Why Bob doesn't advertise in the phone book

[Steve]

Well I am glad we are discussing this because I feel marketing is something we always need to learn more about. I would venture to guess very few of us ever get any marketing consultation to help us improve in that manner.

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[LawncareMarketingMagic]

Lawn care business tips

Tiedeman, I agree completely that different techniques work differently in different areas. As you already stated, there are many factors that impact what works versus what doesn't. As far as advertising in the yellow pages, the problem most businesses have is they listen to the ad rep that's selling them the space. The business owner fails to realize that the ad rep's primary concern is NOT designing a good ad to make sure you get lots of calls. Their biggest concern is getting your signature and fat check each month to pay for the space. The reason these ads typically don't pay for themselves is because most potential prospects get lost in the fog of 'sameness'. Open up any yellow pages directory in any area of the country and I bet you'll find a dozen ads that you could easily swap names and contact information, and not see much of a difference. All the ads are the same! They're basically glorified business cards and do nothing to stand apart from the crowd, giving the prospect a reason to call. As far as the other direct marketing methods, it's easy to get frustrated with them and think they don't work. However, there are some critical elements that often get left out. The three pillars of success in direct marketing is a clear message, to the right target market, via the proper media. Get any one of those wrong and you're shooting blanks. There is of course much more that goes into a successful campaign, but those are the foundation. Congrats for recognizing that referrals and up-sells are a great way to grow your business. But to really take a business to the next level, it's important to implement systems for getting new customers as well.

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Chestin

I agree with you Chestin about the yellow pages and the other areas as well. The ads are basically the same in the yellow pages. They do not grab your attention.