Anybody Use Door Hangers of Flyers? Lets Talk.

[af7850]

Hey folks:

I was just wondering if any of you use flyers or door hangers to advertise. I used a door hanger last year very successfully, and I'm planning on expanding the program this year.

Specifically, I am wondering: How often can I re-canvass the same neighborhoods and still get an acceptable response rate? I plan on testing this throughout the year, and I am wondering what your experiences have been.

 

[reachtreeservi]

In my county, before you go door to door you have to get a background check and permit thru the Marshall's office.
Without it, one call from someone and it's the cell motel for yah. It might or might not work that way around your way, but I'd check it out first.

I think around 2 times a year would be good. Once in the beginning of the winter advertising off season rates and one 6 months later.
Or anytime you are slow. Doing something beats sitting around.

Anytime I do work in a subdivision I go meet all the neighbors , apologize for any noise or congestion , leave my business card and
tell them I'll knock 15 % off any work they schedule before we leave the neighborhood. A lot of times I get some work out of it.

 

[mckeetree]

To me going around bugging the neighbors under the pretense of apologizing about the noise when anybody with a shred of a brain would know you are just "cold calling" makes a tree care company look desperate. A guy around here does it all the time and that is the public opinion of him behind his back. To me door hangers are cheesy with a big capital C. But hey, that's just me. I had a partner years ago that thought they were the coolest thing since Elvis. We used to all cringe when he would start down the the street hanging them door to door like some kind of deluded vacuum cleaner salesman.

 

[treeman82]

If I am going to be at a property for a while, I try to make a point of it to go around to neighbors and introduce myself. "Hi, my name is Matt, I am working for the ____'s (nextdoor, across the street, etc.) and simply wanted to come over and introduce myself. Here's my card, if you would like a price on any work in the future, please feel free to give me a call." A couple of times it worked out well... I just wanted to know where the property line was. One or two times I didn't introduce myself, and it backfired.... "What are you doing on MY property????" The customer flat out didn't know where the property line was.

I'm having about 1,000 doorhangers made up as we speak to compliment a mailing that is going to be sent out in a few weeks. The mailings I really don't care... I'm just one more thing out there in the mail. However I'm gonna feel really low when I start putting out the door hangers.

 

[reachtreeservi]

I hear what you're saying Mckee and there may be some who think I'm Desperate too. LOL
And when it comes to market share of tree work in a small town, I admit I am desperate. I want it all.
My experience shows the reason alot of people buy one thing or another is because someone asks them to buy it.
I want to give as many people a chance to buy tree work from me as possible. The more face time in front of the more customers equals the more sales.

And unabashedly, I'll use any means possible to accomplish this. Mass mailings, door to door, give away cheesy stuff, cold calling , etc. Because the stuff works.
If it didn't , everyone wouldn't be doing so much of it.

Did you ever see the commercials where some guy dresses up in a wacky costume and says he's CRAZY about slashing prices.
Those guys aren't crazy. They live in large houses , have fat bank accounts and sell alot of furniture or whatever .

Well I'm reachtreeservice , and I'm crazy about slashing tree work prices...... LOL

 

[af7850]

To me going around bugging the neighbors under the pretense of apologizing about the noise when anybody with a shred of a brain would know you are just "cold calling" makes a tree care company look desperate. A guy around here does it all the time and that is the public opinion of him behind his back. To me door hangers are cheesy with a big capital C. But hey, that's just me. I had a partner years ago that thought they were the coolest thing since Elvis. We used to all cringe when he would start down the the street hanging them door to door like some kind of deluded vacuum cleaner salesman.

I had this friend in college who felt like being "outgoing" and approaching pretty girls made him look desperate. He also always wondered why I was always going out with good looking women, when he couldn't hardly get a date.

* * *

Anyway, if you don't like talking to people or distributing marketing materials, how do you get business?

 

[af7850]

I hear what you're saying Mckee and there may be some who think I'm Desperate too. LOL
And when it comes to market share of tree work in a small town, I admit I am desperate. I want it all.
My experience shows the reason alot of people buy one thing or another is because someone asks them to buy it.
I want to give as many people a chance to buy tree work from me as possible. The more face time in front of the more customers equals the more sales.

And unabashedly, I'll use any means possible to accomplish this. Mass mailings, door to door, give away cheesy stuff, cold calling , etc. Because the stuff works.
If it didn't , everyone wouldn't be doing so much of it.

Did you ever see the commercials where some guy dresses up in a wacky costume and says he's CRAZY about slashing prices.
Those guys aren't crazy. They live in large houses , have fat bank accounts and sell alot of furniture or whatever .

Well I'm reachtreeservice , and I'm crazy about slashing tree work prices...... LOL

Damn right. I agree 99%. The only thing I would change is this:

I believe that there are thousands and thousands of tree owners out there who are unknowingly neglecting their trees. They need me more than they know. My righteous mission is to reach these people and give them the service that they so desperately need.

The uneducated, unprofessional "tree hacks" out there will screw these people over, overcharging for inferior service. Their only goal is to make money fast, and they will not care enough for the trees, or know enough about them to do the job right.

So you see, the tree owners are the desperate ones. I am saving them from the "tree hacks", and saving their trees from neglect. I am saving the world one tree at a time.

