Say you are the typical small business that advertises in your local Yellow Pages. You have chosen to be listed on the smaller Eastside directory and under "Catering." There are 20 other caters and now it's up to you to determine what size will be most effective. Your rep is encouraging you to place the largest ad because either (a) he thinks it's best for your business, (b) he says it will dominate the page, (c) he says it will make you the most money, or (d) he gets paid by commission.
Now first, let me explain that I was a YP rep for 25 years and my answer would be all of the above. But for many, it was only (d). In other words, can you really trust the rep to suggest an ad size or color when he gets paid more for the larger ads? I doubt if he or she will ever recommend the smallest ad without color. So, what should you do?
It begins with the heading and the competition. If you are a plumber confronted with 10 full pages and you can only afford an eighth of a page, maybe you should rethink the Yellow Pages at all. You see, plumbing is normally an emergency heading where a leak or broken pipe needs immediate attention. So Mrs. Smith starts at the beginning of the heading and works her way back. But not too far back. After flipping five pages, her little fingers are getting sore and she stops. She most probably would never get to your teeny-tiny ad in the back. Unless it offers "Free Service Calls, Free Parts, Free Dinner for 10 with every Repair and a Free Trip to Hawaii." Get my point? Assuming you're not in a giving mood, consider your options.
To be competitive with 10 full pages, nothing less than a half-page will work. And marginally well at that. But even that's still too expensive, you whine. I hate whiners but I'll let this one go. Either look for a cheaper Yellow Page book from a competitor or try the Internet. Look into Google ads. Or, try the larger ad YP by cutting back on your non-profitable overhead. Advertising is the life-blood of a business and you have to keep the trucks rolling. Unless you have a rare business that can totally survive on word-of-mouth, YP advertising is still the most effective for any emergency-type business. Although the Internet is becoming more powerful each day, it's also more fiercely competitive for that very reason.
I'm often asked if a smaller ad in full-color is better than a larger in black and yellow. The answer is that it depends. What are you selling? The florist, decorator, or swimming pool sales company can offer some pretty color pictures. But, why would I choose a plumber with a nice full-color flooded house? Or a color picture of an attorney? Does the color enhance the message? Sometimes it does. But I opt for size and position in most cases. "Position" meaning that the larger ads are placed first and before the smaller ones. So they are seen first as well. Finally, larger ads have more space to tell your story and include answers to all the "who, what, where, when and why" questions.
For even more interesting ways to save and create effective ads, consider my book called, "Inside the Yellow Pages," on amazon or my site, poweradbook.com and discover a peek into the directory business as well. In the meantime, I'll offer the best of luck in your YP advertising.

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 officially retired.

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We also call headings categories. Either way, you need to comprehend the importance of being in the proper place so the right customer can find you. It sounds easy enough. Perhaps you are a full-service plumber. You place a large ad under, "Plumbing-Repair" and you're done, right? Not so fast. Do you work on drains and water heaters? Of course, you say. Doesn't the public realize that? Maybe they do but maybe they don't. Do all plumbers take credit cards? Most do but they still say it in their ads. It's because a little reinforcement can never hurt. So your only ad says "We do drains and water heater repair." What if Mrs. Smith has a leaky water heater. Will she go to plumbers heading or look under Water Heaters?
The same is true for a broken washing machine. Which is it: Appliance-Major Repair or Washing Machine Repair? If you can afford only one, how do you decide and what if only 25% of your potential customers go to the heading you didn't pick? Can you afford to loose one out of every four customers? Would it kill you to place a small ad under the lesser heading? When I had an advertising agency, my main ad was of course under "Advertising Agencies." But I also did some package design. I noticed that no one was listed there and the rep said it was obviously not a well-used heading. So I tried a small, one-liner. I made $5000 off that $25 ad the next year. Within four years, there were 10 listings like mine. Someone recognized the potential like I had done earlier. Never underestimate a lesser-used heading. You can spend far less where there is less competition and isn't that nice?
I use the fishing analogy. If the fishing is great at the lake, be there. But why not poke a pole into the creek now and then to see what bites. Maybe a huge fish is lurking and growing where no one has snagged him yet. It's worth a try. Just be sure to cover all your bases and track your results. If you do many things, rank the order of the things that are most profitable and that's where you place your ad. I had a florist that made more profit on silk flowers, but had only an ad under "Florists." When they placed an ad under "Flowers-Artificial and Silk," customers realized it was not only a convenient location, but they could compete with the larger stores in price because of their low overhead.
To recap, scan all the potential headings and don't be afraid to place an ad where there are only a few. Track the results so that you know which heading is bringing in the most profit, not the most customers. Then read my next article on how to choose the right size. So, how would I know so much about Yellow Page advertising? I was a top directory sales rep for 25 years and have a degree in advertising. I've also written a terrific book for even more cost-cutting tips. It's called, "Inside the Yellow Pages," on amazon or go to my website at poweradbook.com and enjoy the savings.

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 officially retired.

