| #ffffff;" /> | | | | WORD OF MOUTH ADVERTISING |
| I have been involved with computers for many years. I | | | | Once I started getting customers, because I always did |
| have a PC repair, troubleshooting, and networking | | | | a little extra for the customers, I received really good |
| background. So, when I wanted to start my own PC | | | | word-of-mouth advertising and referrals. Referrals are |
| Repair business, I thought, “How hard could it | | | | gold! When you can call or stop by and see someone |
| be? You just hang a shingle, design a website and | | | | about computer problems that you already know that |
| post it, maybe place a newspaper ad, get a Yellow | | | | are having (from their friend or relative) and you can |
| Pages ad, and hang a few signs around town. I would | | | | drop a name of someone they know who sent you, |
| be SWIMMING in business! In fact, I need to start | | | | you are as good as IN THE DOOR! If your service |
| looking, right now, for help handling all of my new | | | | was good for their friend, it will be good for them. And |
| business!” Well, that wasn’t the case. In | | | | when you have the name of their friend, it is like you |
| fact, that was so far from the case that I almost | | | | are their friend as well. |
| starved to death trying to figure out what went wrong. | | | | One way to get referrals from your customers is |
| Following are techniques that I tried, how they failed or | | | | before you are completely done with the job you are |
| succeeded, what works and what doesn’t and | | | | doing for them, and they can see a definite |
| why. I show many different ways of advertising your | | | | improvement, give them a piece of paper and a pencil |
| new PC Repair Business, and what to avoid. I also | | | | and ask them to write down 3 friends or relatives of |
| show several unique types of advertising that get | | | | theirs who could benefit just like they did. Most of the |
| good results, which you may have never heard of | | | | time they will be happy to give you the names, if you |
| before, but they work! There is a lot here to read, but | | | | have made them happy. If you do this at every job, |
| you won’t regret learning everything that I have | | | | your business will snowball! This is the best way to |
| to show you. Don’t make the same mistake I | | | | build a business: by doing a good job and having a |
| did, with trial and error. Let me show you what works. | | | | good reputation, with a network of people who sent |
| Enjoy! | | | | you to the next customers, stamped with their seal of |
| NEWSPAPER ADS | | | | approval. It doesn’t get any better than that! |
| I knew quite a bit about graphic design (being a graphic | | | | YELLOW PAGES ADS |
| designer for many years), so I would put an appetizing | | | | A Yellow Pages ad is a good thing, but you |
| ad, no, in fact, a COUPON, in the local newspaper. | | | | don’t need to spend the big bucks to get the |
| People are always looking for a discount. And | | | | biggest, most colorful ad, with ALL of your possible |
| EVERYONE has computer problems. So I should just | | | | services, mother’s maiden name, the history of |
| get swamped with business just off this one ad. | | | | your business, etc. on it. You need something a little |
| NOPE! I got one phone call from my ad. I had placed | | | | more than the listing (just to stand out from the other |
| the ad in the local newspaper (our city’s main | | | | guys a little). Your ad should list your company name, |
| newspaper) which went to 33,000 homes, and I had it | | | | address, phone, and some services. One thing that has |
| come out on the biggest readership day: Sunday. The | | | | helped me get business over my competition is that I |
| ad I placed was a professionally-designed Computer | | | | offer FREE Computer Pickup. People either |
| Tune-up ad that I had done, giving them a discount | | | | don’t like to, or don’t know how to, |
| from the regular price of $69, to $49. They were | | | | unhook the web of tangled cables to their computer, |
| saving $20! It was an incredible deal! But I only had one | | | | for fear that they will never get them hooked back up. |
| response. Why? What did I do wrong? | | | | I offer a FREE Computer Pickup, where I come by |
| Unfortunately, I was forced to use a horrible, red | | | | and work on their computer right there, or I unhook it |
| border. It is HUGE! In order to get the deal I was getting | | | | for them and take it back to my shop to work on it. |
| for this ad, my ad had to be put in with a couple of | | | | And when I return, I don’t just drop it off at the |
| other ads (not related to the computer business) and | | | | front door, I go in and hook it all back up for them. This |
| have an ice cream-looking coupon border around it. | | | | is not only a HUGE benefit of them going with me |
| The ad had all of the elements of a good coupon. It | | | | over my competition (who is standing behind a pretty |
| has a GREAT deal! You are saving $20 off the | | | | glass case, waiting for business to come through the |
| regular price (this is the next best thing to FREE | | | | door), but also shows that I really did fix their computer |
| – a dollar value of savings). They have to act | | | | and it now works and works better. It is a reassurance |
| now (call to action) because it is for a limited time and | | | | factor and builds credibility. |
