Nilsson Associates
01-02-2007, 06:33 AM
Lawn Care & Landscape Advertising using Door Hangers - Cards - Flyers - Brochures - Yellow Page and Newspaper
27 Advertising Mistakes To Avoid
Nilsson Associates Toll Free 866-280-2252
www.nilssonbooks.com (http://nilssonbooks.com/)
1. Using the "me" approach.
2. Assuming other ads work, using them as "models" to construct your ads.
3. Not disclosing a business address (actual physical location) on marketing materials, brochures, cards, etc.
4. Advertising only a few months then deciding it's not worth the cost. Most businesses need a year or more of well-placed, well-thought out advertising before substantial results can be seen. Plus ... it needs to be seen or heard 7 times to be remembered at all and to "register"
5. Employing a single step advertising method to sell a high ticket item requiring a two or three step method.
6. Failing in your advertising to: ACCM ...
A-ttract attention
C-reate desire
C-onvince
M-otivate action
7. Not doing market research (before) advertising to the market. Customer demographics, business feasibility study, and a study of the existing competition.
8. Neglecting to target former customers. Your customer base is the best resource you have. They've bought from you before, and they're likely to buy again. Reach them through special promotions and sales.
9. Not tracking results of ads. Always try to determine the total dollar amount of sales that the ads generate, so that you can determine effectiveness. Track direct-mail ads by keeping track of the sales generated through responses ... rate of return (response rate) and average sale amount.
10. Failing to differentiate your company from your competition. Often accomplished by creating a unique selling proposition that shows why your company and its services are special.
11. Choosing the wrong media to attract your target customers. Choose the right media or you're wasting your time and money.
12. Emphasizing features rather than benefits of your products or services. While customers need to know about the features of your products and services the potential benefits motivate sales.
13. Advertising based only on cost ...
Where is the lowest price place for me to advertise? It's not "cost per thousand" it's "cost per customer" that matters most. When your advertising is working, the cost is free. The increase in sales will more than offset the cost of advertising.
14. Advertising infrequently ...
New businesses often run one or two ads and say ... "Advertising just doesn't work well for us." Research shows you need to see an ad at least 7 times in order for the company to be taken seriously. Short range, hit or miss advertising can be seen by customers as a company that hasn't been around too long.
15. Wrong size ad. In Yellow Pages, the larger the ad the more response. In other types of advertising that isn't always the case. Consistent messages in size and content usually do better over time.
16. Thinking that advertising is a cure-all. If you have poor customer service or bad products, all the great ads in the world won't help you. Correct the problems or waste ad money putting out the wrong message to the right people.
17. Imitating your competition. Don't be a "me too" business to your customer. Your job is to set yourself apart from the competition not imitate them. Separate yourself from your competition by (creating) totally differrent ads, taking a different marketing approach.
18. Failing to recognize the value of and utilizing "cross advertising" as a major lead generator.
19. Saying too much ... puts a burden on the reader. Read your copy again. Can you say the same thing with less words? Try rewriting with a cut in word count.
20. Stopping your advertising and bidding activity when you have enough work ... doesn't allow you to upgrade your customer list.
21. Asking a friend or relative what they "think" about the ads you have created yourself.
22. Letting your EGO get in the way of creating effective advertising
The first rule of advertising?
Get Attention! ... but how many would themselves dress up in a clown's outfit and do direct canvassing ... handing out business cards on Main Street?
23. Not preparing for the "customer interview" ... step two in contracting.
The job is not yours simply because someone responded to your advertising ... now you have to sell yourself.
24. Not getting the reader moving. Motivate your prospect to do something. Tell them what that is. Tell the prospect to call, visit or look at your website, and offer an incentive to take action now.
25. Not seeking professional help from advertising experts, and instead relying on DIY, homemade ads.
26. Failure to separate your company from the "dime a dozen" advertising mentality ...
27. Relying solely on "passive advertising" methods to obtain sales leads such as Brochures, NewsPaper, Direct Mail, Door Hangers, Yellow Pages & etc. and not utilizing direct canvassing, networking, publicity, trade show, and other face to face selling and promotional
strategies.