Note: This Article is property of Jawad Ashraf (Big Checks In The Mail). If You Want to use it for your purpose just add our link at footer of the article as given Article Source= Articles Clear

The small business is the backbone of the Yellow Pages. So, whether you are the local insurance agent, plumber, auto repairer, dentist, or attorney, you are most probably a YP advertiser and have another thing in common. You hate paying that monthly bill. I should know. I was a YP sales rep for 25 years and I can honestly say I never heard a customer thank me for our high rates. Instead, every year, the first question out of their mouths was, how much did it go up now? Gee, not even a, "Nice to see you again, Jeff? How's the family?" No, they got right to the bottom line.
How could I blame them? In some cases they were spending $1000's a month and had no idea whether it was even worth it. So it was up to me to calm them down and re-explain the value of the directory and their investment. We never called it an expense. It was always an investment in the business's future. So I showed them a variety of success stories and how much money XYZ Plumbing was making that year. Though I somehow doubted how that was supposed to help them pay their bill. But I did ultimately have a point. The YP worked well for many small businesses if they made the correct decisions.
Some of those were in regard to being in the right book. Often times, they would give me a strange look. I could I be in the wrong place? Well, look at your marketplace. Where do most of your customers come from? If you were in the Metro-Wide book and reaching all one million customers, wouldn't that make sense? No, not if you only serviced the Eastside and charged a small fortune to go to the North or Westside. Suppose you could save 75% by only being in that smaller Eastside directory? How would you feel now? But the rep told you to be in both because we don't know which book they are using. Fine, put a small ad in each with a special tracking phone number in each and spend the next year monitoring your calls. Then simply adjust your ad budget the following year to match the results. So, the Metro got you 100 calls and the Eastside, 400. Place 25% of your money into the Metro book and 75% in the Eastside. The bonus is that the Eastside book is much less expensive and you end up with a larger ad, which kelps pull in your local market better.
Many times it's cheaper to be in several small books than one large one. Although your rep will give you usage numbers that say you need to be in the larger book, doing your own tracking research is the only sure way to discover the truth. Reps make money off commission so they can't be completely objective. Then, once you are happy with your choice of books, we can move on to the next subject, the heading or category. In the meantime, check out my book on other great cost-saving tips from "Inside the Yellow Pages," available on amazon or off my website at poweradbook.com and good luck and good selling.

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 officially retired.

Note: This Article is property of Jawad Ashraf (Big Checks In The Mail). If You Want to use it for your purpose just add our link at footer of the article as given Article Source= Articles Clear

First, a few words about my qualifications. I was a Yellow Page consultant for nearly 25 years and, 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 experience in creating ads and have advised almost 7000 companies on how to put together the most effective ones. If you have a display or in-column ad, regardless of size, color or position, I can tell you it most probably needs improvement in essentials areas like the headline, artwork, body text, placement, book, or heading. So, whether you have an ad or are thinking about placing one, please read on.
The small, home-based business was the backbone of our directory. Because they wanted to target a localized market area, the Yellow Pages was ideal. It allowed them to choose the heading, the directory and work within their budget. So, assuming that you are like them, how should you proceed? I’m so glad you asked. Here are a few things that every successful ads should contain, regardless of size. That is, if you decide on at least an in-column (alphabetical) or display-type ad.
A focus: What’s the purpose of the ad? Begin with a strong headline.
A benefit: Why should I buy?
A way to fill a need: How can you solve my problem?
Easy-to-read text: Does it have nice, bold type?
A picture that supports the theme or shows a good outcome: i.e. happy people.
You must have at least one of these in your ad. Therefore, it needs focus with a headline, consumer benefits, must fill a need, be easily read and show a positive outcome, if there is room for a picture. Of course it has to be placed properly, in the appropriate heading and the proper book, such as in either the area or Metro directory. There are more elements it should include, which are:
A description of the product or service: What are you really selling?
Your uniqueness: What sets you apart from the other guys?
Understandable location info: Do you have a map or directions?
Contact data: Do you have a website, fax, e-mail?
Plus something to attract attention: Color, white background, clever headline, etc.
It all begins with describing your ideal customer, and zeroing in on what they would want to see in your ad. If the ad is small, you have to be very fussy when choosing your words. You might only have room for a headline and a line of text. And that would be great if you have chosen wisely. I have written many articles about Yellow Page advertising on ezinearticles.com and you can search my name for others. Or you can get the definitive source for everything you ever wanted to know about how to create effective YP ads by buying my book. Either way, become educated and don’t just rely on your YP rep to guide you along. After all, it’s your hard-earned money and your business at-stake.


Jeffrey Hauser’s latest book is, "Inside the Yellow Pages,” which can be viewed at http://www.poweradbook.com
He 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. Currently, he is the Marketing Director for thenurseschoice.com, a Health Information and Doctor Referral site.

