Leaflet ideas for tradesmen

flare · Jan 21, 2009

hello, i am just looking for some tips and advice for leaflets for tradesmen, i am a joiner to trade and i'm looking to create the best leaflet i can possible and get the people to respond.

What would the best strategy be? i mean i could offer a 10% discount.... should i show them some before and afters of my work....

just trying to get some ideas flying around! lemme know what you guys think !

inspiremydesign · Jan 21, 2009

Well, i have some friends in the trade aswell, I helped them make very good techniques in ways of getting customers.

Create a simple website with examples of your work, contact details .. at least 2 numbers to reach you on.

With regards of leafleting, I never take notice of them when they come through the door, as it just looks like junk.. although if you make it look professional then you will people contacting you.

In my area, theres alot of polish and portugese tradesmen, although my friend was portugese and sort of reliable.. I helped him put together everything we could think of.. and guess what.. calls after calls after calls! I was kind of jealous lol. But also happy that is actually worked. You dont need to spend any money at all, theres quite a few free website builders online, make some nice leaflets on your computer, make them small so you can cut out about 5 or 10 from one a4 size so you can save money on ink and paper. Just write who you are, testimonials of your previous customers, a picture of yourself would make it look more friendly towards the customer, 2 working phone numbers, and your website link.

Thats it! Make sure the leaflet goes to every house where ever you live, dont just target one area.. obviously if you do a good job with one customer.. do a referral system .. if they recommend you to their friends .. then offer them 10% discount for any future work

Hope it goes well.

Regards

Naweed S.

Calibre Designs · Jan 21, 2009

Why not place your requirements in the tenders section.
Work with your chosen designer to come up with something great.

Captivating design and compelling copywriting will give you the best response.

flare · Jan 21, 2009

oki great sounds good, i have setup a website so far but i think i need to rethink the way my portfolio page is setup... i just have pics but i think i need to set it up so i can give a brief description of the job... add a testimonial to it and loads of pics... for each and differnt type of project, i think this would be better too and from a seo point of view!

for the leaflets yeah i think it can be a good idea to make it a bit more freindly, now im thinking i can have on the front some pics of my work... our services and work that we are happy to undertake... 2 phone numbers that people can contact me

on the back i can have some written testimonials then a picture of myself! and pics of the job that the testimonial is talking about and a call us now for a 10% discount on your 1st project or somehting along those lines!

i can get them professionally printed.... at a good price from a local print shop as i think if i did it on my pc id use up LOADS of ink and ink dont come cheap these days!

as for the design i will do that im pretty good with photoshop

.. just looking for some content advice!

inspiremydesign · Jan 23, 2009

Be careful one of thing though, dont expect the reciever to look on the back of the leaflet, no-one tends to do that, or you could write a simple message .. ''turn over for more info'' .. or make the leaflet like a booklet .. jus get an A5 size paper.. fold it up .. and add your info.. think about green issues here.. save paper .. save ink .. and try to woo* the customer as much as you can in terms of visual.. text is so very boring.. and make sure the leaflet is made from good paper .. maybe glossy.. as that makes you look very professional. Dont use too much clip art as it will look cartoony.
Which ever way you want to present yourself.. you can do so..but dont over do it

Get on yeR Bike!! and start delivering them .. heres an idea

people cant afford to move homes.. but they can afford to make their house look bigger, nicer and save money .. ppl tend to buy houses because of the inside and outside lol. Good Luck

ipswich24 · Jan 25, 2009

in reality flyers do not work unless you actually offer them to someone who then takes it cause they want it! I mean would you buy a newspaper but not read it?

But if you get it shoved thru your door chances are you will just bin it.

Therefore flyers in general have a low hit rate

The website idea is good, although it will not be a quick fix as it will need to sit high on the search engines and this takes a little time.

Far better idea is to advertise in local newspapers and magazines.

If it is a free newspaper/magazine make sure its a free pick up rather than one going thru the door unsolicited (if its delivered you're back to the flyer thing again).

Also don't splash all your cash in one hit

Decide on your budget then divide it up over a long period.

Far better to have a small concise advert every week or month of the year rather than one per year
The dripping tap principle Works!

Likewise signing up to directories or yellow pages etc are (a) expensive (b) a one hit.

Seriously does anyone use YP anymore? Far quicker to get online and search "My town" "Joiner"

Finally look online for the various free classifieds

Good luck

yorkie · Jan 25, 2009

Heres a couple of easy ides for you.

No point spending yonks delivering cheap nasty looking leaflets here there and everywhere when its easy to start direct with your target market.