Click here for more Advertising Ideas to Boost Your Sales! (http://nilssonbooks.com/sales_booster_package.htm)
Other resources ...
Sales Boosters (http://nilssonbooks.com/sales_booster_package.htm)
Job Estimating Package (http://nilssonbooks.com/job_estimating_package.htm)
FREE Job Pricing Guidelines (http://nilssonbooks.com/free_job_guidelines.htm)
New Business Startup Package (http://nilssonbooks.com/just_getting_started.htm)
Complete Operations Management System (http://nilssonbooks.com/coms_package.htm)
When it comes to pricing lawn and landscape jobs nobody has more industry pricing information than Nilsson Associates. Nilsson's Job Price Guides covers lawn care job bidding & estimating landscaping job bids for commercial & residential customers. Get more customers. Price estimates & bids, grounds services, landscaping pricing estimates , estimating & bid the price seasonal work, year around commercial estimate contracts, best price per square foot, best grounds maintenance & landscaping job to bid & pricing, price of lawn care, lawn mowing price, aeration pricing, lawns, commercial landscape job bid estimates, maintenance estimating & pricing, mulching prices, pricing chemicals, weeding & aerating pricing, fertilizer prices, prices for organic fertilizer, pricing weeds in beds, pricing pruning & trimming trees & shrubs, pricing commercial & residential snow plowing, hardscape pricing, pricing hydroseeding, irrigation service estimates for commercial & residential, pricing seeding lawns, pricing lawn sod, prices for slit seeding lawns, pricing edging lawn beds, spring cleanup prices, pricing fall cleanups, hourly price of pressure washing walks & patios, pricing trees, stump grinding prices, price for gutter cleaning, lawn dethatching price, price for shoveling snow, pricing salting, price sanding.
For more information about Pricing Click Here for FREE Job Pricing Guidelines (http://nilssonbooks.com/free_job_guidelines.htm)
Click here for: Labor Time Data Handbook (http://nilssonbooks.com/job_bidding_pricing.htm#)
27 Advertising Mistakes To Avoid
Nilsson Associates Toll Free 866-280-2252
www.nilssonbooks.com (http://nilssonbooks.com/)
1. Using the "me" approach.
2. Assuming other ads work, using them as "models" to construct your ads.
3. Not disclosing a business address (actual physical location) on marketing materials, brochures, cards, etc.
4. Advertising only a few months then deciding it's not worth the cost. Most businesses need a year or more of well-placed, well-thought out advertising before substantial results can be seen. Plus ... it needs to be seen or heard 7 times to be remembered at all and to "register"
5. Employing a single step advertising method to sell a high ticket item requiring a two or three step method.
6. Failing in your advertising to: ACCM ...
A-ttract attention
C-reate desire
C-onvince
M-otivate action
7. Not doing market research (before) advertising to the market. Customer demographics, business feasibility study, and a study of the existing competition.
8. Neglecting to target former customers. Your customer base is the best resource you have. They've bought from you before, and they're likely to buy again. Reach them through special promotions and sales.
9. Not tracking results of ads. Always try to determine the total dollar amount of sales that the ads generate, so that you can determine effectiveness. Track direct-mail ads by keeping track of the sales generated through responses ... rate of return (response rate) and average sale amount.
10. Failing to differentiate your company from your competition. Often accomplished by creating a unique selling proposition that shows why your company and its services are special.
11. Choosing the wrong media to attract your target customers. Choose the right media or you're wasting your time and money.
12. Emphasizing features rather than benefits of your products or services. While customers need to know about the features of your products and services the potential benefits motivate sales.
13. Advertising based only on cost ...
Where is the lowest price place for me to advertise? It's not "cost per thousand" it's "cost per customer" that matters most. When your advertising is working, the cost is free. The increase in sales will more than offset the cost of advertising.
