| Following are techniques that I tried, how | | | | their friend or relative) and you can drop a |
| they failed or succeeded, what works and what | | | | name of someone they know who sent you, you |
| doesn't and why. I show many different ways | | | | are 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 unique | | | | for 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, but | | | | well.One way to get referrals from your |
| they work! There is a lot here to read, but | | | | customers is before you are completely done |
| you won't regret learning everything that I | | | | with the job you are doing for them, and they |
| have to show you. Don't make the same mistake | | | | can see a definite improvement, give them a |
| I did, with trial and error. Let me show you | | | | piece of paper and a pencil and ask them to |
| what works. Enjoy!NEWSPAPER ADSI knew quite a | | | | write down 3 friends or relatives of theirs |
| bit about graphic design (being a graphic | | | | who could benefit just like they did. Most of |
| designer for many years), so I would put an | | | | the time they will be happy to give you the |
| appetizing ad, no, in fact, a COUPON, in the | | | | names, if you have made them happy. If you do |
| local newspaper. People are always looking | | | | this at every job, your business will |
| for a discount. And EVERYONE has computer | | | | snowball! This is the best way to build a |
| problems. So I should just get swamped with | | | | business: by doing a good job and having a |
| business just off this one ad. NOPE! I got | | | | good reputation, with a network of people who |
| one phone call from my ad. I had placed the | | | | sent you to the next customers, stamped with |
| ad in the local newspaper (our city's main | | | | their seal of approval. It doesn't get any |
| newspaper) which went to 33,000 homes, and I | | | | better than that!YELLOW PAGES ADSA Yellow |
| had it come out on the biggest readership | | | | Pages ad is a good thing, but you don't need |
| day: Sunday. The ad I placed was a | | | | to spend the big bucks to get the biggest, |
| professionally-designed Computer Tune-up ad | | | | most colorful ad, with ALL of your possible |
| that I had done, giving them a discount from | | | | services, mother's maiden name, the history |
| the regular price of $69, to $49. They were | | | | of your business, etc. on it. You need |
| saving $20! It was an incredible deal! But I | | | | something 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 a | | | | little). Your ad should list your company |
| horrible, red border. It is HUGE! In order to | | | | name, address, phone, and some services. One |
| get the deal I was getting for this ad, my ad | | | | thing that has helped me get business over my |
| had to be put in with a couple of other ads | | | | competition is that I offer FREE Computer |
| (not related to the computer business) and | | | | Pickup. People either don't like to, or don't |
| have an ice cream-looking coupon border | | | | know how to, unhook the web of tangled cables |
| around it.The ad had all of the elements of a | | | | to their computer, for fear that they will |
| good coupon. It has a GREAT deal! You are | | | | never get them hooked back up. I offer a FREE |
| saving $20 off the regular price (this is the | | | | Computer Pickup, where I come by and work on |
| next best thing to FREE - a dollar value of | | | | their computer right there, or I unhook it |
| savings). They have to act now (call to | | | | for them and take it back to my shop to work |
| action) because it is for a limited time and | | | | on it. And when I return, I don't just drop |
| expires in two weeks. People are graphic in | | | | it off at the front door, I go in and hook it |
| nature and the picture of the computer and | | | | all back up for them. This is not only a HUGE |
| the words, "Computer Help!" in the screen | | | | benefit of them going with me over my |
| will identify with people having computer | | | | competition (who is standing behind a pretty |
| problems. The headline is bold and heavy, it | | | | glass case, waiting for business to come |
| stands out from the rest - so that you don't | | | | through the door), but also shows that I |
| have a paragraph of information that people | | | | really did fix their computer and it now |
| won't read, and it speaks directly to people | | | | works and works better. It is a reassurance |
| having a slow computer (everyone has a slow | | | | factor and builds credibility.In a Yellow |
| computer). Then it goes on to explain the | | | | Pages 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. You | | | | can 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 is | | | | full details. This gets them to your website |
| evil and doesn't work. I believe that I had | | | | and there you can give them the full scoop |
| the ad where people don't look.Whenever you | | | | and 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 it | | | | story that you can do for free on a |