1. Get some decent leaflets made up, you don't have to spend a fortune but unfortunatley you do have to speculate here, personally I wouldn't cut them out of A4 paper as People judge on first impressions and your material speaks volumes imo,is this the impression you want to set?
2. Think about where your market is, I know that its obviously all homeowners but the more you narrow it down to specifics the better conversion .
3. Like above drop a leaflet through all the letterboxes where you see a sold sign the new occupants may need your services.
4.Check out the local rag for planning applications, drop them a letter and a leaflet.
5.When you see a planning app on a tree (there orange where I am and usually on a tree!) stop and have a look to see where it is and drop them one as well, or better still if you have the confidence knock on there door and hand it to them. Charm them and hey ho.
6.DIY stores are a beautifull place for a trade to advertise.Put a leaflet under the wiper of all the cars in the car park, hell go one better and get some free biz cards from vista print and place them in the timber section. (dont get caught!) but as needs must.
7. Park your van if sign written outside the above stores and if possible early on a weekend.
8. Hobdens etc get yersen in there if you havent already. Best way is write a personal letter / email and send it to all the carpentry / kitchen fitters stores etc that you can think of. Introduce yourself and put your web address on and also mention that you will personally pop in and introduce yourself. Get a nice polo shirt with a logo on and your web address round the back and pop round after a couple of days. Its better than turning up unanounced and you may also have a few calls from them before you get round.
9.Get some t.shirts printed with your name , tel no: web address on the back. Give em to your family as presents! or when you do the shopping take an aisle each, you the missus and kids.

loads more ideas but hopefully that should get you thinking for now

Matt1959 · Jan 25, 2009

ipswich24 said:
in reality flyers do not work unless you actually offer them to someone who then takes it cause they want it!

sorry I dont agree with this at all. I look at every leaflet, flyer, card thats on my doormat. I mean, so theres an A5 piece of paper sat on the floor and its blank because its landed upside down - I pick it up to take a look in case its a message from a neighbour etc. One glance is enough to tell me its important and if that leaflet is done well, that glance goes further.

(dont bother too much with inserts in newpsapers though, so your points valid there)

SmilePrint · Jan 26, 2009

I have experience of doing a leaflet for a local tradesman.

Nothing beats satisfied customers.

there's nothing worse than let-down or dis-satisfied customers.

ONCE you have this right then and only then think about marketing through leaflets.

Is your van clean, always? Remember what that says about your quality of work and attention to detail.

Do you ensure your customers are happy before you leave a job?

My client regularly does leaflets, again and again. He has a strong image, which is reflected across all his marketing mediums, van, workwear, cards, quotation books, invoice books, leaflets. By doing this every contact re-inforces the last. When people see the van it reminds them of the leaflet, etc etc.

His leaflet headline solves their problem first before shouting about his name.

Quietly, and simply, he is building a very strong business for himself. Why, he's not trying to be too clever with his marketing, i.e not creating an expectation he cannot meet, but under-promising and over-delivering.

He used to do cheap lealfets in small quantities. He now does fab leaflets, ordered in larger quantities so spending less overall. Bad design costs much more than good design.

Leaflet design for a tradesman, always pics of jobs, always include testimonials, always answer the phone!!

On a typical 1000 leaflet drop he would get 2 jobs easily, 5+ enquiries, but remember the business was sorted first and the leaflet only served to reinforce the quality of his work.

I hope this gives you some pointers.

flare · Feb 1, 2009

oki thanks guys some great suggestions, now just gotta get off me ass and get posting them out!

faststaff · Feb 1, 2009

SmilePrint said:
I have experience of doing a leaflet for a local tradesman.

Nothing beats satisfied customers.

there's nothing worse than let-down or dis-satisfied customers.

ONCE you have this right then and only then think about marketing through leaflets.

Is your van clean, always? Remember what that says about your quality of work and attention to detail.

Do you ensure your customers are happy before you leave a job?

My client regularly does leaflets, again and again. He has a strong image, which is reflected across all his marketing mediums, van, workwear, cards, quotation books, invoice books, leaflets. By doing this every contact re-inforces the last. When people see the van it reminds them of the leaflet, etc etc.

His leaflet headline solves their problem first before shouting about his name.

Quietly, and simply, he is building a very strong business for himself. Why, he's not trying to be too clever with his marketing, i.e not creating an expectation he cannot meet, but under-promising and over-delivering.

He used to do cheap lealfets in small quantities. He now does fab leaflets, ordered in larger quantities so spending less overall. Bad design costs much more than good design.

Leaflet design for a tradesman, always pics of jobs, always include testimonials, always answer the phone!!

On a typical 1000 leaflet drop he would get 2 jobs easily, 5+ enquiries, but remember the business was sorted first and the leaflet only served to reinforce the quality of his work.

I hope this gives you some pointers.

I won't waste time with a long post. This says everything I would!

