---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment I agree also. I have a one liner in one phone book. I had one of those neat little 3-4 line boxes one in a couple of local books for a year. I got maybe 5 calls from it. 3 were price shoppers who blew me off. 1 caller left a message, but by the time I was able to get back to her, she'd gotten the guy listed below me to do the job...:-( The only reason I have a listing anymore is for people who are already customers that might have lost my contact info. WORD OF MOUTH! Competent work and good customer relations will ensure steadily increasing business. That's where working for a store--even at reduced rates--can help you out as you start to get your business off the ground. Referrals. Referrals from referrals. Referrals from people you don't even know. It's exponential, unlike the trickle-in of ad callers. Dave Stahl In a message dated 1/27/2006 6:22:17 A.M. Pacific Standard Time, davidlovepianos@comcast.net writes: I agree. A one line listing is currently what I have. David Love davidlovepianos@comcast.net -----Original Message----- From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Dean May Sent: Friday, January 27, 2006 4:44 AM To: 'Pianotech List' Subject: RE: prospecting for customers David, David, David, You are killing yourself with your yellow page ads as your numbers are proving. $180 to generate a couple of customers is not break even. I have proved it to myself. I also have brothers in various other businesses who have proved it to themselves. Yellow Page advertising is not good investing. Just get the minimum one line, don't even pay extra for bold. People who use Yellow Pages are usually price shopping so they will go down the entire list to call everyone. I do that all the time and I consider the ads an annoyance. They make it more difficult to go down the list. Dean Dean May cell 812.239.3359 PianoRebuilders.com 812.235.5272 Terre Haute IN 47802 -----Original Message----- From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of David Ilvedson Sent: Friday, January 27, 2006 12:10 AM To: pianotech@ptg.org Subject: RE: prospecting for customers I went into my Time & Chaos program and searched for Yellow Pages filter I enter with new customers if that is how I got them...I have about 60 customers referred to me from the Yellow Pages since about 2003 or so...maybe 20 a year...a couple a month....not many it would seem. I think David Love only has a one line listing? I have an inch & a half ad. I pay about $180 a month for 3 phone books... David Ilvedson, RPT Pacifica, California ----- Original message ---------------------------------------- From: "David Love" <davidlovepianos@comcast.net> To: "Pianotech List" <pianotech@ptg.org> Received: 1/26/2006 8:16:31 PM Subject: RE: prospecting for customers >You might be right, I can't speak for all areas. In the areas I am familiar >with, the one and only local phone service provider (land lines, pole >service, connection boxes, etc.) offers a Yellow Page directory that is >distributed to all customers who use their service. That's virtually >everyone, though the cell phone boom has created an ever increasing group >who only have cell phones. In addition to their Yellow Pages there are any >number of smaller "Yellow Page" directories operating under a slightly >different names: Valley YP, Mountain YP, Big YP, Small YP, Your YP, My YP, >blah blah blah. They also offer advertising and it doesn't matter what >phone number you put in there. Problem is, their distribution and accepted >use by consumers pales in comparison to the local phone service provider. >So you aren't reaching as many people. Also, when you call information for >a number, the one that is given is the number listed by the local service >provider. No way around that. There is no information for cell phones. So >if you are going to advertise in the YP, be aware of which one you are >using, what the distribution is and the relative costs. While I do >advertise in several local directories (there are sorted by region here), I >can't say that they've ever provided more than a handful of customers. >Almost everything is referral. The calls I get from the YP are usually >shopping price. >David Love >davidlovepianos@comcast.net >-----Original Message----- >From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf >Of William R. Monroe >Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2006 7:51 PM >To: Pianotech List >Subject: Re: prospecting for customers >Not necessarily true, David. I advertise and only list my cell phone - only >have my cell phone for business - no business line. So it will depend upon >your area. Obviously yours requires a business line. >Regards, >William R. Monroe >----- Original Message ----- >From: "David Love" <davidlovepianos@comcast.net> >To: "'Pianotech List'" <pianotech@ptg.org> >Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2006 7:58 PM >Subject: RE: prospecting for customers >> They won't let you advertise without a phone line that you pay them for. >> >> David Love >> davidlovepianos@comcast.net >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On >Behalf >> Of pianotune05 >> Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2006 5:53 PM >> To: Pianotech List >> Subject: Re: prospecting for customers >> >> Hi Sid, >> I'm definitly looking into the yellow pages. I'm hoping that they'll let >me >> >> advertise since I only use my cell phone. I don't see the need for a lan >> line. We used to have a weekly like that, but it went out of business, >The >> Penny Saver I think it 's called. Im going to keep checking. I >appreciate >> the ideas a great deal. I'll let you know what I came up with. >> Marshall >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Sid Blum" <piano@sover.net> >> To: "Pianotech List" <pianotech@ptg.org> >> Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2006 8:30 PM >> Subject: Re: prospecting for customers >> >> >> > When I was starting out on my own, after five years of apprenticeship, >the >> >> > most productive and cost effective advertising was the local buy and >sell >> >> > weekly. A simple listing in the yellow pages is also a must, in my >> > opinion. >> > >> > Sid Blum >> > >> > >> >>Hi everyone, >> >>I wanted to know if anyone out there knows of a directory of piano >owners >> >>that I can obtain in order to prospect for customers. I'm looking for >> >>something like a "coles" directory that only has piano owners, piano >> >>teachers etc in it that I can contact in order to gain opportunities to >> >>tune. Thanks in advance. >> >>Marshall >> > >> > -- >> > _______________________________________________ >> > Pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >> >> >_______________________________________________ >Pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >_______________________________________________ >Pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives _______________________________________________ Pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives _______________________________________________ Pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives _______________________________________________ Pianotech list info: http://www.ptg.org/mailman/listinfo Dave Stahl Dave Stahl Piano Service 650-224-3560 _http://dstahlpiano.net/_ (http://www.dstahlpiano.net/) ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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