Is a yellow pages add worth it?

[carpenter383]

Originally Posted by 2manyrocks

Have you made friends with your local building materials suppliers and are you on their referral list?

Have you made friends with the more successful realtors in your area--they can be a good source of referrals because people buying homes will say that they want to do this and do that, and having your name mentioned could be very helpful to you.

Local home decorators/designers--same idea.

Do you have good pictures of your prior work and a list of satisfied customers who will say good things about you?

There are a lot of people who just can't do trim. Maybe you should submit a great self help article with good pictures to your local newspaper. If you could do this with a local designer/decorator talking about how to make a home more appealing for an affordable investment of cash, that could be interesting to readers. Material costs are not going to get cheaper. Get the work done now at your convenience. Good time to get the work done. Those kinds of themes.

Some people are going to do it themselves, and then others are going to say--I'll get this guy to do it.

Does this help?

Thanks for the ideas. You're right I do need to make a portfolio, I'm just gonna have to keep a camera in my truck all the time cause I never can remember to grab it on my way to work
I have several references who I'm confident would say good things about me.
I just got some work off craigslist the other day and this guy knows alot of people, so I'd say more work will come from him.

[EddieWalker]

Funny how many jobs that I've done where the client tells me about all their friends that they are going to tell about me. Rarely does that ever happen. It seems the ones who tell all their friends, don't talk about it, they just do it. I have about five clients that I do allot of repeat work for who have told dozens and dozens of their friends about me. While I've had to turn work down and not been able to get to them in time, it's never slowed those clients from telling more of their friends about me.

Be careful of the guy angling for a better price because he's promising you more work, or lots of referals. Most of the time, it's just BS. Charge full price for everyone and everything that you do. If it's done well and you treat them well, more work will come from it.

I also keep my digital camera in my truck all the time. I missed out on allot of before and after pics because I forgot my camera, didn't have batteries, or just plain forgot to take the pictures. I'm allot better about it now and my website has enough pictures on it now that it sells itself. Seriously, pictures showing what you have done will do more for you then anything you can write down.

Eddie

[2manyrocks]

There's a certain art to making good pictures, too. You might do a great job, but a poor photo won't show it. If you're a good picture maker, then you've got it made. If you aren't, then maybe you need to find someone who can make good before and after pictures that really show the quality of your work.

I remember going through a phase when some ladies saw crown I had installed for their friends, and then they wanted it in their homes, too. That's probably something to keep in mind.

I agree with Eddie not to cut your rates in the hope of work to come. A GC friend of mine got burned on this--he priced one building thinking he'd get the next one, and he didn't.

[woodchuckcanuck]

Originally Posted by EddieWalker

... Those pictures have been a big part of why some of my new clients have hired me that only knew me from a friend who recomended me. They told me that they looked at my pics, saw the variety of things that I do and decided that they wanted to meet me. Once we meet face to face, I almost always get the job. The main reason that I don't get a job is because I'm too busy to do it right away.

I haven't advertised in years. I have my name, phone number and website on my truck and the T-shirt that I wear. ..

I'm a carpenter too so its exactly the same with me. I've had a web site for 11 years now and I post many of the work and personal related jobs I've done. It shows the potential customer how flexible my skill set is.

I did the YP when I first got here. The ad was relatively cheap, less than a $100 for the year, and I was one one of two in the "Woodworkers" category and one of 6 in the "Carpenters" category. While I ran the ads I asked clients how they found me. Not one came from the YP ads. All of them were from word of mouth, or, "Seen your truck.", or, 'Read your web site."

Put your web site on your vehicle and go to a local home improvement store on a Saturday. Drive around until you get a parking spot close to the door. Go inside the doors and watch how many people walk by and notice your web site, even stop to write it down.

Try this, put a poly bag on your tail gate when you park with your flyers/business cards in them. Mark on the bag "Take One." You would be surprised how many people will stop.

But nothing beats a word of mouth referral.

[woodchuckcanuck]

Originally Posted by EddieWalker

Funny how many jobs that I've done where the client tells me about all their friends that they are going to tell about me. Rarely does that ever happen.

How true.

Originally Posted by EddieWalker

I have about five clients that I do allot of repeat work for who have told dozens and dozens of their friends about me.

We're leading a double life.

Originally Posted by EddieWalker

Be careful of the guy angling for a better price because he's promising you more work, or lots of referals. Most of the time, it's just BS. Charge full price for everyone and everything that you do. If it's done well and you treat them well, more work will come from it.

Yes. Yes. Yes. Very good advice here.

Originally Posted by EddieWalker

I also keep my digital camera in my truck all the time. I missed out on allot of before and after pics because I forgot my camera, didn't have batteries, or just plain forgot to take the pictures. I'm allot better about it now and my website has enough pictures on it now that it sells itself. Seriously, pictures showing what you have done will do more for you then anything you can write down.

Camera is like the credit card. I don't leave home without it. I take before and after pictures when possible.