What happend here?? (business realated)

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stluciedetail

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2 months ago i had 500 detailing flyers made for my "business." What i did is put them in clear bags with rocks in them and threw them in peoples driveways. NO CALLS.

I had 4 different services i give.

1. Full service wash- Wipe inside, vaccum, door jams, engine, outside and dress everything. $19.99 & up.
2. Wash and wax- Same thing but with wax. $39.99 & up
3. Budget detail- same thing but polish paint, full clean and dress interior, get stains out of carpet, dress engine, few more things... $69.99 & up
4. Full Detail - same thing but remove scratches, paint sealant, shampoo carpets and just clean everything. ( i forgot what the flyers said). $99.99 ^.

Was that good? i dont know what went wrong here. Now that i have my PC, you guys, and im confident of what i can do, i want to get new flyers made. Any suggestions would really help me out .

Zach
 
Ahhh the idea of having rocks in bags with your flyer isn't the greatest idea IMO. Maybe it was the neighborhoods or areas? Not professional enough? :dunno
 
i dont know. i know its kind of half ass and i am in florida, where people dont like to spend money. its just something for now untill im move back to jersey.
 
My personal opinion here is that the bag in the driveway would be a big turn off. At least it would be to me and I live in a nice neighborhood. At the very minimum buy the bags that you could hang on someones door knob. Better yet, knock on the door and just hand the person the information .... no sales pitch ... just hand it to the person and say, "here is some information about some services I offer, thank you for looking it over" have a nice day ... and walk on. People are more likely to respond to someone who puts some effort into what they believe (are trying to sell)
Just my opinion:)
 
kimwallace said:
. . . knock on the door and just hand the person the information .... no sales pitch ... just hand it to the person and say, "here is some information about some services I offer, thank you for looking it over" have a nice day ... and walk on
Click to expand...
:bigups

I made 100 simple post-card sized flyers explaining my services without prices. After a change of residence, I went door to door and introduced myself as the new guy in the neighborhood who just happens to be a detailer. I added a little "if you should have any questions or would like to request my services, I am right around the corner" sorta thing and made an exit. Took me a slow afternoon on day. I think I paid $30 for a friend at a shop to print them up and have gotten at least a few jobs out of them.
 
Re: What happend here?? (business related)

:yeah

Sorry, but bags with rocks on my driveway go straight in to my trash can.
 
yea, i agree that rocks in bags isnt a good idea. i would take it offensively if someone threw that in my garage. i think next time you should leave the rocks out, and i dont think the bags are necessary either. just confront them......

P.S. where did u get all 500 of those rocks?
 
Re: What happend here?? (business related)

Time of the year as well....getting closer to the holidays and such :dunno

Keep trying though, I'm sure some people at least took the time to read it over, so your name is out and about.
 
The rock in the bag idea is not the best. I had someone driving around in my neighborhood a few years ago at about 1am doing the same thing. My bedroom window was open and I could hear this sound but couldn't quit place it. I thought someone was tossing eggs at our houses. So what did I do? I got out of bed and jumped in my truck and chased them down. I followed them for a few blocks and them they freaked out and stepped up the pace to lose me. I called the local police non-emergency number and gave the the info on the truck, plate number, and where we were at and headed. They guy finally stopped in a parking lot and just sat there and reved up his explorer. He then came straight for me and swerved just in tiime to not hit me head on and stopped by my drivers side window. I asked what the hell he was doing throwing eggs and he replied "I'm not throwing eggs, I'm throwing these" and he tossed me a bag with a rock and a business card. I let him know that I called the cops and they were on their way over. Cops show up and nail the guy for littering. End of story. Not a good idea! Just thought ya'll should know.
 
zesty-man said:
yea, i agree that rocks in bags isnt a good idea. i would take it offensively if someone threw that in my garage. i think next time you should leave the rocks out, and i dont think the bags are necessary either. just confront them......

P.S. where did u get all 500 of those rocks?
Click to expand...
got the rocks from my front yard. Nice white rocks.

Damn what a story. i know its not a good idea to throw the bags in driveways, thats why im probably going to do it again. Gives me something to do.
 
Someone else did your approach on another board. They used decent looking rocks as a "paper weight" in the clear bags and tossed them in the driveways. I now his buisness is doing well (so it seems). Maybe after a little more time passes the phone will ring.....
 
I hope none of those rocks went through anyone's window. LOL

Seriously, I agree with the consensus. Rocks are not a good idea.
 
Try going around Jensen Beach, Stuart, Palm City, etc.

Most people in PSL probably don't want to bother spending that much when they can go to the local carwash down US1.
 
Just keep triying - the first time I put flyers by the mailbox (about 150) I got 3 or 4 full details. The client called the very next day. Next time in a different area I put out 50 of them and not one call. Keep trying, and take flyers to dealerships, tuning/stereo shops etc...

They say the only difference between the winner and the looser is that the winner didn't give up - or something like that.
 
This is just my opinion....

Please make sure the flyers look professional and give a good description of the services offered. I'm in Maryland and there's no way to get professional detailing services at those prices (your prices may be too low). It's possible that some people may think that you're not professional because the prices are not in line with what other professional detailers are charging. A full detail starting at $99 is pretty cheap?

I agree with the others, forget the rocks. Potential customers may think you're a neighborhood kid instead of a prefessoinal.
 
Mattz28 : i know. people in this town are cheep and most are crackheads. Maybe i should try other area's. But the thing is i need them to come to me. Or what if i threw everything in my trunk and went to their house?? kind of like mobile detailing without the power washer and hot water. And what do you think i should be charging.

tdekany: isnt it illegal to put stuff in people's mailbox?

Ringo: ahh, what should i be charging? people in this state are cheep so i dont want to scare them. yea i am just a neighborhood kid (18) but i do a really good job. thats what i hear.
 
It has been my experience that face to face contact yields more new business. However, I realize knocking on doors is a slow, intimidating, and possibly dangerous process.
If you prefer to pass something out to the neighborhood, you may need to spend a few more $$ and upgrade from the flyer/bag/rock combo. I agree with the earlier suggestions for door hangers. But, I would affix a full color business card magnet onto the hanger. (BizCard magnets are fairly cheap to have printed (around 25cents per unit if you order 500 or more)). You could pass them out with your flyer/doorhanger. Supply your printshop with an attractive image for your business card magnet. Perhaps use an image of a shiny Viper, Vette, etc. along with a small text overlay of your name & phone. Since its basically a magnet of a cool car, I think alot of men might be inclined to stick it onto the frig, or onto their tool box.
Marketing strategists all stress the importance of repeat exposure, before a purchase is ultimately made. If your magnets end up on alot of refrigerators, your going to get plenty of subliminal exposure.

If you passed out 500 flyers with magnets, and 15% of the magnets get used, and 20% of those eventually called you, that would net 15 new customers (500 x .20 x .15 = 15) --My Geeky Quant Analysis ; )

Assuming your magnet costs were $125 plus your door hanger costs another $40, and assuming $100 for your time. Total investment of $265 is easily mitigated by just a couple of new customers.

Sorry for the rambling. Anyway, I still think face to face is the best, but if your going to use the indirect canvassing approach, give them something that they'll keep.
 
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