---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment Terry, I did this too, a few years back. The ads almost always paid for themselves, and then some. But what I got 100% of the time(I'm not kidding, either!) was someone with a really beleaguered old piano that wanted it "tuned" or "fixed" just so that wll of the notes would work. I think they must have bought their pianos in the same publications. I ended up with alot of repair experience from those ads. Make sure you have plenty of glue and clamps in your tool kit. Dave Stahl In a message dated 4/30/03 7:41:33 PM Pacific DaylightaTime, gnewell@ameritech.net writes: > Terry, > I have had some experience with just what you intend to do. I > started doing this when I first started tuning quite some years ago. At the > time they were targeting areas for me by demographics and all manner of > variables. My first time in an area was good and actually profitable. I did > somewhat more than actually paid for the add and I considered that to be > profitable as I had someone to call on the next time around. I found that > the next time around in the same area was not as profitable as the first > and diminishing returns as I hit the same area each additional time. While > it got me started I would never do that again now as I found that the > "pennysaver" is exactly the mentality of the customer I got from the add. > These folks were always looking for something for nothing and valued my > service mainly because I was willing ,at the time, to discount it. > Terry, you've been on this list for a while as I recall so that > hardly puts you as beginner. I would recommend to you the method that I > have been using for years with some fair measure of success. Referrals. Now > before you go all glassy eyed on me read on. At the end of each service > call / tuning I say simply this. "Thank you for having me out to tune your > piano today. I appreciate your business. If you like the service I have > provided for you today I would appreciate a referral. Each referral you > send me is worth $5 (or whatever you think is appropriate for your > business) off of your next service." I've found this to be simple, > straightforward, and easy! The penny pinchers out there try really hard to > get $5 off coupons and that's great 'cause their sending me new business > but they only get to use the coupon on their NEXT service. Those who can > tell that I do a fine job on their instrument usually want to tell their > friends especially if I've developed a rapport with them anyway. Either way > it's a win for you and for your customers. Try it you've very little to > loose. > > Greg > > > > At 10:19 PM 4/30/2003, you wrote: > > >> Has anyone had any success with running ads in the "pennysaver", or other >> similar mailers? I'm wondering if i put in a simple text ad to run for 8 >> weeks, in 7 different zones, (that I would consider to have the most piano >> "density"), if it would be profitable. First, I know that these ads, to >> really be at all successful, need to run regularly, but I'm assuming >> eight weeks should give me at least a fair idea of the ads effectivness. >> Based on the cost of the ad, if i book just 1 tuning per week from the ad, >> I will double my investment...but then again, because these mailers >> generally attrac "bargain hunters", I may have to lower my price, or risk >> losing the job as my normal fee is not considered to be in the "low end". >> I plan on placing a Yellow page ad for the next Verizon Super pages Book, >> but that will not be coming out until 10/03, so I thought I'd give this a >> try. Any thoughts or experiences with this type of mailer? thanks! >> >> >> Terry Peterson >> >> > ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/29/60/a2/75/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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