After now talking to my 6th or 7th sales person I'm increasingly convinced they go through some level of training. I think that because all of them continue to reach for a couple sentences in the dialogue that attempts to wipe away any credible reason you shouldn't dive in and purchase their advertising. Almost like a Jedi mind thing; for lack of a better description.
This round with me they did admit that I'm not to only one pointing out that the lion share or at least a boat load of my Yelp calls are price shoppers. This being my observation since about mid 2010. And yet she was (as they all have) completely unsympathetic that I simple don't respond to every 1 room price shopper. Not really believing that I can't "make money" on those calls. Right on cue after discussing the in's and out's of how to be profitable as a carpet cleaner they (she) steps right back in her disbelief that Yelp is bringing those calls because they stats and demographics don't support my observations. Again, I believe there is some training involved on their end. When the prospect starts to make sense and knows his/her way around a business conversation but isn't moving towards a kill shot, pop smoke and lay on some more disarming words.
It's been frustrating to me why my free Yelp callers changed from low hanging $200+ fruit before 2008 to what I get now. But with a little help from my Web master I believe I found the best reason; at least the best so far. I show up on Google very high in the search return when my town and even the larger neighbor town is included in the search words. To my surprise a little homework showed frequent Google search words like "cheap" or "discount". The frigging public is using them more often then I would ever have guessed. And what shows up on the search (cheap carpet cleaning my town, discount carpet cleaning my town)?.......my Yelp page, of course. Google is driving unprofitable traffic to my Yelp then to my phone. Before 2008 I converted 8 out of 10 calls from Yelp to $200+. It was gold. Now, I'm lucky to convert 1.5 into $119-$150. Perhaps I'm not alone.
In the end I've no complaints what so ever and I treat Yelp with kit gloves as their legal news speaks volumes. This old dog will continue to farm referrals and perhaps take advantage of social media. My baby boomers are dropping like flies and other younger repeaters and moving around like crazy. Gotta mix things up and stay loose....