You may find it beneficial to telephone other service type business in all the books you are aware of and ask them which books they get response from? Also remember to ask your customers which books they use or found you in. We have one book locally that is not an "official" book. They tout themselves as being the all and end all. We have found that no one uses this company. Do not be deceived. One year after abandoning this particular book and some others...we began to magically re-appeared even thought we have not spent a penny. They probably call that padding the book. Wim is dead on, you do not need to spend a penny for the book that supports your phone number. Kindest Regards, Garret --- Garret Traylor - President High Point Piano & Music Inc. 88-PIANO (336) 887-4266 From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Willem Blees Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2008 2:08 PM To: pianotech at ptg.org Subject: Re: Competitive Rates 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 <mailto: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. 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