I don't know about a $90 ad, but I'm going to
>> definitly put a listing where everyone else is. My
>> only worry is that I'll be overlooked, but I don't
>> have the budget now, 7month old, wife, struggling
>> finances you know how it goes.  Anyway, so I gather
>> it will take me up to 100 pianos to get my speed
>> down? I'm about 1/5 the way there. I'm doing my 20th
>> piano on Friday.  So far customers are happy.
>> Marshall
>>   ----- Original Message ----- 
>>   From: William Benjamin
>>   To: 'Pianotech List'
>>   Sent: Wednesday, March 08, 2006 10:42 AM
>>   Subject: RE: DIRECT MAILING
>>
>>
>>   Marshall,
>>
>>
>>
>>   I would highly recommend a good, $90 a month add
>> in the yellow pages.   Consistently threw the years
>> it has brought me 30 percent of my business.   If
>> others are doing it, there must be a reason.
>> Always go fishing where others fish.
>>
>>
>>
>>   As far as speed, I was at the PHTC for two years
>> tuning about half the time.   This works out to
>> about 100 pianos worth of time.   When I did my
>> first piano out of school, it took a couple of
>> hours, but by the end of the summer I was finishing
>> in about an hour and 15 minutes.
>>
>>
>>
>>   William
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>   PIANO BOUTIQUE
>>
>>   William Benjamin
>>
>>   Piano Tuner Extraordinaire
>>
>>   www.pianoboutique.biz
>>
>>   The tuner alone,
>>
>>   preserves the tone.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>   From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org
>> [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of
>> pianotune05 at comcast.net
>>   Sent: Tuesday, March 07, 2006 2:14 PM
>>   To: Pianotech List
>>   Subject: RE: DIRECT MAILING
>>
>>
>>
>>   Hi William,
>>
>>   I think the yellow pages ad is $20 a month for a
>> line listing.  Our area is pretty saturated with
>> piano tuners, about 8 or nine n the phone book I
>> think, so I won't spend too much on advertising
>> there.  I've tried other advertising mediums as well
>> with no response.  Are you going to the convention
>> this year?   If you do, we can get together and
>> throw some ideas around.
>>
>>
>>
>>   My tuning speed is still slow.  How long did it
>> take you to tune in the beginning?  How many pianos
>> did it take you to reach your hour and a half mark?
>>
>>   Marshall
>>
>>
>>
>>     Original message -------------- 
>>   From: "William Benjamin"
>> <pianoboutique at comcast.net>
>>
>>   > Marshall,
>>   >
>>   > My standard for the classified section is about
>> one tunings worth per month.
>>   > My tunings are $90 so my budget is about $90 per
>> month. I run the add only
>>   > on Sunday, once a week and that works for me.
>>   >
>>   > As far as the yellow pages, again, I spend about
>> one tunings worth per month
>>   > and that is about a 2 by 3 inch add.
>>   >
>>   > These are just some guidelines that I have used
>> and what I taught at the
>>   > PHTC.
>>   >
>>   > William
>>   >
>>   >
>>   >
>>   >
>>   > PIANO BOUTIQUE
>>   > William Benjamin
>>   > Piano Tuner Extraordinaire
>>   > www.pianoboutique.biz
>>   > The tuner alone,
>>   > preserves the tone.
>>   >
>>   > -----Original Message----- 
>>   > From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org
>> [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
>>   &g! t; Of pianotune05
>>   > Sent: Monday, March 06, 2006 8:40 PM
>>   > To: Pianotech List
>>   > Subject: Re: DIRECT MAILING
>>   >
>>   > Hi William
>>   > Glad to hear from you. Thanks for the idea of
>> mailings. As for classified
>>   > ads, I am running one in a small paper around my
>> area, but I had one that
>>   > had only 7 lines and one paper wanted $200.00. I
>> also tried an online paper,
>>   >
>>   > but no calls so far. I'm getting together with
>> the yellowpags guy oh
>>   > Thursday.
>>   >
>>   > I hope you're going to the convention. We can
>> get connected there and do
>>   > lunch.
>>   > Marshall
>>   > ----- Original Message ----- 
>>   > From: "William Benjamin"
>>   > To: "'Pianotech List'"
>>   > Sent: Monday, March 06, 2006 5:37 PM
>>   > Subject: RE: DIRECT MAILING
>>   >
>>   >
>>   > > Marshall,
>>   > >
>>   > > I have found that the best time of the year !
>> to send letters to churches is
>>   > > at the first of November. I make it a point to
>> talk about how the
>>   > > holiday
>>   > > season is so musical to churches. This is just
>> a suggestion.
>>   > >
>>   > > One good thing to do is advertise in the
>> classified section. It is cost
>>   > > effective if you keep it short and use a catch
>> line like: the tuner alone,
>>   > > preserves the tone.
>>   > >
>>   > > William
>>   > >
>>   > >
>>   > >
>>   > >
>>   > > PIANO BOUTIQUE
>>   > > William Benjamin
>>   > > Piano Tuner Extraordinaire
>>   > > www.pianoboutique.biz
>>   > > The tuner alone,
>>   > > preserves the tone.
>>   > >
>>   > > -----Original Message----- 
>>   > > From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org
>> [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On
>>   > > Behalf
>>   > > Of pianotune05
>>   > > Sent: Sunday, March 05, 2006 5:10 PM
>>   > > To: Pianotech List
>>   > > Subject: Re: DIRECT MAILING
>>   > >
>>   &! gt; > Hi Dave,
>>   > > Sharp looking letterhead is good. I'm glad
>> this computer has Publisher on
>>   > > it. The phone books works great, but once in a
>> while a church has a P.O.
>>   > > box and the letter comes back. I'm putting
>> together
> === message truncated ===>
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>
>
> Richard
> the "Piano Guy"
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