Passing out brochures

[jason rawls]

I`m going out tomorrow to stick some brochures in between the flag and the mailbox. I plan on hitting "nice" neighborhoods only. Can I expect to get any return at all from doing this, or just complaint calls from jerks upset that I touched their mailbox? Since tomorrow is Sunday hopefully people will pick them up before the mail runs Monday.

[tubafeak]

You probably won`t get many of the jerks who think that their mailbox is sacred, companies put stuff on there all the time. I`ve never done it, but if all these people do it someone must respond to them. Try it once and see how it works out, paper`s not expensive.

[GregCavi]

I would go ahead and do it. When you do this pull up in your vehicle and make sure it is very clean, it is a mobile business card. That is very important! If you see someone outside there house, walk up and introduce yourself, see how there day is and explain some of your services. If the neighbors talk and say who left these darn ads on our mailbox the a neighbor that you met could let the others know that he has met you and he or she could reccomend you. Remember people judge based on appearance (sadly). Good Luck and please let us know if you get any business from this method.

Greg

[bigron62]

recently my helper and i put over 100 brouchures on cars all over town and i nave not recieved a single call .. i did it last year and the same thing . its usually word of mouth and customers from my friends pick up accessory store . good luck

[jason(england)]

HI Jason
As a rule of thumb fliers are a bit of a looser expect to get around one percent return .
Although saying that on a sunday in a good area if you can catch people milling around and get the chance to speak to any high rollers you never know your luck should you get a couple of jobs and get the chance to do a walk around you never know exposure is the key and and this may work for you good luck and keep trying
Jason :chill

[TrueDetailer]

I`m doing something simaler. But in alot more quanity. As some of you may know my folks own a print shop. Well they are best friends with the owners of a mail house. I just got a mailing list for my city (auburndale,fl) A little over 7,000 addresses. I`m designing up some full color post cards to send out. The mail house told me for those 7,000 i`ll get a 8% response. Gonna cost me about 12 cents a peice to send out.
I`m hoping to get another rig or two on the road from this.

So if you pass out a 100 you may get 8 calls.

[CarFlipper]

I`m doing something simaler. But in alot more quanity. As some of you may know my folks own a print shop. Well they are best friends with the owners of a mail house. I just got a mailing list for my city (auburndale,fl) A little over 7,000 addresses. I`m designing up some full color post cards to send out. The mail house told me for those 7,000 i`ll get a 8% response. Gonna cost me about 12 cents a peice to send out.
I`m hoping to get another rig or two on the road from this.

So if you pass out a 100 you may get 8 calls.

8% would be a great (almost unheard of!) response rate! I have been a marketing guy in the tech industry for 12 years and have done a ton of marketing campaigns over the years, including quite a bit of direct mail. Granted marketing in tech is not marketing a service to home owners, but the average response rate for direct mail in most industries is about the same.

To increase your response rate come up with a special offer that encourages consumers to contact you. This should be your goal...just getting them to contact you, as you can`t contact them. You can further "sell" your services once you are contacted.

Industry average is 1% on a direct mail piece, with 2-3% being VERY GOOD. 8% for a response rate seems very high to me but good luck and let us know how it goes!

Btw, 12 cents is a great price, average price to mail a postcard through a mail house is about 18 cents just for the postage.

CarFlipper

[TrueDetailer]

8% would be a great (almost unheard of!) response rate! I have been a marketing guy in the tech industry for 12 years and have done a ton of marketing campaigns over the years, including quite a bit of direct mail. Granted marketing in tech is not marketing a service to home owners, but the average response rate for direct mail in most industries is about the same.

To increase your response rate come up with a special offer that encourages consumers to contact you. This should be your goal...just getting them to contact you, as you can`t contact them. You can further "sell" your services once you are contacted.

Industry average is 1% on a direct mail piece, with 2-3% being VERY GOOD. 8% for a response rate seems very high to me but good luck and let us know how it goes!

Btw, 12 cents is a great price, average price to mail a postcard through a mail house is about 18 cents just for the postage.

CarFlipper

What area are you from? This is what i was told that i can expect from someone who has been in the mailing business for over 20 years. The response rate is different in all areas, But anywas i`ll still be happy with the 1% you say..

[CarFlipper]

I am in New England. Most mailers I have done have been on a national basis.

CarFlipper

[Secret Chimp]

I think that even 1% is a little high when it comes to handing out brochures and business cards. When I first started my business, I handed out about 2000 cards. I placed them in mailboxes, on cars, in the grocery store, etc.... My return rate was about 0.5%.

So I switched gears and decided to try something different. I put money towards online advertising on a few local community sites. I made my money back from the advertising. But I really didn`t profit from it.

So I switched gears again. I joined some business networking groups. Since then, I have been getting 3-4 scheduled details per week from the contacts I made in these groups. Thats a much better response for my dollars/time spent.

[jason rawls]

So I switched gears again. I joined some business networking groups. Since then, I have been getting 3-4 scheduled details per week from the contacts I made in these groups. Thats a much better response for my dollars/time spent.

What kind of business networking groups did you join? What exactly does that entail?

[DetailCad]

I`m not a professonal detailer, just a jerk that gets leaflets stuck between the flag and body of his mailbox. As such, I`d like to talk you out of putting leaflets on people`s mailboxes.

1) I`m not an attorney, but I know in the past the USPS has busted some folks for doing what you are planning. Their contention is you are delivering first class mail which is a federal crime plus tampering with federal property (the mailbox). Many years ago, I was up to speed on this as our neighborhood association was busted but I understand an appeals court reversed a lower courts ruling for another neigborhood association as they considered the USPS charge unwarranted for a neighborhood association. But, as I said, I`m no expert.

2) I live in a nice neighbood and hate to see and pick-up the leaflets that blow off the boxes and wind up in my yard.

3) Because of # 2, I do not do business with people that stuff leaflets at my mailbox.

4) It is unprofessional. You don`t show a professional image going door-to-door annoying people.

[ShineProDetails]

I wouldn`t do it. Gas is $2.25 a gallon and my time is worth more than that........

I`d visit auto repair shops and supply places.

[scottabi]

I`m not a professonal detailer, just a jerk that gets leaflets stuck between the flag and body of his mailbox. As such, I`d like to talk you out of putting leaflets on people`s mailboxes.

1) I`m not an attorney, but I know in the past the USPS has busted some folks for doing what you are planning. Their contention is you are delivering first class mail which is a federal crime plus tampering with federal property (the mailbox). Many years ago, I was up to speed on this as our neighborhood association was busted but I understand an appeals court reversed a lower courts ruling for another neigborhood association as they considered the USPS charge unwarranted for a neighborhood association. But, as I said, I`m no expert.

2) I live in a nice neighbood and hate to see and pick-up the leaflets that blow off the boxes and wind up in my yard.

3) Because of # 2, I do not do business with people that stuff leaflets at my mailbox.

4) It is unprofessional. You don`t show a professional image going door-to-door annoying people.

Would you be happy with them IN your mailbox?

[jason rawls]

Would you be happy with them IN your mailbox?

Only if it had "proper" postage and was delivered by the correct legal authority - AKA the mailman.