 

[reachtreeservi]

Damn right. I agree 99%. The only thing I would change is this:

I believe that there are thousands and thousands of tree owners out there who are unknowingly neglecting their trees. They need me more than they know. My righteous mission is to reach these people and give them the service that they so desperately need.

The uneducated, unprofessional "tree hacks" out there will screw these people over, overcharging for inferior service. Their only goal is to make money fast, and they will not care enough for the trees, or know enough about them to do the job right.

So you see, the tree owners are the desperate ones. I am saving them from the "tree hacks", and saving their trees from neglect. I am saving the world one tree at a time.

You got that right. Them trees need saving !
And Rescuers need the Greenery !

 

[lxt]

I agree with Reach, I use doorhangers! as long as all promotionals are professionally done theres no problem!!

when were in an area & almost done I send one of my men out with a dozen or so, I have gotten alot of work from this method, heres another helpful technique; last year I started it & this year Ill be putting it into effect full tilt, I had whats called a Bid/Quote raincheck made, basically it apologizes for our bid/quote being higher than our competitors(legit) & asks for a second chance.

A couple things happened when I started doing this; I found out what the competition is charging, people like the competitiveness in pricing, they like the apology, it puts you back in front of them again!! etc...

People in my area are more traditional based & the elderly are a main part of my biz, people like cost cutting!! & they like something that is similar to a coupon.......makes em feel like their getting something, some might think this is cheesy with a capital "C" but why loose a job over $20, if I cant do any better for them I walkaway or dont even entertain trying. It Works!!!


LXT...........

 

[OLD CHIPMONK]

We have a young lady in the landscape business & one painter friend w/ 40 employees. They all constantly hand out our business cards & recommend our services, as outstanding & reasonably priced. This helps! Also try contacting apartment complexes & homeowner associations ( great prospects). We have an established customer base of about 17,000 , who seem to remain loyal. We treat them like family, when they are down & out we are still there ( extending credit & working with them through the rough times) they remember us during the good times. We also have 2 old retired guys( former salesmen) that go out & sell ( on commission ) all leads we get. They don't leave any stone unturned. Percentage of leads sold ( current economy withstanding ) 60-65 per cent. Beleive me they look like used car salesmen on the hunt. We print & mail letters from our customer list (monthly),constant reminder. Church newsletters ( advertise) , sports sponsors, baseball, bowling, football & soccer. I'm an OLD GUY, with limited education, but I know how I like to be treated !!!!!!!

 

[Husky288XP]

As a college graduate with a degree in marketing, I will tell you that marketing is a numbers game. It is a direct relationship meaning the more people you reach, the more business opportunities will present themselves.

Note that the flyer must look professional. Don't offer that you will beat anyone's price, etc. Just promote your services such as: tree pruning, removal, fertizilation, insect and disease mgmt,.......

 

[John464]

i thought about door hangers for only pointing out problems I see if working nearby. Maybe I should start? Such as on the door hanger I would write:

Left side yard, near fence, tree with broken branches. Front yard dead tree.


I dont think Id leave them on every house. What I would do is leave a door hanger for those properties I see an immediate need for tree care. Only so I could write on the hanger to point things out. Right now I just leave my card, but it doesnt have enough space to allow me to wriite descriptions out to them.

The others who pass by the job I just did will see my yard sign when they drive by for a week or so. Which targets way more people than I could hang hangers.

 

[mckeetree]

Well I guess you guys can hang your door hangers till the cows come home. I'll just stick with my yellow pages, signs, my presentations to ladies garden clubs (only in the most prestigious neighborhoods) and my little radio spot. But ain't it great we live in a country where you can choose how to run your business. It is a good set-up we have here in the good old USA and it has sure been good to me.

 

[BC WetCoast]

We have a young lady in the landscape business & one painter friend w/ 40 employees. They all constantly hand out our business cards & recommend our services, as outstanding & reasonably priced. This helps! Also try contacting apartment complexes & homeowner associations ( great prospects). We have an established customer base of about 17,000 , who seem to remain loyal. We treat them like family, when they are down & out we are still there ( extending credit & working with them through the rough times) they remember us during the good times. We also have 2 old retired guys( former salesmen) that go out & sell ( on commission ) all leads we get. They don't leave any stone unturned. Percentage of leads sold ( current economy withstanding ) 60-65 per cent. Beleive me they look like used car salesmen on the hunt. We print & mail letters from our customer list (monthly),constant reminder. Church newsletters ( advertise) , sports sponsors, baseball, bowling, football & soccer. I'm an OLD GUY, with limited education, but I know how I like to be treated !!!!!!!

Do your salesmen price the jobs? How much experience do they have? What happens when the job is underbid?

 

[masterarbor]

i use a high end very nice door hanger and canvass neighborhoods that i want to work in. i'll get 3-5 bids all in one area and save on gas etc. i also find that doing it a couple of times in the same neighborhood works great.

 

[MarylandGuy]

You might also consider a postcard that can be mailed or stuck in the door crack. The cost would be a lot less and more than likely a much flashier product.

Full color (on both sides) 6 x 4 postcards run a little over $250 for 5,000 cards. And as long as they are 6 x 4 or smaller, you qualify for postcard rates with the US Post Office if you choose to mail them.