You have to keep in mind there is a serious generational gap between somebody like me, 43 years old, and people in their late 50s to early 70s and beyond. sure I love their music, however I'm going to hop on the internet and not even remember there is a Yellow Pages versus them doing the exact opposite.
61, still doing the classic rock gig. i really hate it when they call it '
oldies' though....
Having clear, large to an easy to read signage on your truck is important. I know a lot of people who say that has never netted them any work, however you have to keep in mind that such signage may be viewed at quite a distance and or while moving, and these new artsy fonts people are using are completely unreadable unless you are right next to their vehicle at a grocery store.
works, just figure an extra 45 minutes every market stop to talk to folks about their electrical woes....
Business cards are still a must in my opinion, people are going to throw away a handwritten phone number on the back of a receipt. It also reeks of unprofessional in my humble opinion. Refrigerator magnets with your company name and phone number are great for existing customers.
Yup. a coloful notable Biz card sticks out in a sea of them , and the magnetic ones can go right on your competition's panel schedule!
Door hangers are good in upscale neighborhoods, however many of these now have blanket no soliciting clauses.
and dogs the size of dinousaurs.....:happysad:
In my opinion, the simpler your advertising, the better. Something like
"XYZ electrical, for all of your electrical needs"
" 757-555-1212, www.xyzelectrical.com"
I'll confess i did the '
we check shorts' on my biker headwraps
Is better than a laundry list or bullet point list of things you do... Even if that is over selling yourself a little bit. If you list that you specialize in remodels, new lighting, and generators, a customer with a troubleshooting or solar problem may not call you, because they think from your advertising that you do not work on those. Maybe you don't, however let them call you, perhaps you can work on it.
How about a loss leader like a panel inspection? We did that in a radio ad (complete w/deliverance banjo & guitar) , shamelessly plaguarized from NACHI....:weeping:
Word of mouth is still the best in my humble opinion. It doesn't matter too much if your reputation is "he's okay, but he's always on time and charges a fair price" "or he's the best, charges accordingly, but always fixes the problem", or something else positive so long as it nets you profitable work.
I've actually cultivated a following via the '
prima donna crumedgeon' shtick of late, you'd be surprised how many folks think you're on top of your game being old ,cranky & critical ....
even something simple like having 24-hour, weekend, or holiday availability may be the thing you need over your competition to be successful
well, referrals are all about makin' sure one's compeditor doesn't GET a weekend off....:happyyes:~RJ~:lol:
