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I read a very interesting post on a small business forum that I think will benefit the members here. I'd post a link, but since it's another forum, I'm not sure how the mods feel about that.
In brief, a plumber on the other forum started a thread about Yellow Pages. Since this forum is about business in general, there are a lot of different perspectives on the subject. Most people don't use YP and many throw it away as soon as it arrives. I rarely use it myself, but I found this comment offers a perspective the members here should find interesting.
How have you done with Yellow Pages?
Including some information on your ad and how you handle phone calls will also be helpful. I mean, a lame ad could cause you to claim YP doesn't work, while an effective ad can make a huge difference. And the way you handle phone calls will determine your closing rate.
In brief, a plumber on the other forum started a thread about Yellow Pages. Since this forum is about business in general, there are a lot of different perspectives on the subject. Most people don't use YP and many throw it away as soon as it arrives. I rarely use it myself, but I found this comment offers a perspective the members here should find interesting.
I'm a web guy, and my clients get a regular flow of business from their web sites. So I strongly advocate having a great web site, but if you're not using YP in your business, it could be costing you.I keep mine [referring to Yellow Pages] around and rarely use them, but I did use them to get my proposals for a new high efficiency furnace and a new central air conditioner earlier this year.
I am on the internet literally hours every day, but i found it much easier to use the yellow pages for that task. Plus, the size and type of ads helped me immediately narrow down the list to some of the larger companies.
It was the middle of winter (although fortunately a warmer spell) and my furnace was out. I didn't have time to call a dozen one-truck outfits trying to find one that was free on a one- or two-day notice and i didn't have time to call their references. I figured that any company that could afford a large display ad in the Chicago yellow pages had the resources to get the job done. Conversely, with minimal investment, almost anyone can come up with a website that makes them look like a large, well-established company.
I have also used the yellow pages to find a roofer and a fence company. My brother owns a company that manufactures gutter protection and he told me the other day that anyone who sells or installs gutters really needs to be in the yellow pages.
How have you done with Yellow Pages?
Including some information on your ad and how you handle phone calls will also be helpful. I mean, a lame ad could cause you to claim YP doesn't work, while an effective ad can make a huge difference. And the way you handle phone calls will determine your closing rate.