Clean It Up

UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: John Gregory on October 13, 2007, 01:52:43 am

Title: leaflets with a difference
Post by: John Gregory on October 13, 2007, 01:52:43 am
Hi all
I have been looking after the father in laws house while he has been away on holiday. While sorting throu his mail I have come across 4 carpet cleaning leaflets all the normal stuff 110% discount for oaps, picture of baby on carpet with a caption Saying HOW CLEAN ARE YOUR CARPETS,Lounge from £19 On my last run of leaflets I got a real bad return ( 2 jobs out of 6000 ) . I'm sure people are sick to death of seeings carpet cleaning leaflets. I need something different,

My question is What makes a leaflet work
Title: Re: leaflets with a difference
Post by: PaulKing on October 13, 2007, 06:54:14 am
I'm sure people are sick to death of seeings carpet cleaning leaflets. I need something different,



SKYWRITTING!
Title: Re: leaflets with a difference
Post by: David_Annable on October 13, 2007, 09:06:52 am
Hi

Photo of attractive man in boxers, not yourself.

Headline Free Attractive Man with every Carpet Clean over £100!

you could try that.

Dave
Title: Re: leaflets with a difference
Post by: Joe H on October 13, 2007, 11:36:15 am
Might get calls from lonely house husbands.  :o
Title: Re: leaflets with a difference
Post by: AquaMagic on October 13, 2007, 11:48:10 am
Ive toyed with the idea of Door Hangers (weather permitting) this way the custmomer will have just the one leaflet in their hand before they open the door and see all the others, also a little bit eisier to put out.

Dene
Title: Re: leaflets with a difference
Post by: David_Annable on October 13, 2007, 12:15:03 pm
Hi

Seriously though in no particular order

1) Photo of yourself, people like to know who there dealing with.

2) List of Benefits, why people should use you.

3) Headline, containing your USP ( unique selling proposition ).

4) Your address, if you want local work.

5) Dated special offer, whatever you are happy offering.

6) 0800 Number, personally i would only use this if wanting work more than 2-3 mils from where you live.

7) Money Back Gurantee, Making it risk free or the customer.

Cant think of any more.

Dave



8) Testomonials,use a double sided leaflet with the reverse side full of testimonials.
Title: Re: leaflets with a difference
Post by: Shaun_Ashmore on October 13, 2007, 12:21:18 pm
testimonials are over rated unless they are hand written, tried it over ten years ago and knowone believed me and I think it worked against my credability.

I tried door hangers and they get wet through in the rain and blow off the doors leaving unsightly litter.

I think that marketing is shifting from traditional ideas, may be it's time to invent something new.

Shaun
Title: Re: leaflets with a difference
Post by: John Gregory on October 13, 2007, 12:46:07 pm
cheers for the Replies, Would my truckmount be my USP. Im thinking A5 landscape Picture of me and truckmount on one side of leaflet with a caption saying Truck mounted carpet cleaning out performs all other systems, then on the other side a bit about me self , Ncca, Address , the beneifits of the truckmount over a portable, money back guarantee, etc
Title: Re: leaflets with a difference
Post by: David_Annable on October 13, 2007, 01:17:57 pm
Hi

The only way to find out if it will work is try it & monitor the results.

USP are difficult for CC as the public percieve us to all be doing the same thing.

Dave
Title: Re: leaflets with a difference
Post by: Neil Grainger on October 13, 2007, 01:31:37 pm
John, What is the benefit of a Truckmount compared to a portable? Its the person not the machine when it come to HWE. Maybe quicker but is their really that much difference these days with the power of some portables.

Sell yourself up dont sell other sytems down. They are buying you not your equipment.
Title: Re: leaflets with a difference
Post by: John Gregory on October 13, 2007, 01:51:40 pm
Neil     I've got a leaflet in front of me with prices on , Lounge up to 25f £19 3piece suite £ 40, your telling me its unfair to use my truckmount as part of my marketing. The guy who turns up in a m reg ford escort , takes a karcher puzzi out of the boot cleans the customers carpet in 20 mins leaves.
Title: Re: leaflets with a difference
Post by: Neil Grainger on October 13, 2007, 02:26:38 pm
I know a number of Truckmounters that run bottom end pricing. 99% of customers dont no the difference between a Truckmount and a portable.

Its us that know's the difference not the customers.
Title: Re: leaflets with a difference
Post by: Len Gribble on October 13, 2007, 07:57:27 pm
Neil

You have a valid point  (Its us that know's the difference not the customers.) but once hooked they never looked back, until but that another story. ;D

Len
Title: Re: leaflets with a difference
Post by: Mike Halliday on October 13, 2007, 08:16:10 pm
John all of those leaflets would have worked, if your  father had needed a carpet cleaner.

most decent leaflets will work if they get put thought the door of someone who needs a carpet cleaner.

I would say 90% of a leaflets success is been read by a person who needs a carpet cleaner, the last 10% is what convinces the weary customer that they can trust you eg;

a nice photo,

testimonals from companies who they know (not anonimous mrs smiths'),

membership of trade organisations

etc..etc

Mike
Title: Re: leaflets with a difference
Post by: Dave_Lee on October 14, 2007, 02:38:48 pm
John,
That leaflet card I am sure I gave you is the way to go, trust me it works everytime and gets you quality jobs. Costs abit more in the same format, but well worth it.
Dave.
Title: Re: leaflets with a difference
Post by: AquaMagic on October 14, 2007, 02:43:52 pm
Dave do you have an electronic version of the leaflet card? if so id love to see it
dene@aquamagicuk.co.uk

Many thanks

Dene
Title: Re: leaflets with a difference
Post by: Bertie Boo on October 14, 2007, 03:01:10 pm
Ive toyed with the idea of Door Hangers (weather permitting) this way the custmomer will have just the one leaflet in their hand before they open the door and see all the others, also a little bit eisier to put out.

