5 Quick Tips, based on hundreds of clients, that will give 
you a fighting chance if you're running Yellow Page ads: 

1. The Salesman Is Your Enemy: His only goal is to make you spend a lot more money than you need to. Promptly disregard any and all advice that comes from his mouth. Most deadly could be his advice on the content of your ad; repeat--do not pay any attention at all to his advice.

2.  Decide If You Should Be In The Book In The First Place: Call several of the companies currently in your classification an ask them how their ad is doing for them. You may not want to reveal your real identity! If other companies aren't getting any results, you may want to skip being in the book altogether.

3.  Size of Your Ad: Buy the biggest ad your budget can afford.  If you're a major competitor, your ad needs to be at least average size for your classification. If you have to choose between size and color (due to your budget), ALWAYS pick a bigger size instead of extra colors.

4.  Avoid Extra Colors: Spot color is fine. Try a white background and black text. NEVER buy four color...it just adds extra expense... without extra results.

5.  Focus On Benefits: No one cares who you are until they know what you can do for them. Your ad should contain a headline that instantly draws the reader in, then separates you from your competition. Never put your company name as the headline. Fax your current yellow pages ad in to us for a quick evaluation.

If someone is looking in the yellow pages, THEY ARE READY TO BUY NOW! Don't have your ad say and look just like all your competitors. Answer the question going through the prospects mind who's looking at the page of ads: "Why 
Should I Pick YOU, Instead of This Other Guy?" 
 
Got a specific question about your Yellow Pages ad?

Give us a call for a FREE Yellow Page Coaching Session: 
 
866-926-5100 
 
Until next time, I wish you much success, 
 
Mike Jeffries

mjeffries@riversofrevenueus.com

"Who else can say that?" is an evaluation question you can use to evaluate your writing - especially your headlines.

Pay close attention to this one.

The question is not who else can do what you do. The question is who else can say what you say. The answer is usually.... anybody and everybody.

Ask this question: "Who else can say that?"

If you're good at what you do but don't exploit it in your lead generation by saying it well, then any anyone can say what you say...whether or not they can perform at your level.

Here are a couple of examples from other companies: A big Barbecue Catering Company stated in their advertising that: "The flavor and taste of our quality meats gives you the best BBQ you've ever eaten." Oh, now that's really believable.... Who else could say that? Every other barbeque company on the planet would say the exact same thing.

Guess what industry this is:

"Experienced staff; company in business 35 years. Customer service always available. I'm always available to client after the sale."

Who else can say that? This could be any company, any industry.

Here's a chiropractor with a headline that says, "Gentle Techniques To Relieve Your Back Pain." That's original. I would hope so. Who else can say that? 

Review all the copy you use in your business and run it through this simple evaluation, especially your headlines. 

If anyone else can say what you're saying, how do you expect to stand out in the crowed marketplace? 

Until next time, I wish you much success,

Mike Jeffries

866-926-5100

What we're trying to accomplish here is simple; we are going to discuss a common sense evaluation you can use to judge whether or not your ads, ads you're spending GOOD money on, are any good.

Wouldn't you like to know if what you're writing and spending your advertising budget on is any good--before you actually spend the money?

Use this evaluation, and others we will discuss in future newsletters, to judge anything you write.

The first evaluation you need to use is pretty simple.  It is also, however, the one most likely to be failed.  It is called, simply...

Well, I Would Hope So!

Whenever you say anything in your advertising or marketing, ask yourself if the prospect will immediately respond to what you've said with: "Well, I would hope so!"

To illustrate this; write on a piece of paper why a prospect would favor your business over the competition.

Then use the "Well I Would Hope So" evaluation and see if the answers hold weight.

Let me give you an idea by giving you some of the answers from other industries. A huge printing company gave as their number one reason to choose them over the other sixteen zillion other printers: "We help the non-professional print buyer understand the various options available." Here's what you should say to that kind of claim: Well I would hope so! You're a printer! Isn't that what you do? See how ridiculous that answer sounds?

An insurance agency claims in their advertising that "they'll be there for you when you have a claim." Well, I would hope so! What else would they say? I can't imagine that their ad would state, "When you have an accident, you can call us but we won't answer the phone. We hate paying claims, so we won't pay attention to you. Just keep mailing the premiums in every month."

See how this works? Just read any headline or any claim out of one of your advertisements and then see if it spawns this response: Well, I would hope so!

There's an ad in the Yellow Pages for a screen door, and the headline, "NEED a Screen Door?" You should read that and think, "No, I don't need a screen door, I just happened to be perusing the Yellow Pages in the screen door section and thought I would give you a call." You would hope that they had screen doors! But that's the best thing they could think of to put in their ad?

These usual, lazy communicator claims,  are like your barber telling you that your hair will be shorter after it's cut, or the gas station telling you you'll have more gas after you fill the tank.

Always, always, always use this important evaluation question whenever you make any claim.

Go ahead and take this test right now.

Answer the question: "why would anyone choose you over your competitors?"

Then honestly evaluate your answer against the "Well, I would hope so!" evaluation.

If you can't come up with the answer instantly and articulate it well, you can bet that your customers don't know why.

Got a specific question about your business? Give 
us a call for a FREE Coaching Session: 
 
866-926-5100 

Or send me an email:  mjeffries@riversofrevenueus.com

Until next time, I wish you much success, 
 
Mike Jeffries