Multi Truck companies What do you budget for advertising?

[TomKing]

Multi Truck owners
How many trucks are you running?
What are you budgeting for advertising?
How often do you market to your customers?

We currently run 4-5 daily in our busy season. 3-4 in the winter.
We are spending about 9% this year. A little under where I would like to be.
I try to touch our customer 2-3 times per month.

How about you?

 

[Lee Stockwell]

30 years ago Bill Bane said their CC biz targeted 17% for marketing. Of course "marketing" is more that just advertising by itself.

Finding that magic number will be akin to nailing down jello.

 

[ruff]

I would have loved to help, Tom.

Once I have graduated to keeping (holding?) a helper for more than 9 months I'd be sure to contact you.

In the meantime, JFYI my advertisement budget is 2.19% of gross.

But then I am old, stubborn and Israeli.

 

[Able 1]

I don't pay much more then servicemonster for all of my advertizing, though I'm not a true multi trucker yet.. Ran two for the last 4 days with 3 guys and 2 vans with 2 guys for 2 weeks made more then I ever did.. Next year I plan to fix all my loose ends, and spend some money advertizing. I am picking up big accounts due to only word of mouth, but I am small.. I need to focus on residential work. Having another truck out there makes working more fun.. I take the longer drives, and smaller jobs.

I always think of it as my prices are in the middle, but I don't dump any money into ads, and we are busy.. Good enough for now!

What has been your best ROI Tom?

 

[Desk Jockey]

But than I am old, stubborn and Israeli.

Typically 3-4% but we're 80% restoration, we run 2-4 carpet crews in summer, 1-2 in winter

We're in touch at least once a quarter by mail or direct contact

2-3 in a month WOW!

 

[Mark Saiger]

I don't know if my 2 vans is considered a multi truck, but I shoot to be in the 7% or less....

 

[hogjowl]

Too bad you can't talk to Ken Snow.

 

[thecleaningdude]

Direct contact would be telephone or face to face? How do you treat residential vs. commercial with your direct contact methods?

Typically 3-4% but we're 80% restoration, we run 2-4 carpet crews in summer, 1-2 in winter

We're in touch at least once a quarter by mail or direct contact

2-3 in a month WOW!

 

[WillS]

2 to 3 times a month? Seems a lot. What are you sending them or are you calling them? Emailing? All 3, 2 to 3 times a month?

 

[TomKing]

We did several times.

Too bad you can't talk to Ken Snow.

 

[TomKing]

And today they run maybe 1 1/2 trucks.

17% would be high.
Most target 9-11%
15% would be aggressive.

Owners with 20 year old business might be able to get away with 3-5%
In a large metro area that would be tough,

[video=youtube;SyxWWYeXKBw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyxWWYeXKBw[/video]

30 years ago Bill Bane said their CC biz targeted 17% for marketing. Of course "marketing" is more that just advertising by itself.

Finding that magic number will be akin to nailing down jello.

 

[TomKing]

Will I am not going to layout my schedule online sorry.

2 to 3 times a month? Seems a lot. What are you sending them or are you calling them? Emailing? All 3, 2 to 3 times a month?

 

[Shane Deubell]

We are not multi residential, 90% commercial or so.

Its low, under 5% BUT a bogus number because that doesnt account for the countless hours i put in prospecting, emails,estimates, follow ups, etc.
I enjoy the hunt though, so its not really work...

 

[TomKing]

Some motivation for those commercial sales calls. LOL
[video=youtube;V_vQFFCscds]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_vQFFCscds[/video]

We are not multi residential, 90% commercial or so.

Its low, under 5% BUT a bogus number because that doesnt account for the countless hours i put in prospecting, emails,estimates, follow ups, etc.
I enjoy the hunt though, so its not really work...

 

[Desk Jockey]

Direct contact would be telephone or face to face? How do you treat residential vs. commercial with your direct contact methods?

Damon that would be for commercial and it is face to face. Residential the only real time we see them face to face for marketing would be Home Shows or events similar to that.

 

[Joe Appleby]

4.5%

 

[Brian H]

Multi Truck owners
How many trucks are you running?
What are you budgeting for advertising?
How often do you market to your customers?

We currently run 4-5 daily in our busy season. 3-4 in the winter.
We are spending about 9% this year. A little under where I would like to be.
I try to touch our customer 2-3 times per month.

How about you?

What do you include in the budget? Is it purely the price you pay for radio, TV print ads and the internet? Are you including any salaries associated with that number such as advertising coordinator (even if it's only part of someone's salary)? Are your Yellow Pages advertising part of that number?

With all that we are at about 9% for the year so far. That number though should drop to about 8% by the end of the year.

We do not include salesperson's commissions in that number however.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Mine did not include the salary of our marketing person. So my 4% would go up a little.

Dan's and my time is free....that's about all its worth anyway!

 

[Joe Appleby]

4.5%

That's for direct mail, print ads and Adwords.

 

[idreadnought]

I run three trucks full time and growing. I figure 10% marketing and advertising. A good growth figure is 15% imo.

The amount spent for marketing can be misleading however. I tend to consider everything about my company marketing. This includes uniforms, van lettering and even training on the proper way to communicate with customers. I also do not figure in my time which I probably should do.

 

[Shane Deubell]

Some motivation for those commercial sales calls. LOL
[video=youtube;V_vQFFCscds]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_vQFFCscds[/video]

One of my favorite movies too!

 

[Askal]

We are 85% restoration and we're at a high of 9 and now at 4. Thanks to a referral and Internet program.

 

[tracywalker]

Do you budget based on what you are currently making or on what you want to make? I was told by a franchise owner that he had to spend 10% in advertising based on where he wanted to be. So if 200K in sales was his goal he spent 20 grand a year in advertising. I do a lot of repeat and commercial so my advertising cost is very low right now. Most of my marketing is based on my time and networking BNI, Chamber, Etc....