Perhaps Al, you should generate business cards for the Best Buy/Circuit City/HH Gregg sales teams as Mr Silverman suggested, AND purchase one of those Roll-Away flashing signs per Mr Wentowski's suggestions a few months back, and reduce the Yellow Page costs. Although I've had a "few" customers request a business card, I just refer them to the Work Order info....I seem to have forgotten where I stored my Business card, AND which program I generated them in. Most of my customers seem to equate "good service" with whether or not I actually attempted to repair it in home, and complain about competitors that "don't care, didn't open it up, just took my TV and had it 3 - 4 weeks/months...." I don't think I've ever had a customer complain about price, just how the tech performed his work in front of them. So I guess that's the important thing to consider if you want "word of mouth" advertising....I'll have to find my business card generation process again...... Damon B Telrad Electronics Fort Wayne IN ----- Original Message ----- From: "Al L" <alleathe@xxxxxxxxxxx> To: <techassist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Thursday, December 22, 2005 3:31 PM Subject: [TechAssist] Re: Off-Topic: How Do You Advertise Your Shop? > Think I will save these posts,as, after almost 40 years in business,I have > to make a BIG change.Perhaps a BIG ad once in a while,or a billboard. How > about bribing a store owner in a non competing business to hang my sign in > HIS window! IDEA: I hang his sign, he hangs mine,perhaps a network? > > Al's TV > Al Leatherman > 973-361-5796 > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Larry" <schntv@xxxxxxxxxxxx> > To: <techassist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > Sent: Thursday, December 22, 2005 1:34 PM > Subject: [TechAssist] Re: Off-Topic: How Do You Advertise Your Shop? > > > > after 30 years of display add in yellow pages, this year i > > drooped back to a small 3 liner. i have noticed NO difference > > in customers. > > things have slowed over the past 5 years, but i am on a main > > street and have little competition. > > it saves me about 150 a month. > > i use a flashing sigh with changeable lettering as my only > > advertisements. > > Larry > > > > > > Al L wrote: > >> Good post. Does anybody have the Cahunas to cancel Yellow Pages,and run a > >> nice ad every week in some different newspaper?Maybe offer a coupon good > >> for > >> a month, or indefinitely? I think I will try one of the mail out coupon > >> deals soon. > >> > >> Al's TV > >> Al Leatherman > >> 973-361-5796 > >> ----- Original Message ----- > >> From: "Robert McPherson" <rm502@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > >> To: <techassist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > >> Sent: Thursday, December 22, 2005 10:07 AM > >> Subject: [TechAssist] Re: Off-Topic: How Do You Advertise Your Shop? > >> > >> > >> > >>>I agree that the Yellow Pages is not a satisfactory method of advertising > >>>anymore. The Yellow Pages is expensive for the size of ad you get, you > >>>have > >>>no control over the geographic area that you are reaching, it is a year > >>>before you can revise your ad to reflect changes in your business, and > >>>since > >>>there are so many competitive "Yellow Pages" published by other > >>>companies - > >>>the customer owns several directories and could miss your ad in the "Real > >>>Yellow Pages" > >>> > >>>Customer Referals, referals from other shops that are overloaded or don't > >>>service a particular brand or type of item, Weekly newspapers, and direct > >>>mail flyers are a better way. Also, I am seriously thinking about > >>>advertising on Google. I've heard it is quite reasonable and a search > >>>for > >>>"TV Repair" from a particular geographic area can bring up a right side > >>>of > >>>the Google page ad bought from them. > >>> > >>>Robert McPherson > >>>Computer & Television Service > >>>1322 Durrett Lane Louisville, KY 40213 > >>>Telephone (502) 367-9324 Cellphone (502) 298-6997 > >>>Email rm502@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > >>> > >>>----- Original Message ----- > >>>From: "tvservice" <tvservice@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > >>>To: <techassist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > >>>Sent: Thursday, December 22, 2005 9:41 AM > >>>Subject: [TechAssist] Re: Off-Topic: How Do You Advertise Your Shop? > >>> > >>> > >>>Best: word of mouth > >>>Next best: manufacterer referrals > >>>Worst: yellow pages/phone book > >>> > >>>Robert > >>>tvservice@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > >>>H & H Electronics Inc > >>>http://supertek.igniteinc.biz > >>> > >>>----- Original Message ----- > >>>From: "William E Miller" <prototech@xxxxxxx> > >>>To: <techassist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > >>>Cc: <repair@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> > >>>Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2005 10:52 PM > >>>Subject: [TechAssist] Off-Topic: How Do You Advertise Your Shop? > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>>>Feel free to take this to private e-mail (and I can summarize) if you > >>>>lik= > >>>>e, > >>>>but I'm wanting to get your input on advertising. > >>>> > >>>>What has been your most effective advertising medium / venue? > >>>> > >>>>What has been your least effective advertising medium / venue? > >>>> > >>>>Any horror stories? > >>>> > >>>>Any slick tricks you've discovered? > >>>> > >>>>This should be interesting! *grin* > >>>> > >>>> > >>>>William E. Miller, ASEET > >>>>prototech@xxxxxxx > >>>>Indiana USA > >>>> > >>>> > >>>>------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- > >>> > >>>--- > >>> > >>>>This Email List is accessible to the general public through search > >>> > >>>engines. Remove: http://www.tech-assist.org/remove.htm > >>> > >>>>Set Vacation > >>> > >>>mailto:ecartis@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=set%20techassist%20vacation > >>> > >>>>Lost Password: http://www.tech-assist.org and select "Login Problems?". > >>>>Email Archives: //www.freelists.org/archives/techassist/ > >>> > >>>------------------------------------------------------------------------- --- > >>>- > >>>This Email List is accessible to the general public through search > >>>engines. > >>>Remove: http://www.tech-assist.org/remove.htm > >>>Set Vacation > >>>mailto:ecartis@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=set%20techassist%20vacation > >>>Lost Password: http://www.tech-assist.org and select "Login Problems?". > >>>Email Archives: //www.freelists.org/archives/techassist/ > >>> > >>> > >>>------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- > >>>This Email List is accessible to the general public through search > >>>engines. Remove: http://www.tech-assist.org/remove.htm > >>>Set Vacation > >>>mailto:ecartis@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=set%20techassist%20vacation > >>>Lost Password: http://www.tech-assist.org and select "Login Problems?". > >>>Email Archives: //www.freelists.org/archives/techassist/ > >>> > >> > >> > >> > >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- > >> This Email List is accessible to the general public through search > >> engines. Remove: http://www.tech-assist.org/remove.htm > >> Set Vacation > >> mailto:ecartis@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=set%20techassist%20vacation > >> Lost Password: http://www.tech-assist.org and select "Login Problems?". > >> Email Archives: //www.freelists.org/archives/techassist/ > >> > >> > > > > -- > > Schneider TV & Electronic Inc. > > 5415 N. 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Remove: http://www.tech-assist.org/remove.htm > Set Vacation mailto:ecartis@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=set%20techassist%20vacation > Lost Password: http://www.tech-assist.org and select "Login Problems?". > Email Archives: //www.freelists.org/archives/techassist/ > ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- This Email List is accessible to the general public through search engines. Remove: http://www.tech-assist.org/remove.htm Set Vacation mailto:ecartis@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=set%20techassist%20vacation Lost Password: http://www.tech-assist.org and select "Login Problems?". Email Archives: //www.freelists.org/archives/techassist/