Yellow Page Consulting For The Basic Business
For 25 years, Yellow Page consulting was my life. Prior to that, had my own advertising agency. I also have a degree in marketing. I’ve been designing Yellow Page ads for the past three decades. So I have expertise in YP creation and have advised almost 7000 companies on how to put together YP ads and even wrote a book
I don’t sell my services anymore, but I still find the need to educate those of you who spend thousands on ads, whether they work or not. So, when your YP rep comes along as they do about once a year, what will you tell or ask him this time? Let me guess, because I’m also a part-time psychic. Here are a few of your standard statements, in no particular order:
- “How much did the ad go up this time?”
- “Why not leave everything the same this year?”
- “Where’s the rep from last year?”
- “Business sucks, take the ad out.”
- “Business is fine, take the ad out, I don’t need it.”
- “I just had a baby and can’t afford it anymore.”
- “I’m going with the competition, they’re cheaper.”
- “I don’t have time to go over my program.”
Those are pretty typical of those I heard for 25 years. But none of them addresses the real point of the matter. It all goes back to a single question. Why are you in the Yellow Pages to begin with? Let’s assume that some rep at some time helped you to design and place an ad. It’s been running a few years now and you must understand a few basic concepts. As your temporary consultant, let me ask you a few questions first:
- How are you placed in comparison to your main competition?
- > In other words, have you looked in the book recently?
- Is the ad cost-effective?
- > In other words, do you know your ROI or return-on-investment?
- Are you tracking the results?
- > In other words, do you have a special device in the ad to monitor the calls?
- Have you presented your features and benefits that set you apart from everyone else?
- > In other words, have you given your customers a reason to buy?
- Are you targeting your ideal customer?
- > In other words, are you in the right heading and directory?
- Is your ad competitive?
- > In other words, is it large enough or contains the art or color to be noticed?
And those are just the tips of the YP iceberg. In other words, are you more concerned with the cost than the effectiveness? That’s the true issue. Forget everything else. If the ad were free and not working, it would still be a waste of space. So, what should you be doing?
First, prepare for that next visit by your rep. Look at the YP book, review your ad and insure that it contains everything you need to tell about your business. Then show it to six total strangers and ask their opinion. Does it make sense and is it readable? Then, be sure it includes your contact information along with your website. If you’ve done that much, then you’re all set for that meeting.
Once he or she arrives, have a list of questions to ask. Such as, do they have industry statistics and demographic studies about local and national trends in your particular business? What’s new in the YP publishing world, both in print and online? Are there any deals available? What suggestions for improving the ad do they have? For example, do they have a better headline, photo, or other enhancement? Make them work hard for your dollar. You deserve it. But even before all that, go buy the best darn book on how to design a better ad for less by going to my website at poweradbook.com and invest less than twenty bucks. I spent a year writing it exactly for people like you who need some guidance. I guarantee it will open your eyes and make you money. And that’s what a real consultant should be doing for you. I thank you in advance for your valuable time.
Jeffrey Hauser was a sales consultant for the Bell System Yellow Pages for nearly 25 years.
He graduated from Pratt Institute with a BFA in Advertising and has a Master’s Degree in teaching. He had his own advertising agency in Scottsdale, Arizona and ran a consulting and design firm, ABC Advertising. He authored a book about his directory years, “Inside the Yellow Pages” which can be seen at his website, http://www.poweradbook.com and he is currently the Marketing Director for http://www.thenurseschoice.com, a Health Information site and http://www.menuelephant.com which posts restaurant menus on the “site you’ll never forget.”
Tags: advertising, Basic, consulting, directory, hauser, marketing, Yellow Page