Please Review Ad for ESP Home Services

[vangogh]

True on the smaller orders and if you're sending them out to the same people maybe the approaching deadline will get them to take action when the expiration date gets closer.

You could try something like expires in 30 days of the postmark or something like that to get the urgency across.

[KristineS]

I like the new ad much better. I think it is pulled together well. The photo works better too. It kind of subliminally puts the idea to call into your head.

Please keep us updated on what sort of response this gets.

[Steve B]

Sure. So far I distributed the first version to the same 1200 homes two different times within the same month. Nothing, zero, nada, nil. I hand picked the neighborhood and delivered them to the newspaper box. (upper middle class, older homes).

I agree on the photo. My artist did a great job of finding what I asked her for. An attractive, elderly female, making a phone call. She even found one with a shirt that matched the color scheme!

I'm planning on hitting the same area a third time soon. Since this service is a little unique, I think it will require some repitition and some education. I'm hoping to get a couple newspapers to cover it as a new business.

[vangogh]

Most advertising takes a little while before it resonates so you probably do need to mail the postcard out a few more times before you really know how effective it is or isn't.

[thx4yrtym]

Steve,

I'm still not motivated by the flyer. I'll throw out a couple of observations but please keep in mind I'm 60 years old rather opinionated and set in my ways.

You really turned me off with the comment that you put your flyer in the newspaper box. I get stuff in the newspaper box and my first thought is that the piece is from a business that's not really in business - they can't afford postage to send out there advertisement. Plus I hate that the things work their way out of the box on a windy day and I get to pick up your advertisement from my front lawn. I would prefer door hangers, at least someone took the time to make their way to my door.

I don't think you can motivate folks to inquire about this based on what's on the flyer.
Maybe if you tried a version that drives them to a web site where you can tell a much more complete story about what you do and why.

I guess everyone is too busy to deal with and pay for fixing something that ain't broke. The fear of loss can be a powerful motivator but your piece hasn't sold me yet.

What's the average / typical charge for your service? PM on a freezer? You going to move a full freezer to vac out the lint in back?

How exactly does your service save me money? I understand , but I have a HVAC background. Most people don't and they don't have a clue and will be skeptical if you tell them. There is almost certainly not enough profit in this type of business to spend an hour in someone's home educating them to the point of being motivated to take action. That's why I suggest the web site a a means of telling your story.

The savings comes from lower operating costs, and extending the life of some expensive major appliances.


Best of luck with your venture . I think the concept is a great idea.


Regards,

Gregg

[vangogh]

You make some good and interesting points Gregg.

Steve I hadn't noticed the part about dropping these into mailboxes. I have to agree that mailing them would come across as more professional. Personally I probably wouldn't notice. If it's in my mailbox I would likely just assume it's been mailed, but if people do realize it's going to be more professional to have the postage. No postage says you can't afford it, which raises questions about the business.

I know there isn't a website at the moment and I also know you plan on having one somewhere down the line. You might be better off, as Gregg suggests, to use the postcard to drive people to a site. Others will probably have questions about how your service really saves them money and a site with more info could drive the message home better. Maybe the postcard simply raises the idea that you can save people money. It could lead with a simple cost saving fact and then direct people to a site for more detailed info on how your service saves them money. Since it doesn't cost anything and there's little hassle to visit a website people might be more inclined to visit. Your site would then be attracting people who have shown an interest and would be highly targeted. You could even offer a PDF filled with information that requires an email address to download, collecting emails of highly targeted potential customers in exchange for the PDF.

[Steve B]

I agree that being in the regular mailbox versus the newspaper box would be a bit better. My bet is that it wouldn't be enough better to justify the cost. The postage, labels, and ink would add around $1,300 to the cost of what I've done. Based on my experience with direct mail (and use of mailbox flyers) - the increased results would definitely not outweigh those costs.

I agree with the idea of driving someone to a website. That's in the plan. In the meantime, I thought the quiz was a decent way to educate people on the kinds of things and savings they could possibly gain by hiring us.

Unfortunately, there is no easy way to demonstrably show the benefits of this service by answering a question of how much we will save them. The circumstances vary so greatly from one situation to another. The fear element of preventing fires and other catastrophes would likely be an easier selling angle - but, I don't feel comfortable using fear directly. The quiz gives a little approach to fear by referencing some fire statistics (carbon monoxide and radon references also).

This card is only ONE piece of the marketing - it could never exist in a vacuum for this kind of service. It happens to be my first piece - so all of what you are saying is true about this one piece being very unlikely to motivate very many people to call. This is definitely a service that requires more of an educational approach versus just telling people you exist (like being the new house painter in town). I wish I could afford a more comprehensive approach to the marketing, but I need to start this business on a shoe string for now. If I had more money - I would probably do radio and tv to give more of an opportunity to educate. This is a third business for me, so I need the marketing to be self-funding. As soon as I make $500 in profit on it, I'll add a website and adjust the future flyers to directing people to the website for more of an education.

And, yes we would move all refrigerators and freezers to vacuum the coils, clean the drip tubes, and evaporator pans. We have a list of 22 different specific services that are all included in the package. A customer must get the whole package - since it wouldn't be profitable to just do one or two of the items.

[thx4yrtym]

Steve,

It sounds like a pretty thorough cleaning. Maybe a detailed list of all of the things you do. I've been trying to think of who might help you get this started.

Maybe a mailing of some kind to your customers from your other two businesses. Maybe coupons that they can use AND give to others, with the ones that they give away paying something back to they in a small referral fee. Or leave the referral fee out of it.
Or perhaps there's some kind of an angle to get other businesses to promote this business for you.
Others certainly should be interested in what you are doing from the stand point that you will be seeing a lot of "stuff" going into a lot of homes.

If I sold water heaters , I would be interested in knowing about the water heater you see that IS NOT worth servicing and already leaking. That sort of thing. Obviously this sort of thing must be handled carefully but if you develop relationships with contractors you trust, it could be mutually beneficial.

best of luck,

Gregg

[Steve B]

You've touched on several upsides to this business that I've considered. The cross-marketing opportunities are huge (other contractors, insurance companies, realtors etc.). I also have lots of upsell potential by finding other simple home tasks that can be done after the standard package (regrouting tubs, cleaning chimney's, selling fire extinguishers etc. etc.).

Of course, I've contacted my current customer list and have gotten some positive responses. Unfortunately, the timing couldn't be worse to convince getting people to pay me for something that has been a low priority for them all this time.

I'm not sure if you already checked your PM's, but I sent you the follow up information that I would send a client who expresses some interest.

[vangogh]

Steve I can understand about the difference in postage. Like I said I'm not sure it would make a difference to me receiving your mail, though I can see where it could affect some. And I do know you eventually plan on having a site.

As far as demonstrating the savings in cost what if you approached it as a case study thing. Obviously you'll need a case to study, but you could show your services saved so and so $x and so and so's cousin $y. It's no guarantee how much the next person saves, but case studies can be even more expected since they come from something real.