<html> <body> Terry, <x-tab>        </x-tab>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. <x-tab>        </x-tab>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: <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>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 _________________________________________________________________ The new MSN 8: smart spam protection and 2 months FREE*  <a href="http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail"= eudora="autourl">http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail</a> <br= > _______________________________________________ pianotech list info: <a href="https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives"= eudora="autourl">https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives</a> <br= > </blockquote> <x-sigsep></x-sigsep> Greg Newell Greg's piano Forté <a href="mailto:gnewell@ameritech.net"= eudora="autourl">mailto:gnewell@ameritech.net</a></body> </html>