[Neil Grainger]

Hi

After whatching Rogue Traders, Most of the companies they have on their always get the customers by using leaflets.

I am starting to question whether leaflets are the right way to go or does it stop people from even considering us because we deliver leaflets.

Your thoughts please

regards

neil

[vangaurd]

imho     leaflets are not getting the work,

[AquaMagic]

They are for me, at the moment im

50% leaflets
40% recomendations and referals.
10% Yell, Web, Internet Directorys etc.

Approx.

Dene

[Derek]

Neil

I have never used leaflets for that very reason...a purely personal view

[Mike Halliday]

you're right, I'm going to stop shopping at Tescos because i get a big leaflet from the every month,  and forget about Asda, they are the same.

lets get real, a marketing medium does not reflect the integrity of the company, the biggest legal criminals in today's society are the banks & insurance companies and I get leaflets from them all the time, but no one questions their reputation.

I watch Rogue Trader all the time and i've never heard it mentioned that the 'rogue' company was found through a leaflet.

Mike

[Neil Grainger]

Mike

Dont get me wrong I see your point, but we are small business Tesco's are not. People no who they are, and trust them because of this, they dont with us because they dont no who we are.

The problem is that for every good leaflet there are companies offering carpet cleaning for £9 a room

Last weeks Rogue traders used leaflets to get the sale's contacts and its is very common with kitchen companies and double galzing boys.

Mike I know it works for you but am starting to think that leaflets can depend on your location. Most people here in the south east just dont seem interested in them. 

Cheers

Neil

[Mike Halliday]

Niel that's the problem most of the £9 a room companies do use leaflets, but  for every 1 shady company using leaflets there are 10  reputable ones. You can't condemn leaflets just because is used by the bad as well as the good.

but this isn't just leaflets its all marketing,  i think the worst place for unscrupulous companies the local paper classified adverts, how can you chose a companies on the basis of 9 words (half of them abbreviated) :

Mike

[Ian Gourlay]

Some of the biggest Rougue Companies are Kitchen and Window Companies.

Thet do not waste their time cleaning carpets thay are after 1000s.

Programmes I watch its Yellow Pages that the plumming companies use who charge £150 fo a washer.

Full Page Adverts


But Neil if leaflets do not suit your image do not use them.

If you are here to build a brand etc

Perhaps the way to go is to convert every job into five others with your referal programme.

That way you only need 4 customers from advertising.

[Derek]

There is no perhaps about it Ian...that is the way to go

No need for leaflets at all then  :...I know Mr Halliday will disagree but  each to his own...life would be dull if we all did the same thing

[Geoff Jewkes]

In April, leaflets returned over 3 grand, Thomson local, 1200,  need I say more?

[*paul_moss]

In April, leaflets returned over 3 grand, Thomson local, 1200,  need I say more?

Loads of commision 
Well Done Geoff

[carpetguy]

How does the cost of the Thomson's advert compare, side by side, bearing in mind, the total cost of getting the leaflets to the prospect.

[Prestige1]

In my opinion the leaflet is only part of anyone’s marketing strategy. If you are trying to build up a good image it’s about the quality of your marketing. You might be the best carpet cleaner in the world but if no one uses you no one will know! I always like to think that if you put out quality ads and quality leaflets, as well as a good clean well signed van slowly but surely along with recommendations your business will grow in the right way and with good well priced jobs. Surely your own leaflets when compared with the competitions leaflets will set you apart if not then re-design your leaflet. Kind regards Phil

[*paul_moss]

I put out between 10 and 20,000 leaflets a month this equates for betwen 50 and 60 % of my busines
But as said above you need other marketing avenues.

The rest of my business comes from, in no particular order

Referals
existing customer base
bt directory
yellow pages
yell.com
website
other internet adverts
google add words
church and local mags
limited paper adverts ( about 5 a year)

[Londoner]

For anyone starting up leaflets are a good way of getting a business started but actually start to hold you back once you get a bit more established. This is because of the time it takes to deliver them or the price per potential customer to have someone else deliver them.
Leaflets are the most expensive form of advertising for that reason. Yet some people thrive on them and they do work, theres no doubt about that.

If it ain't broke............

[brights cleaning]

i think it depends on what content you have in you leaflets,for me its not the best form of advertising but i till get about a 3-1 return, so still worth doing
not to metion all the referal and repeat work you get from those clients, so maybe the returns are better than i think!

[Mike Osbourne]

I have just returned from a nice little job this morning. Thinking back it was a referal from another customer last week who I had leafleted on a saturday morning.

I had  about 200 inkjet printed leaflets, on 80gsm paper. Half way down the pile I notice the heads must have started blocking up as the print had little lines down them. They looked awful. I considered going back but thought what the hell and continued.

I left the referal customer today with two more people to contact. Will they remember the crapy leaflet or the service I provided?

Leaflets are just a means to an ends. I doubted what Mike Halliday says about leaflets, but the more I do, the more I realise everything he says about leaflets is spot on.

[Mike Halliday]

that's because I'm brill, and do lots of leafleting

one thing about leaflets, i could use a crappy leaflet but all I need to do is put my address on it and I instantly become a reliable, up-market company.... because i live in a very exclusive village which only the wealthy can afford to buy houses in   your address can be a very powerfull marketing tool.

if i had a crappy leaflet and put a council estate address things would be different.

Mike
ps I don't have anything against people who live on council estate!

[Liahona]

Mike, where do I stand I live in a log cabin in the middle of a field.  Best, Dave

Oh and dont say mud even though it is right now.

[Ian Gourlay]

Dave

You are a rocky mountain man.

Have you been to my neck of the woods recentley

How much did you get for that church?

Regards

Ian