getting business through letter dropping?

[flatyre]

I know it doesn't work for a lot of you guys, but has anyone had much success initiating contact with would be customers? I printed off a letter offering to top/trim conifers, basically said "working in your area, see your conifer hedge is getting quite large, would you like me to sort it out?" So far I've dropped a couple of dozen copies through peoples letterboxes and landed a couple of decent jobs. We don't have a problem with junk mail/cold callers in my area which probably helps. I'm thinking of writing similar letters, one angled more towards basic tree work, and the other regarding trees, hedges coming into contact with overhead wires, has anyone done this and how successful was it? bear in mind i'm a young business with plenty of blank pages still in the diary so am happy to spend a day here and there letter dropping! thanks

[leswold]

We did some letter drops although I wasn't keen so didn't participate. We had 4 or 5 jobs, with more in the pipeline as a result of dropping around 30 leaflets so I can't knock it. Still not keen on this idea somehow just as it doesn't feel right, as I don't like getting flyers myself, just my opinion. If you're happy to do it & the area isn't saturated in leaflets etc then good luck & hope it works.

Edited December 31, 2015 by leswold

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

Same tactic as the ITF use; trust your description is better. These little things used to have Stihl logos and "all types of fruit trees expertly topped and pruned" on! No job too large or small... All aspects of... :lol:

[Mick Dempsey]

God loves a tryer! What he thinks about a flyer I have no idea.

I did it, didn't get any response, but it felt better than sitting on my rear end (like I am now, although today it's just laziness)

It's working for you, keep at it.

[dan494]

I've tried flyers with limited success but would again if needed. Along the lines of what you suggested i once did an experiment and got some postcards printed from vistaprint and rather than put them through letter boxes i took a walk and picked about 20 houses I thought could do with some work done and put a stamp on and posted them, got one call from doing that but the tree was tpo'd so couldn't do anything to it at the time

[padman]

Always done VERY well with leaflets for this game. In fact when I first started it was all I did and was amazed by the results compared to my other businesses.

[Ty Korrigan]

In 2010 we posted around 2000 flyers and won 4 very small jobs, less than 2k worth.

Parking a signwritten vehicle on the roadside proved more successfull.

Sponsoring local sports teams calendars and publicity etc is cheap and worthwhile. More word of mouth from those involved.

Free maps of the town a dead loss (expensive)

A web presence totally invaluable.

Yellow pages too.

Having a tidy t'shirt with company name on.

Cards in a couple of dozen newsagents works and is cheap but remember to go back and renew.

Best of luck!

Ty

[Burgess]

Same tactic as the ITF use; trust your description is better. These little things used to have Stihl logos and "all types of fruit trees expertly topped and pruned" on! No job too large or small... All aspects of... :lol:

 

A local one says 'Fruit tree pruning qualified'

[felixthelogchopper]

Same tactic as the ITF use; trust your description is better. These little things used to have Stihl logos and "all types of fruit trees expertly topped and pruned" on! No job too large or small... All aspects of... :lol:

 

Don't forget the recycling logo and the handy, straight to mobile 0800 number and the advert for driveway work on the flip-side.

[flatyre]

thanks for the advice folks, hopefully a letter tailored to the property is a bit more professional as it shows you have studied the situation and focused on the issue in hand, not offering everything from tarmacing to painting and decorating. Also if the occupant sees you deliver it in all your gear and van complete with graphics which they can check up on (yell.com and website) hopefully they won't think your some handyman jack of all trades!