On-Windshield Advertisement Cards

[sgailey]

I've got a little more free-time on my hands, and would like to begin planting these under the windshield wipers of potential customers in parking lots in order to fill up the schedule:



This template is rough. It will be improved before printing, each one numbered & carbon copied, and enclosed in a sightly envelope.

I'm interested to know if anyone here has tried this method of advertising and what the results have been. Did you have a high amount of response? Were customers typically appreciative?

Also, I'm contemplating putting chip-savers over any damages that I find, or simply including the appropriate amount of chip-saver cards in the envelope.

[zachb]

I have tried putting business cards and chip saver cards on any cars that have chips in the mall parking lot. This provided a less than one percent call back rate. Although I think with a purposely designed flyer your results would increase some.

[gt_repair]

sgailey

I like the way you plain on coming across with your cards. You may get some hits off it that way. That is one step above just plain flyers. It feels like an invite to them to check you out...
Please keep us posted on your way.

[starstruck]

I would be cautious about leaving cards on vehicles. Some people are offended by it and in this age of liability issues, touching someones vehicle without their authorization could be a big mistake. They could falsely accuse you of damaging it.

[harrellbenjamin]

Originally Posted by starstruck

I would be cautious about leaving cards on vehicles. Some people are offended by it and in this age of liability issues, touching someones vehicle without their authorization could be a big mistake. They could falsely accuse you of damaging it.

The glass is "Half Full"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[starstruck]

I'm not sure what you mean by that comment and the little guy banging his head on the wall? Is that your way of disgreeing with my reply?

My opinion is that there are a lot of people who don't like to have things left on their car. How do I know that? Because I am one of them!

[harrellbenjamin]

Originally Posted by starstruck

I'm not sure what you mean by that comment and the little guy banging his head on the wall? Is that your way of disgreeing with my reply?

My opinion is that there are a lot of people who don't like to have things left on their car. How do I know that? Because I am one of them!

For every person that gets hung up if some one "dares to leave some usefull info" on their car there is 500 that it would not bother.For me I would just go with the odds and eliminate another reason in my head why something positve would not work.Some people always will find a reason for failure........I would rather find a reason to succeed!! JMHO...

[starstruck]

You are welcome to your opinion. I tend to be more cautious. All it takes is the one wrong person who blames you for damaging their car. To me that's just not worth.

[starstruck]

Oh yeah, I forgot to say JMHO!

[Nomad]

I haven't used this but a couple times a few years ago but a friend of mine used it quite a bit. You leave a note on the car but all the note says is "Please call 555-555-5555". (this is your phone number)
The person who gets the note thinks something might have happened to his car or something and probably 80+% of the time will call you on the phone. You have to be good on the phone to do this, by the way. This sure beat getting a 2 to 3% response from fliers that we put out.

You answer "Hello", and they ask about the note. You say something like "Well, I was walking by your car and noticed that you have a rock chip that looks like it can be repaired to save the windshield, and I am an experienced repair tech". Or something similar or whatever you think will work. I usually give a short explanation of how the repair stops the chip from spreading and looks a lot better.

Most people will not be upset by this. I think the % of people who would be angry at this approach is quite low. I spent one afternoon only for a couple hours doing this and got a couple repairs and a fleet account. You also avoid the "do not call list" thing because they are calling you!

One caller said she was in marketing and this was the best idea she had seen in a really long time.

I think this could be easily overdone, that is, worked in one area too much so that you get the same people. They do have your phone # so you have to keep it polite and respectful even when they may not be. This probably wouldn't happen too often, but just like cold calling fleets, you will run on to jerks once in a while.

This also might work better in some areas than others, this was done in the midwest.

I posted this some time back and most people thought it wasn't a good idea or it wouldn't work for them. Well, if one or two people use this once in a while to fill in their schedule with paying customers, then it will be worth it to me to see people more successful because of this idea. It isn't mine by the way, but a friend of mine.

I have a great business at a tent site now and haven't used this in a long time, but writing about it here makes me wonder if I shouldn't try this again.