ECN Electrical Forum - Discussion Forums for Electricians, Inspectors and Related Professionals
ECN Shout Chat
ShoutChat
Recent Posts
Increasing demand factors in residential
by gfretwell - 03/28/24 12:43 AM
Portable generator question
by Steve Miller - 03/19/24 08:50 PM
Do we need grounding?
by NORCAL - 03/19/24 05:11 PM
240V only in a home and NEC?
by dsk - 03/19/24 06:33 AM
Cordless Tools: The Obvious Question
by renosteinke - 03/14/24 08:05 PM
New in the Gallery:
This is a new one
This is a new one
by timmp, September 24
Few pics I found
Few pics I found
by timmp, August 15
Who's Online Now
1 members (CoolWill), 250 guests, and 13 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Rate Thread
#154756 11/15/04 06:18 PM
A
Anonymous
Unregistered
Was wondering what you guy's do to drum up new business that really works.
As in:
Add in local paper.
Yellow pages.
Drop off business cards to contractors.
Web site.
Name and number on work truck/van
Others?

Latest Estimating Cost Guides & Software:
#154757 11/16/04 12:01 AM
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 156
K
Member
Do your yellow page ads bring alot of window shoppers also LK? I have been looking into some local newspapers instead of doing a yellow page ad. I was hoping to target more of a specific area than the county as a whole. I don't have anyone to answer the phones so I am wondering if any of it is worth it.

#154758 11/16/04 12:04 AM
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 914
E
Member
Over the long run the best money spent is on quality truck/van lettering. If you don't have a logo, get one. It will be what people identify your company with, so they see your truck then they are in the yellow pages and recognize the logo from the truck they call you. Check out www.elance.com as a great source to have a logo designed or other things.

If you want service work, a good yellow page ad is the way to go. Go with the best book first (the phone company) and as big as you can afford and still handle the calls. The little ads are probably going to disappoint you and may give you bottom feeder customers. We've been building our service work up to add more trucks and this is the route we've taken. However we went several years with no advertising, just referrals. Referrals are the best without a doubt.

If you want contractor work all I can say is be carefull. We've got 2 contractors that are excellent and if all contractors were like them I would only do contractor work. However, most contactors suck. Thye want the world, but they don't want to pay for it.

kinetic, you have to answer your phone, especially if you advertise. If you don't answer the phone, they hang up and call the next guy. Do what I did when I started, have your phone forwarded to your cell phone and answer it as a business, not just hello.


[This message has been edited by Electric Eagle (edited 11-15-2004).]

[This message has been edited by Electric Eagle (edited 11-16-2004).]

#154759 11/17/04 04:32 PM
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 697
D
Member
I've wondered about the right answer to advertising for 20 years. In the beginning I felt it was needed to build a customer base. I always seemed to feel bad about it though. When I was very busy, I didn't have time to handle the calls. When it was very slow, I didn't have money for the bill. I especially felt that these slow and busy times were unrelated to my advertising.

I tried a phone answering service, but was always training the people. There's also something in the forwarding that can leave you without a ring for a long period (double the space between rings). I have a basic deep dislike for yelling at people with a bad cell phone, and I don't like to stop working to take sales calls.

In the end I don't advertise and rely on repeat business and referrals. I've tried direct mail with miserable results (I think 2% is considered good). IMO networking works the best. I'm a member of a large church, which is maybe 10% of my business. I probably get another 10% in non-church referrals, and the other 80% is repeat business.

Dave


Link Copied to Clipboard
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5