[Doctor Carpet (Ret'd)]

I think justifying a poor return  on any marketing by looking at the potential of future recommends or the customer returning is risky, you are in effect working for nothing.

I'd rather spend money on marketing that brings in work straight away then any future work is a bonus.

True Mike. But if you don't measure it properly in the first place you won't know.

Barbara could justify dropping that line of advertising, but if measured properly and then she finds the repeats and referrals do start to roll in from it, she would then be validated in returning to it once again.

[derek west]

does the repeats and referals percentage alter that much through different forms of attracting customers?
if you get where i'm coming from with this.

surely (all though i'm probably wrong) for every 10 custies from say YP you get X amount of referals and repeats, and from say google you should still get the same percentage ( X ) from that too.
or am i missing something.
derek

[markpowell]

I spend £85 on 5000 postcards, £75 on 2 local mags, so total of £160 per month
Mark

[Doctor Carpet (Ret'd)]

Derek

I would think i would get different percentages from different advertising media as each medium will tap into a different type of client.

I would also assume each cc will get different percentages because of the mix of clients/wealth etc that we each deal with.

Finally, it will also come down to our own technique of "chatting up" customers. And different customers will respond to different types of "chatting up".

Each to their own, but if its not measured you will be whistling in the wind.

[markpowell]

You dont have to get more customers to make more money, just get the ones you do get to spend more, get the job ticket up with extra rooms for £30 etc or add Protector.
Mark

[Shaun_Ashmore]

The biggest thing I fall down on is selling protector I sell on 25% of jobs I need to do better (I'll write that down) Mark what % are you selling it on jobs and how much are you charging, I'm at £55 a suite on just cleaned and £28 for a 12 x 12 carpet.

Shaun

[Mark Lane-Matthews]

It is essential to keep in contact with your client base.Customers might remember your name but not your comapanies details,so may not contact you.Always contact your data base source at least on a 12 month basis.

                                              Mark 

[Mike Osbourne]

Here's a twist to the question.

I spend at least 12hrs a week on marketing, not including leafleting.

[Buster Ingram]

Can I be so rude as to ask what do you do in those 12 hours you spend on marketing?

[Mike Osbourne]

Yeah Dave

I listen to you on the phone and furiously write everything down.

Doing a lot of website stuff Dave, hopefully it will pay long term dividends down the road.

Have been doing some doorknocking for commercial and going back to existing custies with offers.

[Buster Ingram]

Well I hope you wrote down!!!!!!!!!!!

DON'T BUY WEB SITE RANKING  HELP OVER THE PHONE!  

[JandS]

800 reminders a month??

£120 a month local weekly paper ad.
£10 a month in a local easy find directory which pound for pound is probably the best thing
I have ever advertised in.
2 jobs yesterday from it @ £135 in total.
Last month got £360 out of it which was my first month.
Spent £100 on 5000 business cards which I post through doors but that was in January and still
got about 2000 left.

John

[Mike Osbourne]

OK dave

I've written that down IN CAPITALS.

My latest epic journey is to once and for all understand and implement the finer points of PPC. Although I sort of already know the secret... tedious analysis and testing.

[DanielWelford]

J & S

I have nearly 4000 customers on my database, so need to do so many per month to ensure that they are contacted regularly.

In an ideal world I would like to do a monthly offer to them all, but cant afford.

Dan

[DanielWelford]

J & S

What is the nane of this easy find directory, as they may have affiliates/franchises in my area.

Thanks

Dan

[Mike Osbourne]

Daniel

I have been through that loop and here's what you do.

Send a letter to all your clients you don't have email for.

Make the sole reason for the letter a Competition to WIN something.

Make it something worthwhile as a prize. : and to make admin easy for you, they need to do it by email 

Over time and a number of comps (which give you another excuse to stay in touch) you will get emails.

You then start to intersperse email with letters, postcards etc so you can contact more regularly at a cheaper overall cost.

Send them information, how to guides, comps etc as well as sales letters so you don't pss them off too much.

[DanielWelford]

Hi Mike

Thanks for that, but dont you find that a lot of people will see your emails as spam?

I always ask for email address' when taking bookings, and indeed did do a bit of email marketing (not consistently mind you) but got little if no response.

Does the email marketing work for you?

Dan

[Mike Osbourne]

Yes

The 'trick' is only rarely try to sell something.

To get them from a new client I say something like. I've done a stain spotting guide so when you have a spill you know what to do so you don't screw up your carpet. Would you like a copy? Yes! Fine. What's your email address.

This is getting a bit fancy pants, but then I put their email into an autoresponder. This is like a pre loading gizmo for emails. They are a mixture of news, how to info on carpet, rug, leather stuff (mainly spotting advice/dangers) comps and OFFERS.

You get work from the none offers too because you're in their mind every couple of weeks. What you don't want is them unsubscibing.

Emails are free to send but what you send takes time to create if it's of any value to the client.

[JandS]

Daniel

Am in York for the w/e but will look it up when I get home, think it is a W.Yorks thing but I may be wrong it could be a franchise.

John

[JandS]

Daniel

He says give him a ring or leave your number on here and he will ring you.

01924 453419

John