14. Advertising infrequently ...
New businesses often run one or two ads and say ... "Advertising just doesn't work well for us." Research shows you need to see an ad at least 7 times in order for the company to be taken seriously. Short range, hit or miss advertising can be seen by customers as a company that hasn't been around too long.
15. Wrong size ad. In Yellow Pages, the larger the ad the more response. In other types of advertising that isn't always the case. Consistent messages in size and content usually do better over time.
16. Thinking that advertising is a cure-all. If you have poor customer service or bad products, all the great ads in the world won't help you. Correct the problems or waste ad money putting out the wrong message to the right people.
17. Imitating your competition. Don't be a "me too" business to your customer. Your job is to set yourself apart from the competition not imitate them. Separate yourself from your competition by (creating) totally differrent ads, taking a different marketing approach.
18. Failing to recognize the value of and utilizing "cross advertising" as a major lead generator.
19. Saying too much ... puts a burden on the reader. Read your copy again. Can you say the same thing with less words? Try rewriting with a cut in word count.
20. Stopping your advertising and bidding activity when you have enough work ... doesn't allow you to upgrade your customer list.
21. Asking a friend or relative what they "think" about the ads you have created yourself.
22. Letting your EGO get in the way of creating effective advertising
The first rule of advertising?
Get Attention! ... but how many would themselves dress up in a clown's outfit and do direct canvassing ... handing out business cards on Main Street?
23. Not preparing for the "customer interview" ... step two in contracting.
The job is not yours simply because someone responded to your advertising ... now you have to sell yourself.
24. Not getting the reader moving. Motivate your prospect to do something. Tell them what that is. Tell the prospect to call, visit or look at your website, and offer an incentive to take action now.
25. Not seeking professional help from advertising experts, and instead relying on DIY, homemade ads.
26. Failure to separate your company from the "dime a dozen" advertising mentality ...
27. Relying solely on "passive advertising" methods to obtain sales leads such as Brochures, NewsPaper, Direct Mail, Door Hangers, Yellow Pages & etc. and not utilizing direct canvassing, networking, publicity, trade show, and other face to face selling and promotional
strategies.
Click here for more Advertising Ideas to Boost Your Sales! (http://nilssonbooks.com/sales_booster_package.htm)
Other resources ...
Sales Boosters (http://nilssonbooks.com/sales_booster_package.htm)
Job Estimating Package (http://nilssonbooks.com/job_estimating_package.htm)
FREE Job Pricing Guidelines (http://nilssonbooks.com/free_job_guidelines.htm)
New Business Startup Package (http://nilssonbooks.com/just_getting_started.htm)
Complete Operations Management System (http://nilssonbooks.com/coms_package.htm)
When it comes to pricing lawn and landscape jobs nobody has more industry pricing information than Nilsson Associates. Nilsson's Job Price Guides covers lawn care job bidding & estimating landscaping job bids for commercial & residential customers. Get more customers. Price estimates & bids, grounds services, landscaping pricing estimates , estimating & bid the price seasonal work, year around commercial estimate contracts, best price per square foot, best grounds maintenance & landscaping job to bid & pricing, price of lawn care, lawn mowing price, aeration pricing, lawns, commercial landscape job bid estimates, maintenance estimating & pricing, mulching prices, pricing chemicals, weeding & aerating pricing, fertilizer prices, prices for organic fertilizer, pricing weeds in beds, pricing pruning & trimming trees & shrubs, pricing commercial & residential snow plowing, hardscape pricing, pricing hydroseeding, irrigation service estimates for commercial & residential, pricing seeding lawns, pricing lawn sod, prices for slit seeding lawns, pricing edging lawn beds, spring cleanup prices, pricing fall cleanups, hourly price of pressure washing walks & patios, pricing trees, stump grinding prices, price for gutter cleaning, lawn dethatching price, price for shoveling snow, pricing salting, price sanding.
For more information about Pricing Click Here for FREE Job Pricing Guidelines (http://nilssonbooks.com/free_job_guidelines.htm)
Click here for: Labor Time Data Handbook (http://nilssonbooks.com/job_bidding_pricing.htm#)