| is an ad, a website (or page), direct | | | | website.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 be | | | | Columbiaville, 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 GOOD | | | | FREE Computer PickupBROCHURES & BUSINESS |
| DEAL ON ADVERTISING ! and DO TEST | | | | CARDSOf course, you definitely need something |
| MARKETING.After my ad came out, I gave my | | | | to leave with potential and current |
| wife the newspaper and asked her to find my | | | | customers. You absolutely MUST have a |
| ad (test marketing after the advertising came | | | | brochure and business card, and NOT the |
| out... too little, too late). It took her TWO | | | | peel-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 city | | | | print them off on your ink jet printer! Your |
| newspaper) to find my ad (and she knew what | | | | brochures and business cards are sometimes |
| to look for and what the ad looked like). So | | | | the only thing that a potential customer will |
| how are potential customers going to find my | | | | see that represents your company. Now, you |
| ad if they don't even know that they need to | | | | may work out of your home, but you don't want |
| look for it??? They won't!Think of it like | | | | it 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. You | | | | of handling any of their computer needs. A |
| have to think like the customer. A customer | | | | basement business card job doesn't say that. |
| wants motorcycle parts, so where should they | | | | If you want to gain good credibility, spend a |
| go? They start looking at places that sell | | | | little money and get commercially-printed |
| motorcycles and accessories, groups that are | | | | brochures and business cards.You will want a |
| associated with motorcycles, magazines that | | | | good image design (designed by a |
| cater to the motorcycle crowd, message boards | | | | professional) 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 and | | | | white business cards or brochures). If you |
| look through every page and see if someone is | | | | can afford it, get matching business cards |
| selling motorcycle parts. In fact, it is | | | | and brochures, with the brochures on a white |
| probably safe to say that a person looking | | | | or ivory, gloss stock (like a 70# gloss |
| for motorcycle parts won't leaf through pages | | | | text). You don't want it to look like you |
| of articles in a newspaper, looking for | | | | photocopied the brochures. And it is proven |
| motorcycle parts. They may look through the | | | | that by adding some color to your marketing |
| only place in the newspaper that they think | | | | pieces, 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 the | | | | business cards and brochures (the same color |
| newspaper and/or the classifieds. So, if you | | | | stock and printing), you show your potential |
| were in the business of selling motorcycle | | | | customers that you have it together and this |
| parts, you would want to have an ad right | | | | isn't some basement operation (although it |
| where your potential customer expects to find | | | | might be). Appearance and perception is |
| an ad for motorcycle parts. Place the ad in | | | | everything. And your marketing material |
| those sections ONLY. Do not place it where I | | | | represents 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 your | | | | and it will cost you more money doing it the |
| eyes just rolled back in your head, here is | | | | hard way. Trust me!If you would like to have |
| the gist of what I just said... when placing | | | | the 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 for | | | | and What Doesn't For a PC Repair Business", |
| Services in your area, or place it in the | | | | along with accounting forms for a PC Repair |
| proper classified sections, where people will | | | | Business, a PC Repair Business Website FULL |
| look for your type of service. Do a test: ask | | | | of Content, Step-by-Step How-to's and much, |
| a few people you know where they would look | | | | much more, visit for all of the details.I |
| in your local newspaper if they needed PC | | | | have worked in the IT field since 1989 and |
| Repair Help. Let's say that their computer | | | | hold several Microsoft certifications. I am a |
| was running extremely slow and they needed | | | | network administrator and owner and operator |
| help before they pulled out the rest of their | | | | of 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 the | | | | Lapeer). During these years, I have supported |
| majority is, that is where you should place | | | | both 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 to | | | | opportunity to support 2nd and 3rd level |
| always think like your customer.WORD OF MOUTH | | | | enterprise 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 good | | | | us 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 stop | | | | NOT change any of the content, and the tag |
| by and see someone about computer problems | | | | lines remain intact. |
| that you already know that are having (from | | | | |