[kinder clean]

I imagine the more senior members on here will have a good database of customers and therefore good repeat business, but I would be interested to hear from the newbie/junior members who are still in there first year as to what marketing is bringing the most enquiries in for you.

Paul

[Phillip Mold]

Leaflets first, then local magazines, especially parish ones. I always ask custys if they get one and if so make a note of the contact details. My own costs £2 pm to advertise and brings in a job every month on average!

[davep]

Leaflets, Internet (web and free directories) Local mags, referals 

[Ian Gourlay]

Leaflets complete waste of time.

Nobody wants to read them just thrown straight in the bin

You all believe leaflets work  because you have read it on the Forums

The man hours required to distribute leaflets do not justify the time
When I started in Direct Selling  with companies such as Everest,   Ency Britannia, leaflets brought in one lead per 2000, hence these aggresive direct sales people did not use them. and they were selling products that would earn them £500 plus a sale so its hardly worth it for £60 to £100

With Everest it was the Knock plus call backs on old customers emphisises on the old  put fear into them about house easy it would be to break in etc

With Brittannia it was prize draws similiar to the one Pete Sweaney had on his stand. at the show he did.  You then phone them up and tell them they did non win but you have a consulation prize for them if they give you an hour of their time

[craigp]

Hi Paul,

Alot of new starters or people not in this buisness will make the assumption that after a certain amount of time advertising will not be needed due to regular customers ect. But thats not the case, advertising will always be required you'll always need new customers, (talking domestic here) I have heard of exceptions, but they are exceptions.

As you may have noticed many customers you'll come across will never have used a c/cer before, very few will use a c/cer regluarly hence why you'll always need to advertise, if they all used us once a year we would not need to.

[Ian Gourlay]

Welcome back Mr P

[craigp]

Hi Ian!

Im Supprised looks you have given up on leaflets, you should be able to get 2 calls per thou in a good area, what response have you had?

Craig

[Ian Gourlay]

Craig

Just thought I would put the other side to leaflets

The situation is still as it was when were at Alltec 2 months ago,

The Leaflets are breaking even at best.

i know the Guy is putting them out because when I meet friends they tell me they had one I do not ask.

Perhaps if I swap my photo for Brad Pits  IT MIGHT WORK

[derek west]

when starting out you need to do the lot, and expect to make a loss on it too. its about getting people in your area to remember you. leaflets (as many as poss) local mags rags, neighbour nudgers, yell and pages, thomp, ad words, seo, kitchen sink. bus cards, i could go on. no single marketing idea makes a profit. (apart from the free ads but you only get 2 jobs a year from them)then the best marketing of all, do the best job possible, do this for a year or so and eventually most people in your area will think of you when they want there carpets cleaning, only then can you slow down your marketing to start making a good profit,
hope i'm right.

derek

[Donato]

Hi Paul,
I'm still in my first year and most of my enquiries come from the yellow pages followed by referals, I get next to nothing from leaflets, but then I havn't been doing them long.

[craigp]

I know what you mean Ian, I used a woman to put mine out paid her £6 per hour  did get jobs but she did not get them out fast enough if she did 8 hours in a week she only get out 1k, I covered her pay and not much more, so like you say its getting them out cheap enough to make it cost effective, one good thing is when your new you have the time to do them yourself!

[derek west]

ive just ordered 100,000 leaflets, cost £750
royal mail delivery over the next 3 months cost £3600 plus vat.
i won't make a profit on it but its all part of my master plan, mwah ah ah aaaah

[spencer davies]

Websites primarily, then leaflets, high quality tri fold, full colour, calls/e mails usually between 6-10 per 1000



Regards



S

[Mike Halliday]

I've got bored talking about leaflets.

so I'll just say; all I do is leaflets, they keep me work 7 days a week. 

for me they work.

[Straker Cleaning]

Internet ............. do not leaflet or do directories at all.
Only other (local) source is Little League program and next season, i am sponsoring Cotswold Casuals team as my son plays for them 

[Steve Chapman]

local papers, leaflets, internet, referalls, always found directories completely useless, but i think its mainly the area im in !

steve

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Directories used to be my main source of new business, I mailnly just do database, but I am lucky to have a high referal rate- don't know why??

Shaun

[clinton]

Thats a good idea derek royal mail am also going to do that leaflet drop with them......Also If they have a post code area that isnt booked up for a drop you get it cheaper ........Think some of the newbies might have to offer other services as well till they can rely on c cleaning soley..I sitll advertise after nearl 19 years in  c cleaning...

[davep]

Wouldnt touch RM with a barge pole..  Call your local office and ask what % of door to doors are being returned due to non delivery due to being short staffed or Posties not having time to do them 

Leaflets do work if its one that stands out and is redone every 8 weeks..

They dont if its just one drop, it does take time but if you get them cheap and split delivery costs with 1 or 2 other firms its not expensive either.

Different cc's in different areas may find different so just do what works for you, dont read to deeply into what others say on this forum, you may be in a city whereas someone else is out in the sticks!

[mitch2810]

Most of my enquiries come from the website. i put out 20000 leaflets a month and get between 10-20 jobs from them. Yell.co,Y/P and business pages - little return, local paper - little return, Parish mag - little return. Totally agree that leaflets have to be put out to the same customers on a regular basis to get them to work. Royal Mail are far too expensive though.
Phil