Competitive Rates

[paul bruesch]

Well, I only have a landline phone with one (we don't care we don't have to
we're the) phone company. The YP books I'm talking about are from more than
just local phone companies, and there are lots more than just three YP
books... I'd say it's somewhere around a dozen, give/take, between the three
"divisions" of TC metro, Valley, and W Wisc.

But of course when the YP sales people call they pitch the $250/mo ad, at
which I sneer.  Here-on-out, I will ask about the one-liners.  Thanks, Wim!

Paul Bruesch
Stillwater, MN
(NIU 1979)

On Wed, Jun 11, 2008 at 1:07 PM, Willem Blees <wimblees at aol.com> wrote:

> Paul
>
> You don't have to pay much for your name to be in the YP. You get one free
> line with the telephone company. You can ad a second or third line for not
> much more. Have the same ad in all three books. It will pay for itself.
>
> Willem (Wim) Blees, RPT
> Piano Tuner/Technician
> Honolulu, HI
> 808-349-2943
> www.bleespiano.com
> Author of
> The Business of Piano Tuning
> available from Potter Press
> www.pianotuning.com
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: paul bruesch <paul at bruesch.net>
> To: Pianotech List <pianotech at ptg.org>
> Sent: Wed, 11 Jun 2008 5:45 am
> Subject: Re: Competitive Rates
>
> All true, but your 2 cents won't come close to paying for all the ads in
> all the YP books out there. How do you decide which YP book(s) to advertise
> in? I'm thinking a few people hang onto all of 'em, some people pick up most
> of 'em (in abraded, dripping wet plastic bags) out of their driveway and
> head straight for the recycle bin.
>
> Double trouble for me is living on a state line with a river forming the
> border. That actually TRIPLES the number of books... Twin Cities metro
> books, St. Croix Valley books, and Western Wisconsin books.
>
> Paul Bruesch
> Stillwater, MN
>
> On Wed, Jun 11, 2008 at 3:53 AM, Tom Servinsky <tompiano at bellsouth.net>
> wrote:
>
>>  Historically, for me, it's been about 1-5%. Don't use the yellow pages
>> with the hope of gaining loyal customers. You are likely to generate some
>> business to pay for the add, and out of that a small percentage might remain
>> loyal. For the most part the yp is designed for price shoppers and reference
>> listings.
>>  I  find that  yp is an excellent way of keeping your name in the public
>> idea. There is nothing worse than a customer who has lost your phone number
>> and can't find it. What's worse is if they look in the yp and you aren't
>> listed. It gives the customer a sense that you aren't credible. I keep a
>> simple listing which is free with any business phone number.
>> As a normal policy I was always ask the new customers where they got my
>> name. 90% of time  it's usually a referral from another customer. Every now
>> then it's someone who is new to the area and looked in the yellow pages.
>> Since my name begins with an S, I'm the last listing for tuners, which means
>> they have gone through all of the numbers before they have gotten to my
>> name, which usually makes me suspect.
>> My 2 cents
>> Tom Servinsky
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> *From:* Willem Blees <wimblees at aol.com>
>> *To:* pianotech at ptg.org
>> *Sent:* Wednesday, June 11, 2008 4:17 AM
>> *Subject:* Re: Competitive Rates
>>
>>
>>  In a message dated 6/5/2008 9:55:55 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
>> toddpianoworks at att.net writes:
>>
>> Can you guesstimate the customers you have gained based on your yp add?  I
>> am talking about good clients, not price shoppers.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Matthew
>>
>> Matthew
>>
>> YP ads should not be used to gain new members, as much as to keep "old"
>> ones. Although you will get some new customers from the YP, especially those
>> who move from other parts of the country and are looking for an RPT,
>> (although many are now using the PTG web site), you should keep your name in
>> the YP so that your "old" customers can find you. They may have lost your
>> reminder card, or for some reason are not on your reminder list, so they
>> should be able to look in the YP to find you. Also, about 25% of your
>> customers move every year, so they might not get your reminder notices, or
>> you will get a phone number that has been disconnected, (if you call your
>> customers). You don't necessarily need half inch column, but you should at
>> least have your name in there.
>>
>> Willem Blees
>>
>>
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