whats wrong with this flyer?

[Heff]

Hey guys, I put about 90 of these flyers on select cars last week, and haven`t got one call yet, I also did the same with my business card the week before with the same result, so I just wanted to know if this is normal or if ther`s something wrong with my flyer, or price. Basically my flyer is a 3x7 coupon printed on bright yellow cardstock, and it reads : have your car or truck detailed at your home for a specdial price of $45.00 call to schedule your appt, with my business name and number included. Although it`s not stated on the coupon, that $45.00 includes wash,wax,wheels,tires, exterior glass and trim, and all jams. And that`s the at their home price. I don`t know whether to keep up with the flyers, or to start soliciting delaerships for work, let me know what you guys think

thanks

Rob

[Scormunch]

Are you just putting the flyers under wipers in parking lots? What kind of lots? I get flyers stuck on my car every single day at work and I know that the majority of people don`t even read them (I know I don`t, and I personally don`t like people touching my car while I`m not there). They simply get thrown on the ground or thrown in the backseat with all the other trash.



$45.00 for a wash, wax, glass etc. seems pretty low. Though I`m not sure of prices down there, thats a little more than half the going rate around Boston, and you could be hurting yourself by appearing to be a low-cost, low-quality company.



I`d recommend calling all the dealerships around. In my area, all the dealerships are getting backed up and need as much help as they can get this time of year, and will gladly start outsourcing some details.

[Flexin]

I`m the same way with flyers. I don`t like the fact that someone touched my car. Most of the time I will look at the company name and make sure I don`t deal with them. Some don`t mind it. I`m not a fan of it.



James

[Heff]

Thanks for the input so far, the price is probably low, but at this point I`m getting desperate,and I planned on upselling them once they called to a better package, and the coupon makes it look like it`s a sale price, not a regular thing, which I thought would create incentive. Plus i know that at most drive through detail places around here you can get a wash and wax for about $15, and I know the average person doesn`t know the difference between them and me. The flyers were the only cost effective marketing tool I could think of because it cost me about $5.00 to get those 90 flyers printed and on the cars, so I figured I couldn`t lose. I probably need to start making the rounds to the dealerships though, for some work, any tips on how to approach and what angle to use? Also I don`t have my own shop so I would have to detail on location, aalthough I could bring a canopy, to use in the parking lot. Any ideas would be appreciated,

thanks

Rob

[imported_Intel486]

You always get pretty low returns on putting flyers on houses. I went through one area and a friend and I probably put down 300 flyers... I got two calls from all that work. One guy was just price shopping (Wanted a full detail on a tacoma and a honda accord for just $100 total... I laughed and left when he tried to talk me down to that... lol ) and the other was just a basic wax pacakage...

[Superior Shine]

The flyers were the only cost effective marketing tool I could think of because it cost me about $5.00 to get those 90 flyers printed and on the cars, so I figured I couldn`t lose.

$5 investment / $0 return, not very effective.



We spend $2,000 to $3,000 a year to advertise and I am already established.



Our top three generators of new clients are-

1. Referrals

2. Web site

3. Yellow pages

[Flexin]

Originally posted by Superior Shine

$5 investment / $0 return, not very effective.



We spend $2,000 to $3,000 a year to advertise and I am already established.



Our top three generators of new clients are-

1. Referrals

2. Web site

3. Yellow pages

Were do you advertise other then the Yellow pages and the website? We are only on our third week so most of our business has been referrals. We did a few cars a a big discount and that has some people looking our way. We also have a family member at the hospital passing out business cards. We done three doctors cars so far and there are three more wanting us to do work for them. Our first ad will be out on Thursday. We were giving a really good deal on a auto trader ad. Its a half page ad so we will see how that does.



James

[Superior Shine]

Those three are it.

[jimmybuffit]

IMHO, Flyers do more harm than good.



Jim

[imported_ajbarnes]

I agree with Jim.



Flyers are good to keep with you when you are out detailing or get permission to put them in stores, doctor offices, etc., but I wouldn`t recommend plastering neighborhood`s, cars, etc. with them. It could present a low image to potential customer`s, and possibly pist them off depending on how you distributed the flyers.



I used to put them out alot...a whole lot!! I`m talking 1,000 more or less every week at houses, etc. Putting out 90 flyers btw is almost impossible to get a response. You`ll have to put out about 500 to get at least 1-3 (possibly more) calls. Sometimes you`ll get no calls.



The design of your flyer may not be attracting potential customer`s also? We would have to see it to make that call.



My advice would be to either mail flyers, do yellow book advertising, place flyers in office locations, etc., rely on referrals & repeat business, get good vehicle signage, etc.:xyxthumbs



Good luck with your business.:xyxthumbs

[Heff]

Yeah, I have learned so far that flyers have a very low response rate, but they are still very cheap, I checked on direct mail, but to do 5000, of them it was $2500, which is beyond my budget right now. I definitely want to do yellow pages, but they only come out once a year I think around january, so I`m gonna have to wait on that too. I know that referals and repeat business are the best ways, but I have to get some initial business first. I did talk to a local dealership today and he`s gonna give me a car to detail to try me out. What do you guys usually quote dealers for a full exterior,interior,engine detail, assuming they are going to give you consistant volume?

thanks

Heff

[imported_Denzil]

F.Y.I. Most advertising involving solicitation of flyers and business cards will only have an actual return rate of 3% of total distribution. That is pretty much the market average, especially if your advertising isn`t focused. If you insist on advertising with flyers, hit up those areas where the homes are really nice and what not. Soliciting flyers to just about anywhere will have less chance of return rather than those who can "afford" the luxury of having their car detailed.



Referrals are the best source of advertising considering that:

1) it`s more trusted coming from a friend/relative/accomplice

2) it`s free!



I keep auto detailing strictly as a side job. I do not rely solely on the income of auto detailing alone. That would be a big mistake for many of us that are just starting out. I hope I helped. :wavey

[autogym]

referral works great. When you clean ask for referral.