Dene

That would not go down well with many people (me included) because i HATE to see anything hanging out of or hanging off someones door. It looks unsightly and is a good indicator that people must be out. What happens if the leaflet blows off the door handle and into the street (along with others), who cleans that up?

In my experience its not what is on the leaflet that matters so much as it is WHO actually gets the leaflets. The clients who rang me for domestic cleaning (having had a leaflet) were, it transpires, (i suppose not surprising really) the 'type' of person who orders from TV shopping programes, from catalouges, kleenezze/betterware etc, that type of thing, you know, whatever comes into their house they'll have a look through. I think that these people are few and far between though.

Stephen


Title: Re: leaflets with a difference
Post by: John Gregory on October 14, 2007, 04:55:43 pm
Mr Dave Lee,   Thats what I have been using an copy of your leaflet but in colour. and without the testimonials on the back, The best leaflet I've seen to date . Going to try again with testimonials    see if it helps


Thanks   John
Title: Re: leaflets with a difference
Post by: John Gregory on October 14, 2007, 05:00:53 pm
Dene    I have a copy in pdf but I promised Dave not to show any one . He does not want people like Mike Haliday pinching his leaflet ideas


John
Title: Re: leaflets with a difference
Post by: Dave_Lee on October 15, 2007, 06:41:11 pm
John,
Thanks for that, however that leaflet works best in the exact format it is already in, i.e. Black on white on the same paper quality and thickness, the testimonials are essential. It doesnt work the same in colour, remember many people are put off by too pretty a leaflet, stick to it as it is for best results, its been tried and tested over a long period in all variety of other formats.
Dave.
Title: Re: leaflets with a difference
Post by: Neil Grainger on October 15, 2007, 07:20:49 pm
Dave

I have sent you an e-mail.

Cheers

Neil
Title: Re: leaflets with a difference
Post by: John Gregory on October 15, 2007, 08:25:16 pm
thanks  Dave, I will give it a try in black and white,


Thanks John
Title: Re: leaflets with a difference
Post by: will_turton on October 15, 2007, 09:32:10 pm
  john when i first started out, for the first 3 years i put out 10,000 leaflets every week, none stop, flooding area, after area, and i was mad busy, some weeks the leaflets would work, some weeks was crap but it was the consistency that worked, just sticking out a few thousands here and there wont work,  people get to see your leaflet a few times, and when there thinking about looking for a cleaner they call,
 there was a cleaner who done leaflets the same time as me, with a tm, the leaflet was full of text, customers couldnt be bothered to read it, mine was to the point, the price was there, and thats what they wanted to see, none of this, we'll call and give you a quote crap,
 i havent used leaflets for 3 years now, and them customers have stayed with me, i only use yellow pages now and 80% of my work is repeats, john you've got my number, if you want give me a bell,
 billy
 
 
Title: Re: leaflets with a difference
Post by: Shaun_Ashmore on October 15, 2007, 09:46:02 pm
William is correct, it's consistancy that counts.

The content is relivant to the market you are going to, if you want young mums then quick bullets and affordable prices these people are great volume as they decide there and then, if you are going to middle class Drs, Solicitors etc they like to do homework so high content is needed to woow them but beware as they don't make their minds up very quickly and they can have the dirtiest carpets.

Shaun
Title: Re: leaflets with a difference
Post by: John Gregory on October 15, 2007, 10:39:39 pm
William is correct, it's consistancy that counts.

The content is relivant to the market you are going to, if you want young mums then quick bullets and affordable prices these people are great volume as they decide there and then, if you are going to middle
class Drs, Solicitors etc they like to do homework so high content is needed to woow them but beware as they don't make their minds up vergy quickly and they can have the dirtiest carpets.

Shaun I'm struggling getting me head around your last post, the area I live in is quite diverse (like any area) How do I make leaflet appeal to different people, with different needs and expectations.Let me give you a example , last Monday cleaned full 3 bed semi the customer wanted all furniture moved and replaced , charged them £250 they were delighted with the work I did ,even gave me a tip, then on the Tuesday after picking up me dryers 2 miles up the road did a stairs and landing for £35
Title: Re: leaflets with a difference
Post by: Shaun_Ashmore on October 15, 2007, 10:46:21 pm
John you are doing OKAY you are getting enquiries and you are asking for recommends, you don't have to be cheap to look inexpensive!!! also sell yourself on doing the job correctly "fast cheap cleaning is great if that is what you want" but if you would like more thorough clean then call me.

Shaun
Title: Re: leaflets with a difference
Post by: John Gregory on October 15, 2007, 11:03:17 pm
I wish I was doing OKAY Shaun, only got a couple of hundred quid booked in this week, thats why I'm trying to get some imput on good leaflets.

John
Title: Re: leaflets with a difference
Post by: Doug Holloway on October 16, 2007, 07:14:55 am
John

I am with Will on this one , the first major improvement in my business came when I employed leaflet delivers and put out a regular amount each month, about 10,000.

This builds up a steady stream of customers and is not dependant on how much time or energy you have.

The second major improvememt came with the internet.

Cheers

Doug