Idea to boost work / enquiries

[Tom10]

My daughter delivered flyers for us in 4 streets. We paid her £40. It has so far generated about £3k of work on one job and more to follow

 

Good to hear - obviously a nicely laid out flyer that promoted a good response.

 

I cant help but feel all the skill / art / professionalism put into the flyers though, its really down to luck.

 

I think you could do a whole town and get nothing then do 1 road and get thousands of pounds worth. Just finding the wheat in the chaff.

 

But you don't get luck without getting them through doors - good to hear its paid off for you.

[Pedroski]

The flyers have no artwork on them at all. They were about the cheapest ones my workmate could get done - plain green A5 size recycled paper with black company logo and text, just explaining what we do. As you say, a lot is down to luck - flyer hitting the doormat in the right house at the right time - but also targeting the right area. Good looking girl delivering them helps as well

[Able Fella]

I have tried flyers and didn't get a single enquiry, that's not to say if we delivered a load more next week we would get enquiries, right place right time, we were very quiet early in the year, the phone didn't ring for weeks! Couple of weeks ago a client rang us for some work which included gardening and general maintenance, since then they have given us loads of work, they have a few large properties which we have been given to sort out, since that initial call work seems to be picking up, my point is, stay positive as 1 phone call can make all the difference and be prepared to diversify.

[wisewood]

The flyers have no artwork on them at all. They were about the cheapest ones my workmate could get done - plain green A5 size recycled paper with black company logo and text, just explaining what we do. As you say, a lot is down to luck - flyer hitting the doormat in the right house at the right time - but also targeting the right area. Good looking girl delivering them helps as well

 

There's your answer, put on some lippy and a nice frock and get knocking on doors:laugh1:

Seriously though, Andy Collins came up with a great idea of making vid. compilations of you hard at work to aid getting interviews with tree companies. You could do the same and send to targeted businesses/councils:thumbup:

Si

[John Roberts]

I had this idea on the train last night but didn't get to post it. We have a free Android Phone App, Cloud1 Tree Survey, which you can use as business analysis/marketing tool. It would work like this. 1) You can enter all your customer details, and what work you did there and how much you made. This can then be mapped out so that you can find out where your most productive areas are, what your customer demographic is etc. When you go back to the same area you can tell old customers you are about and try to get repeat work (you might be able to offer a discount due to reduced fuel costs etc). Also you can cross check to make sure you are charging similar prices in the same area in case they talk to each other.

 

2) You can target your productive areas with a leaflet drop, telling them you are well known in the area, satisfied customers etc. You can map this out as a route on your phone but then keep details of who replied, etc (also use the mapping function to check they have trees, is it worth doing a drop to people who have no trees in their back garden).

 

There is probably lots of variations on this theme as well.

Edited June 1, 2012 by John Roberts
spelling

[Andy Collins]

Contacting clients from the past is also a wise idea. Just because they used you once doesnt mean they wont again. A few years back, I did some very crude (basic) flyers, looking at Them now they were rubbish. I shamelessy sent them to each and every client id ever worked for, or their address anyway. The response was staggering, some had lost my details, forgotten my name () cou,dnt find me through one reason or another, or had simply moved away and a new resident responded to have the work done again. You really have to make the effort to keep going, not just today in a recession, but tomorrow in times of glut.

Another thing i do is send out an email to my more regular clients, roughly quarterly, sort of an informal info-mercial to let them know Im still alive and kicking (very important if you are!! Difficult if youre not!!) but with suggestions/hints and tips for this seasons latest things to do and be aware of. I started this idea while I was in recovery in hospital, and had to keep people in the loop as to what and where i was heading, and my hopes for the future, and I needed to keep focussed. It worked.

[adbat234]

How many arbs do this one then?

The guy who block paved my drive left a large advertisement board outside my house(with my permission) fastened to the fence for 7 days once the work was complete with his company details etc... . They had done a cracking job and people had a good nose when walking past, Result.... 2 more driveways to block pave within a week on the same street.

Having the sign written van on site is ok but its a short time to advertise yourself IMO and it can seem a bit chaotic to an average punter walking by and seeing the bedlam of tree work in full flow. People are'nt looking at the sign written van they are watching the brave man up the tree and the large machine eating the branches.

Leaving a reminder for a few days when the work is done and the place is nice and tidy seemed to work for the block pavers so why not for the arb world

[Tom10]

Great ideas everyone -

 

Hope this helps others as well as me.

 

Tom

[Mark Bolam]

Yes, some food for thought in there.

 

Good thread Tom.

[Andy Collins]

How many arbs do this one then?

The guy who block paved my drive left a large advertisement board outside my house(with my permission) fastened to the fence for 7 days once the work was complete with his company details etc... . They had done a cracking job and people had a good nose when walking past, Result.... 2 more driveways to block pave within a week on the same street.

Having the sign written van on site is ok but its a short time to advertise yourself IMO and it can seem a bit chaotic to an average punter walking by and seeing the bedlam of tree work in full flow. People are'nt looking at the sign written van they are watching the brave man up the tree and the large machine eating the branches.

Leaving a reminder for a few days when the work is done and the place is nice and tidy seemed to work for the block pavers so why not for the arb world

Brilliant idea, i actually noticed a sign today on the side of the road where a local tree surgeon had done a nice landscaping job,

BUT what about if youve removed a tree, nothing left to see, would you leave a sign there? Top quality crown reduction and thin, can barely see whats been done, the untrained eye would not see value for money, would they? Then, most of my clients would definitely not want a sign outside their gate, of any sort, they dont even have estate agents signs out when they sell, its sooo common dont you know?

FTR, I think a sign is a good idea, Im just thinking out loud. In type. On the web.