CKG · Feb 2, 2009

remember the business was sorted first and the leaflet only served to reinforce the quality of his work.

This is a good point.

Unless the OP is one of tiny tiny percentage of tradesmen that put some thought in about how to squeeze the most value out of a customer i'd hang fire with chucking out a load of flyers.

Just doing a good job for someone isn't enough. All your competitors do a good job too.

First learn how to make the most of every customer that you get and move forward from there.

lockie · Feb 2, 2009

Something i learned at a recent marketing seminar was that slick looking designer type leaflets are not as effective as ones that not as "designy" looking. dont fall into the trap of making it look really slick as it sanitises it too much.

When the speaker showed 2 examples of leaflets he had put out he asked which everyone thought was the most effective and virtually everyone thought the designy slick looking one was best but it was actually out performed by 2 to 1 by the one that didnt look as good yet contained exactly the same copy.

Someone stood up to challenge this fact by saying he thought this wasnt true as so and so had said different.His cool reply was is so and so wealthy ? As the speaker is a millionaire i think he got his point across well as its from learning these details about the design of it he made his millions.

Feb 2, 2009

I look at every single leaflet that comes in through my door, and I try to analyse which ones take my interest and why. I must admit, to support your theory lockie, if I think they are trying to flannel me with a flashy leaflet I'd usually switch off to their message.

"I look at every single leaflet that comes in through my door, and I try to analyse which ones take my interest and why"...... yes I am sad enough for that I must admit...... don't even get me started on my 'wee tub' obsession

flapjack · Feb 18, 2010

another way to improve your leaflets is to have an approved badge on there.

i got a few tradesmen from Vetted Tradesmen recently and they all had photo id cards and leaflets with approved logo's on. Just an idea that i though might help.

MH1 · Feb 18, 2010

in reality flyers do not work unless you actually offer them to someone who then takes it cause they want it!

Leaflets do work, you just have too accept low percentage return, they are a scatter gun approach. If you try leaflets simply put them out, who is too say what house will need your services?

I run regular leaflet campaigns and normally get a 1-2% response rate of actual orders, and a 2-3% inquiry rate. You have too allow for the return to decide if leaflets are the right way to market yourself.

The only way you will ever know is too try it.

seobarbershop · Feb 18, 2010

Hang on a min! - Is it just me or has INSPIREMYDESIGN just wrote the biggest load of rubbish month to date?

First you said - 'With regards of leafleting, I never take notice of them when they come through the door, as it just looks like junk' - OK so your obviously saying its a bad idea???

Then you said - 'I helped him put together everything we could think of.. and guess what.. calls after calls after calls!' - And now your saying you have made a friend get loads and loads of calls by doing just that???

And then you said -'Just write who you are, testimonials of your previous customers, a picture of yourself would make it look more friendly towards the customer, 2 working phone numbers, and your website link - Your honestly telling me thats all going to fit on a bit of paper cut out from 10 pieces from an A4 sheet?

BUT surely the worst thing of all must be the fact you have just advised the poor OP that if he does just that he will be getting loads and loads and loads of calls...

HMMMM you know what I think ile just do it myself tomorrow as well.... NOT

victormarketinguk · Feb 27, 2010

You have to check first your Business Plan and your Business Marketing Plan to see if there is corelation of figures.
Itis not worth it to get spending on advertising 20% just to give 10 % away. You will soon realise that you lost may be more than 30%.
It may not pay give 10%. It may pay to read all your business plan figures and look at past results. Than, and only than take it on a marketing campaign that suits both your business and marketing plans.

Victor

SarahCollins · Mar 2, 2010

inspiremydesign said:
Be careful one of thing though, dont expect the reciever to look on the back of the leaflet, no-one tends to do that,

Please back that statement up with stats. Or is that YOU don't tend to look on the back so you make the mistake of thinking no-one else does? Leaving the back of leaflet blank is a huge waste of time and opportunity. Christ, you could pump up the effectiveness of your message by putting testimonials at the very least.

.. text is so very boring..

And with one sweeping generalised off-the-cuff statement you crap on established and proven principles of direct response advertising.

Maybe the text you write is boring dear, but mine isn't. And it's that text that will get someone to take action and pick up the phone, not the design.

Lorro2 · Mar 2, 2010

I work as a craftsman and leaflets can be a very good way of getting customers. If you have some nice photos of your work, directions to your workshop, craft and trades associations you belong to, websites and email details and lively text you can do very well. I tend to leave mine at tourist info centres, holiday parks and tourist attractions etc. Yes you must use both sides of a leaflet. Lastly never deal with tradesmen who put a leaflet through your door with just a moblie phone number as these characters are likey to be the ripoff merchants we hear about on the rogue trader programmes.

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