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Marketing Techniques: What Works & What Doesn't for a PC Repair Business

Following are techniques that I tried, howtheir friend or relative) and you can drop a
they failed or succeeded, what works and whatname of someone they know who sent you, you
doesn't and why. I show many different waysare as good as IN THE DOOR! If your service
of advertising your new PC Repair Business,was good for their friend, it will be good
and what to avoid. I also show several uniquefor them. And when you have the name of their
types of advertising that get good results,friend, it is like you are their friend as
which you may have never heard of before, butwell.One way to get referrals from your
they work! There is a lot here to read, butcustomers is before you are completely done
you won't regret learning everything that Iwith the job you are doing for them, and they
have to show you. Don't make the same mistakecan see a definite improvement, give them a
I did, with trial and error. Let me show youpiece of paper and a pencil and ask them to
what works. Enjoy!NEWSPAPER ADSI knew quite awrite down 3 friends or relatives of theirs
bit about graphic design (being a graphicwho could benefit just like they did. Most of
designer for many years), so I would put anthe time they will be happy to give you the
appetizing ad, no, in fact, a COUPON, in thenames, if you have made them happy. If you do
local newspaper. People are always lookingthis at every job, your business will
for a discount. And EVERYONE has computersnowball! This is the best way to build a
problems. So I should just get swamped withbusiness: by doing a good job and having a
business just off this one ad. NOPE! I gotgood reputation, with a network of people who
one phone call from my ad. I had placed thesent you to the next customers, stamped with
ad in the local newspaper (our city's maintheir seal of approval. It doesn't get any
newspaper) which went to 33,000 homes, and Ibetter than that!YELLOW PAGES ADSA Yellow
had it come out on the biggest readershipPages ad is a good thing, but you don't need
day: Sunday. The ad I placed was ato spend the big bucks to get the biggest,
professionally-designed Computer Tune-up admost colorful ad, with ALL of your possible
that I had done, giving them a discount fromservices, mother's maiden name, the history
the regular price of $69, to $49. They wereof your business, etc. on it. You need
saving $20! It was an incredible deal! But Isomething a little more than the listing
only had one response. Why? What did I do(just to stand out from the other guys a
wrong?Unfortunately, I was forced to use alittle). Your ad should list your company
horrible, red border. It is HUGE! In order toname, address, phone, and some services. One
get the deal I was getting for this ad, my adthing that has helped me get business over my
had to be put in with a couple of other adscompetition is that I offer FREE Computer
(not related to the computer business) andPickup. People either don't like to, or don't
have an ice cream-looking coupon borderknow how to, unhook the web of tangled cables
around it.The ad had all of the elements of ato their computer, for fear that they will
good coupon. It has a GREAT deal! You arenever get them hooked back up. I offer a FREE
saving $20 off the regular price (this is theComputer Pickup, where I come by and work on
next best thing to FREE - a dollar value oftheir computer right there, or I unhook it
savings). They have to act now (call tofor them and take it back to my shop to work
action) because it is for a limited time andon it. And when I return, I don't just drop
expires in two weeks. People are graphic init off at the front door, I go in and hook it
nature and the picture of the computer andall back up for them. This is not only a HUGE
the words, "Computer Help!" in the screenbenefit of them going with me over my
will identify with people having computercompetition (who is standing behind a pretty
problems. The headline is bold and heavy, itglass case, waiting for business to come
stands out from the rest - so that you don'tthrough the door), but also shows that I
have a paragraph of information that peoplereally did fix their computer and it now
won't read, and it speaks directly to peopleworks and works better. It is a reassurance
having a slow computer (everyone has a slowfactor and builds credibility.In a Yellow
computer). Then it goes on to explain thePages Ad, you can get carried away by trying
headline in more detail with a subhead. Plus,to do a long sales pitch, when, in fact, you
there is a GUARANTEE of a speed increase. Youcan just list a few important things you do,
CAN'T go wrong with an ad like this, can you?and tell them to visit your website for the
Well, I did. I don't believe that the ad isfull details. This gets them to your website
evil and doesn't work. I believe that I hadand there you can give them the full scoop
the ad where people don't look.Whenever youand exactly how you can help them. Just don't
get ready to do any type of advertisement,spend $100 or $500 every month to tell a
you should test-market it, first. Whether itstory that you can do for free on a
is an ad, a website (or page), directwebsite.Here is my Yellow Pages Ad.I spend
marketing (such as mailers, mailed brochures$50  per  month  on  this  ad:
or ads), etc., you should test it on
different types of people to see how they(my  logo)
will respond, and record their responses. In
the case of the ad, I should have passed this-Computer  Tune-Ups
ad out to several people and got their
responses of the ad. I should have then-Small  Business  Networking
placed this ad on a page with several other
similar ads and got responses from different-Wireless  Networking
people looking at the entire page of ads, had
them put down the page, and asked them to-PC  Troubleshooting  &  Repair
tell me what stood out. Could they remember
any good deals? This would tell me if my ad-Custom-Built  Computers
would stand out in a newspaper, among other
similar ads.In my particular instance of only-Computer  Upgrades