| expires in two weeks. People are graphic in nature and | | | | In a Yellow Pages Ad, you can get carried away by |
| the picture of the computer and the words, | | | | trying to do a long sales pitch, when, in fact, you can |
| “Computer Help!” in the screen will | | | | just list a few important things you do, and tell them to |
| identify with people having computer problems. The | | | | visit your website for the full details. This gets them to |
| headline is bold and heavy, it stands out from the rest | | | | your website and there you can give them the full |
| – so that you don’t have a paragraph of | | | | scoop and exactly how you can help them. Just |
| information that people won’t read, and it | | | | don’t spend $100 or $500 every month to tell a |
| speaks directly to people having a slow computer | | | | story that you can do for free on a website. |
| (everyone has a slow computer). Then it goes on to | | | | Here is my Yellow Pages Ad. |
| explain the headline in more detail with a subhead. Plus, | | | | I spend $50 per month on it (my logo) |
| there is a GUARANTEE of a speed increase. You | | | | • Computer Tune-Ups |
| CAN’T go wrong with an ad like this, can you? | | | | • Small Business Networking |
| Well, I did. I don’t believe that the ad is evil and | | | | • Wireless Networking |
| doesn’t work. I believe that I had the ad where | | | | • PC Troubleshooting & Repair |
| people don’t look. | | | | • Custom-Built Computers |
| Whenever you get ready to do any type of | | | | • Computer Upgrades |
| advertisement, you should test-market it, first. Whether | | | | • OnSite Support |
| it is an ad, a website (or page), direct marketing (such | | | | • Microsoft-Certified Techs |
| as mailers, mailed brochures or ads), etc., you should | | | | • Website Design & Hosting |
| test it on different types of people to see how they | | | | BROCHURES & BUSINESS CARDS |
| will respond, and record their responses. In the case of | | | | Of course, you definitely need something to leave with |
| the ad, I should have passed this ad out to several | | | | potential and current customers. You absolutely MUST |
| people and got their responses of the ad. I should have | | | | have a brochure and business card, and NOT the |
| then placed this ad on a page with several other similar | | | | peel-off or perforated card stock you get from your |
| ads and got responses from different people looking | | | | local office supply store, and print them off on your ink |
| at the entire page of ads, had them put down the | | | | jet printer! Your brochures and business cards are |
| page, and asked them to tell me what stood out. Could | | | | sometimes the only thing that a potential customer will |
| they remember any good deals? This would tell me if | | | | see that represents your company. Now, you may |
| my ad would stand out in a newspaper, among other | | | | work out of your home, but you don’t want it |
| similar ads. | | | | to look like you do. You want to appear as if you are |
| In my particular instance of only getting one response | | | | a HUGE computer company, capable of handling any |
| from my “great” ad, it was literally buried | | | | of their computer needs. A basement business card |
| in with other ads that looked similar to mine. In fact, my | | | | job doesn’t say that. If you want to gain good |
| ad was not even on a page with other services, but | | | | credibility, spend a little money and get |
| “hidden” on a series of pages that had | | | | commercially-printed brochures and business cards. |
| nothing at all to do with what I was offering, or | | | | You will want a good image design (designed by a |
| computers, or even a story about a computer… | | | | professional) with raised ink on the business cards and |
| nothing! People who would be looking for my type of | | | | some kind of color (no black and white business cards |
| service were not going to look where my ad was, and | | | | or brochures). If you can afford it, get matching |
| that is the lesson: PUT YOUR AD WHERE YOUR | | | | business cards and brochures, with the brochures on a |
| POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS WILL LOOK, NOT | | | | white or ivory, gloss stock (like a 70# gloss text). You |
| WHERE YOU GET A GOOD DEAL ON | | | | don’t want it to look like you photocopied the |
| ADVERTISING ! and DO TEST MARKETING. | | | | brochures. And it is proven that by adding some color |
| After my ad came out, I gave my wife the newspaper | | | | to your marketing pieces, your responses are MUCH |
| and asked her to find my ad (test marketing after the | | | | higher, than with black and white. |
| advertising came out… too little, too late). It took | | | | And by having matching business cards and brochures |
| her TWO TIMES of going through the newspaper, | | | | (the same color stock and printing), you show your |
| page-by-page (and this is a small city newspaper) to | | | | potential customers that you have it together and this |
| find my ad (and she knew what to look for and what | | | | isn’t some basement operation (although it |
| the ad looked like). So how are potential customers | | | | might be). Appearance and perception is everything. |
| going to find my ad if they don’t even know | | | | And your marketing material represents how you |
| that they need to look for it??? They won’t! | | | | appear to your customers. |