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Save Money By Not Advertising...

by AmericanMuscleTA
5 replies
So, I just finished reading Claude Whitacre's book, Selling Local Advertising (I highly recommend it if you're selling ad space and doing a lot of prospecting.. heck, even if you're in a totally different business, this book will help you with your prospecting... just change the words to match your business... I'm also in real estate and it's helping me with ideas on cold calling).

One of Claude's quotes about advertising really caught my eye, so I figured I'd share it with the rest of you mighty entrepreneurs.

Ready??...

"Trying to save money by not advertising is like an employee trying to save gas money by not showing up for work."

It's funny because it's true!

Look, if you're advertising, you should be getting a good return on your investment. If your ads aren't producing... find the cause to why it's not producing (I bet you're not evening tracking your ads... Right? Am I right??). Maybe you have your Logo taking up two-thirds the space. Maybe your headline sucks. Maybe you don't have an offer or call-to-action.

Before trying to "save money" by not advertising, figure out why your ads are not working and fix them!

Stop advertising and customers will stop buying from you (remember that local pizza shop I told you about many months ago?? Well, they stopped all their advertising and I see fewer and fewer cars in line... heck, most of the time I don't see any cars).

Now go take action!

Note: Claude did not ask or pay me for writing this. I just love reading his books... GREAT personality. Oh, and Claude, if you're reading this, feel free to send me a check. Or, I'll just come by the store and pick it up. Ha ;-)
#advertising #money #save
  • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
    Originally Posted by AmericanMuscleTA View Post

    So, I just finished reading Claude Whitacre's book, Selling Local Advertising (I highly recommend it if you're selling ad space and doing a lot of prospecting.. heck, even if you're in a totally different business, this book will help you with your prospecting... just change the words to match your business... I'm also in real estate and it's helping me with ideas on cold calling).

    One of Claude's quotes about advertising really caught my eye, so I figured I'd share it with the rest of you mighty entrepreneurs.

    Ready??...

    "Trying to save money by not advertising is like an employee trying to save gas money by not showing up for work."

    It's funny because it's true!

    Look, if you're advertising, you should be getting a good return on your investment. If your ads aren't producing... find the cause to why it's not producing (I bet you're not evening tracking your ads... Right? Am I right??). Maybe you have your Logo taking up two-thirds the space. Maybe your headline sucks. Maybe you don't have an offer or call-to-action.

    Before trying to "save money" by not advertising, figure out why your ads are not working and fix them!

    Stop advertising and customers will stop buying from you (remember that local pizza shop I told you about many months ago?? Well, they stopped all their advertising and I see fewer and fewer cars in line... heck, most of the time I don't see any cars).

    Now go take action!

    Note: Claude did not ask or pay me for writing this. I just love reading his books... GREAT personality. Oh, and Claude, if you're reading this, feel free to send me a check. Or, I'll just come by the store and pick it up. Ha ;-)
    Thank you David.

    The two sure signs that a business is almost closed, is shorter hours and cancelling their advertising.

    One thing about advertising reps; Almost none of them have ever studied advertising..at all.

    And here is one of the best things I tell advertising reps;
    "Do you want to make selling advertising effortless? Make sure your customer's ads pay off. If the merchant makes a demonstrable profit on your ad, he'll be calling you to buy."

    That doesn't mean spending a lot of money on advertising. Most ad reps suggest you spend 10-15% of your gross on advertising. My most profitable return was around 2% of gross sales.

    And now, nearly all my advertising (for my store) is online.

    I got on this thread, because the word "advertising" was in the title. I appreciate the gesture.
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    • Profile picture of the author MichaelWinicki
      I'd focus on finding businesses that are currently spending money on advertising.

      Much easier.
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      • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
        Originally Posted by MichaelWinicki View Post

        I'd focus on finding businesses that are currently spending money on advertising.

        Much easier.

        Yes, yes, yes.
        Always start with the business owners that are currently spending money on advertising. The more, the better. These customers are the low hanging fruit.
        It's far easier to sell advertising (or whatever you sell) if they are used to buying it.

        The hardest sale is to someone who has never advertised.
        If I sell shoes, I want to sell shoes to the lady with 40 pairs of shoes. Not the guy with one pair of flip flops.

        And if you are selling online marketing services, the best prospect list is the local coupon magazine, or advertisers in Val Pak....or the local newspaper.

        These people are used to talking to ad reps, and they are used to buying. You can't get a more qualified prospect, except fort client referrals or your current customers.
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    • Profile picture of the author AmericanMuscleTA
      [QUOTE=Claude Whitacre;9448118]One thing about advertising reps; Almost none of them have ever studied advertising..at all.

      And here is one of the best things I tell advertising reps;
      "Do you want to make selling advertising effortless? Make sure your customer's ads pay off. If the merchant makes a demonstrable profit on your ad, he'll be calling you to buy."QUOTE]

      Oh yeah!!!

      I see so many Realtors try postcards once... they do the normal, boring Just List/Just Sold cards and "Call Me For A Free Market Analysis." Then, when they don't get any responses they never do it again.

      We make our postcards pay for themselves by offering a free home seller's guide. I get a kick every time the postcards go out in the mail and we get calls and emails from prospects requesting the home sellers guide. Then we follow up, list, sell, collect. :-)

      Michael... definitely!!! We have three local newspapers, and 3 coupon books, and most of the businesses doing the advertising are in everything! And, those are the ones we are always flowed with customers.

      Oh, and about that pizza shop... I just got another newspaper yesterday and their advertorial is in it (second time... exact same one from a few months ago). Buy a $20 certificate for $10. They'll see a flowed of customers for a bit, and then it'll die off again. Sad.
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  • Profile picture of the author davidfern76
    To be fair, wouldn't it be much easier and faster to just go out of your pocket and put some money towards advertising?
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