getting one response from my "great" ad, it
was literally buried in with other ads that-OnSite  Support
looked similar to mine. In fact, my ad was
not even on a page with other services, but-Microsoft-Certified  Techs
"hidden" on a series of pages that had
nothing at all to do with what I was-Website  Design  &  Hosting
offering, or computers, or even a story about
a computer... nothing! People who would beColumbiaville,  MI
looking for my type of service were not going
to look where my ad was, and that is the(810)  793-1093
lesson: PUT YOUR AD WHERE YOUR POTENTIAL
CUSTOMERS WILL LOOK, NOT WHERE YOU GET A GOODFREE Computer PickupBROCHURES & BUSINESS
DEAL ON ADVERTISING ! and DO TESTCARDSOf course, you definitely need something
MARKETING.After my ad came out, I gave myto leave with potential and current
wife the newspaper and asked her to find mycustomers. You absolutely MUST have a
ad (test marketing after the advertising camebrochure and business card, and NOT the
out... too little, too late). It took her TWOpeel-off or perforated card stock you get
TIMES of going through the newspaper,from your local office supply store, and
page-by-page (and this is a small cityprint them off on your ink jet printer! Your
newspaper) to find my ad (and she knew whatbrochures and business cards are sometimes
to look for and what the ad looked like). Sothe only thing that a potential customer will
how are potential customers going to find mysee that represents your company. Now, you
ad if they don't even know that they need tomay work out of your home, but you don't want
look for it??? They won't!Think of it likeit to look like you do. You want to appear as
this... if you want to sell motorcycle parts,if you are a HUGE computer company, capable
put your ad in a motorcycle magazine. Youof handling any of their computer needs. A
have to think like the customer. A customerbasement business card job doesn't say that.
wants motorcycle parts, so where should theyIf you want to gain good credibility, spend a
go? They start looking at places that selllittle money and get commercially-printed
motorcycles and accessories, groups that arebrochures and business cards.You will want a
associated with motorcycles, magazines thatgood image design (designed by a
cater to the motorcycle crowd, message boardsprofessional) with raised ink on the business
and websites that are all about motorcycles.cards and some kind of color (no black and
You may or may not go to the newspaper andwhite business cards or brochures). If you
look through every page and see if someone iscan afford it, get matching business cards
selling motorcycle parts. In fact, it isand brochures, with the brochures on a white
probably safe to say that a person lookingor ivory, gloss stock (like a 70# gloss
for motorcycle parts won't leaf through pagestext). You don't want it to look like you
of articles in a newspaper, looking forphotocopied the brochures. And it is proven
motorcycle parts. They may look through thethat by adding some color to your marketing
only place in the newspaper that they thinkpieces, your responses are MUCH higher, than
might list places that sell motorcycle parts,with black and white.And by having matching
and that would be the business section of thebusiness cards and brochures (the same color
newspaper and/or the classifieds. So, if youstock and printing), you show your potential
were in the business of selling motorcyclecustomers that you have it together and this
parts, you would want to have an ad rightisn't some basement operation (although it
where your potential customer expects to findmight be). Appearance and perception is
an ad for motorcycle parts. Place the ad ineverything. And your marketing material
those sections ONLY. Do not place it where Irepresents how you appear to your customers.
did (in the middle of a bunch of articles)Don't skip corners here; you will regret it
because I got a good deal.So, in case yourand it will cost you more money doing it the
eyes just rolled back in your head, here ishard way. Trust me!If you would like to have
the gist of what I just said... when placingthe rest of this article, in the form of a
an ad for PC Repair in your local newspaper,15-page "Marketing Techniques... What Works
either place it in the Business Listing forand What Doesn't For a PC Repair Business",
Services in your area, or place it in thealong with accounting forms for a PC Repair
proper classified sections, where people willBusiness, a PC Repair Business Website FULL
look for your type of service. Do a test: askof Content, Step-by-Step How-to's and much,
a few people you know where they would lookmuch more, visit for all of the details.I
in your local newspaper if they needed PChave worked in the IT field since 1989 and
Repair Help. Let's say that their computerhold several Microsoft certifications. I am a
was running extremely slow and they needednetwork administrator and owner and operator
help before they pulled out the rest of theirof Lapeer Tech Group, located in
hair, where in the newspaper would they look.Columbiaville, Michigan (just outside of
Ask at least 10 people. And whatever theLapeer). During these years, I have supported
majority is, that is where you should placeboth Macs and PCs, am an accomplished graphic
the ad (no matter how much it costs). If not,and web designer, and have had the
you are just wasting your money. Remember toopportunity to support 2nd and 3rd level
always think like your customer.WORD OF MOUTHenterprise networks for GM, EDS, Delphi and
ADVERTISINGOnce I started getting customers,Delco.© Copyright 2005 Lapeer Tech Group
because I always did a little extra for the(810) 793-1093Visit our website at or email
customers, I received really goodus at If you would like to use this article
word-of-mouth advertising and referrals.for any publication, you may do so if you do
Referrals are gold! When you can call or stopNOT change any of the content, and the tag
by and see someone about computer problemslines remain intact.
that you already know that are having (from



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