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First, what makes me the "expert," you ask? Well, I was a Yellow Page representative and consultant for nearly 25 years and, prior to that, I 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 during my tenure. With that out of the way, what did I learn after all those years that I can now pass on to you?
Let's begin with the basics. I would have to assume that as a typical small business manager or owner, you are good at what you do. Be it plumbing, insurance, moving, dentistry, auto repair, or whatever, you're knowledgeable. That's great, but what do you really know about advertising? Okay, you're read a book or an article or two. You realize the need but do you comprehend the process? Yes, there is a step-by-step process for any type of advertising. It begins with your business and industry. Start by asking yourself what type of customer are you trying to attract? It's not as simple as you may think. Someone breathing is not a requirement; you must be more specific. Are they of a particular demographic, such as age group, gender, or located in a defined area? Should they be a homeowner or earn a minimum amount? You can determine a lot by your product or service.
Are you selling a luxury product or service the average person doesn't need? Or is it car insurance that the state actually requires? Stop and consider who you are looking for and where you will find them? Why? Because you can't advertise to everyone and expect all of them to flock to your business. With limited ad resources, you must target your audience. Yellow Pages are distributed by area. Should you be in all of them or just the ones that refer to your geographic area? Once you can pinpoint the ideal customer, you can go on to the next step. How much should you spend?
Every industry has a normal amount. Go online and research that sector. Service businesses usually outspend the retail trade. Look at your profit margins as well. So it depends whether you are selling flowers or swimming pools. Obviously, you need a whole lot more rose sales than pools, but far less people can afford pools. You get my point? The pool company may spend a lot more to attract the higher-end customer but has a greater profit for the effort. An advertising budget is a percentage of gross or net sales. Once you have that in place, there is one more thing to address before designing a YP ad.
Flip open the YP book to your heading and peruse the competition. Recognize everyone? Probably not. Depending on your type of business, there could be many new companies vying for your customers. Take a moment to read their ads. You will learn a lot about your industry and what you should be saying in your ad. Heck, call a few and ask for rates and any other information that you deem helpful. These are just a few of the preliminary steps to take before meeting with your YP rep. The more educated you are, the more you will be able to use the rep's resources to design that effective ad. Finally, there are at least 10 things you should also know that will save you time and money on your program. Check out my best-selling book on the subject and you will be well on your way to a successful program. It's cheaper than a seminar and a fun read. Good luck and happy selling.

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 officially retired.

Note: This Article is property of Jawad Ashraf (Big Checks In The Mail). If You Want to use it for your purpose just add our link at footer of the article as given Article Source= Articles Clear

I was a Yellow Page salesman/rep for 25 years. Like most other reps, I worked on commission. In other words, if my accounts didn't buy or increase their advertising, I didn't get paid. So I had to convince them they needed more. And that was each and every very year I saw them. But, I also was supposed to form a partnership with them so that we could mutually benefit. That meant only recommending what they needed without busting their budgets. That's the way it was back in the eighties when I was first hired. But every decade brought new challenges for us reps to help the publishing company increase their bottom line.
So, as the urgency to make more profits overrode my customer service, I was forced to present more options and therefore recommend larger programs just to keep my job. Fast-forward to today and it's even tougher and more competitive. With the Internet sucking more ad dollars and all the other media fighting for every cent, the Yellow Page rep is under extra pressure than ever before. So, as a businessperson, what should you do? Do you ignore all their advice assuming it's just to make them richer? Or is there another way to separate fact from fiction? Well, I'm glad you asked. That's where I come in.
Now that I am retired and do not make any income from the Yellow Page people, I can write articles like these to educate the public. As of now, I've written more than 100 such articles covering every conceivable Yellow Page topic. But why would I do such a benevolent thing? Ah, I do have a reason. I wrote a book sold on Amazon about how business owners should advertise in the directory. And if you are impressed by my knowledge, then maybe you'll buy my book. But for now, just enjoy this free article. Its purpose is to show you 10 ways that your rep might be misleading you. These are just ideas that they may not have told you but you certainly need to know. And now, in no particular order, are those pesky beliefs they would have you accept.
People always look for the largest ad in the heading: Some do some don't. You need to know why.
Adding color is a sure way of attracting more customers: Depending how it is used.
A large, bold heading is what can make the difference: But the wrong heading can also detract from the ad or kill the sale.
Show big pictures of your product: Except if you're selling funerals, toilets, kitty litter, etc. Know when to show them and when not to.
You must be in every phone book in your area: Sometimes that's true, but not always. There's a trick to finding the right book.
You have to be the first ad: Actually, it might be better in some cases to be third or fourth.
If you don't advertise, your competition will: Does he know something you don't? It's usage and survey time.
The Yellow Pages are the most cost-effective advertising: This depends on the type of service or product you offer. In some case, it's not.
Everyone pays the same rates: Unless you are new and get a discount or qualify for other incentives. Very important info.
They can guarantee you will get results with the ad: I can guarantee he or she can't guarantee anything.
So, there you have it, the real truth in advertising. You can read in more detail how these statements can affect your business advertising. They are all in my book, which is less than 20 bucks and guaranteed to save you that much and more. I show you how and when to place that large ad, add color and which books to be in. In the meantime, get ready for your rep's next visit by reading, "Inside the Yellow Pages," and you will be wiser and more educated in the wily ways of those sneaky YP reps. Good luck and happy profits.

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 officially retired.

Note: This Article is property of Jawad Ashraf (Big Checks In The Mail). If You Want to use it for your purpose just add our link at footer of the article as given Article Source= Articles Clear