ok..how many of you guys are using the jon don news letter??

[davegillfishing]

mods i put this here because i wanted as many people to see it as possible. please leave it for a few days if you can.
i am just about to jump into their newsletter program but before i pull the trigger i wanted some end user results, pro's, cons, goods and bads..
please dont hold back. i doubt with jon dons rep they would put something shitty out there but i want a realistic "i use it or i stopped using it response".
we have 1087 customers in our customer base but could clean it up a little.
do you touch everyone or just over a certain dollar amount spent..meaning do you exclude the only mins and send it to the 200.00 and up's or what.
thanks
dave

 

[Brian R]

Didn't work for me but I didn't do it very long. It might be better now. This was about 4 years ago.

 

[hogjowl]

You mean they ACTUALLY have one?

 

[Walt]

One of my customers gets it from another cleaner in the area. She always saves it for me (I have no idea why). I just say thank you.

 

[davegillfishing]

wow..this is not looking so good. i was expecting at least a few yes's..
hhmmm

 

[Brian R]

The newsletter goes out to your existing custy list. It's just a way to keep in contact with them. I am not sure I believe in the "in your face every month" angle from the carpet cleaner. I like getting in touch with my customers every 6 months and if there not ready I will ask them when I should call back. I make notes on my Quickbooks and in my scheduler and then call them back. I like doing it over the phone because it it personal. Its just a lot of phone calls to be made.

Ever try voiceblast? You can send pre-recorded anouncements to your customers. I tried it once and got a few pist customers so I stopped. I did get a few calls but I probably would have gotten them without the phoneblast...who knows.

 

[Brian R]

If you call your 6 month customers every month...it tends to be alot less calls to be made. You could probably do it in a day.

 

[davegillfishing]

i am not really a fan of calling them because it is intrusive in my opinion..i would much rather send them something so they can look at it in their spare time on their terms not mine..
i was thinking every month was a little much also. i am cool with every other or every 3rd month..i am now doing the 6 month and 1 year thing and feel it is just a little not enough..

 

[bmas]

I have been using the newletter for about a year. I am very happy with the results. I do not mail every month but when I do the newletter always more than pays for itself. My customers tell me that the enjoy getting it. I might be in the minority but I like it so far. It is also very easy to use
Brad Mastrangelo

 

[Aaron Richards]

I am using the program and must say that I have been pleased with the results. All positive feedback from my customers, and they say they enjoy it. I am currently mailing every month, but am considering going to every other month in 2009. I've only been in the program since May, but have been happy with the results so far. Wish they'd get that postcard thing up and running!

 

[davegillfishing]

ok so you can decide how often it go's out? i didnt know that..i thought it had to go out once a month.

 

[davep105]

I have been doing it since May also. My customers like it a lot, always get good comments on it. I wish it was in color, I really like how its personalized with each customers name. I have been doing it every month, I think I'm going to start with every other next year? I think that Its something that takes some time to have really good results from?

 

[DRScrivner]

Wish they'd get that postcard thing up and running!

Bill Y. demoed "My Easy Marketing" for us at SFS on Tuesday- it looks awesome!

Can't speak to delivery time, but Bill is hopefull it will be soon.

(I think mostly because they are holding his supply of Guinness until it's ready for roll out.)

 

[Carpet Cleaning Fool]

anyone know what the current going rate is per piece for the Jon Don newletter?

 

[Ernie G]

We do a news letter quartly, its not djs, we also do postcards etc: in between, just to keep in touch. Soft cell, mostly educational-we have been doing something every month for a long time. Our client list is rated-A,B,C, not everyone gets something every month. Next year we are going to cut back to 8-times a year.

 

[Carpet Cleaning Fool]

Jon Don's newletter is top notch. I liked it better then the Joe Polish monthly newsletter. But, it seemed like the cost was getting out of control. Especially with postage now a days.

You figure postage alone on 1000 newsletters would be about $450. Then you add the printing and administration fee's and it could easily run you $900 a month. I admit, a monthly newsletter is great but that kind of money buys you a respectable color ad in the local yellow pages.

Any advice you could share would be great.

 

[TimP]

Yellow page is a waste of money. There aren't many in mine and I'm the first display ad on the page. I don't get hardly squat from it. I may break even from it. I get a lot more from the newspaper at 2.5 times the cost per month. I know with it I'm breaking even or a bit better. The best source for advertising by far has been our carpet store that my in-laws own.

I don't run any news letters so I don't know how well it works. I've thought about the jon-don news letter but I haven't done anything for sure.

 

[Ernie G]

I don't do yellow pages, have'nt had an add in the yp in 20yrs. it just brings you a bunch of price shoppers.

 

[Terry]

Dave,
I've been using it for 4 years and very happy with the program. I'd let it go to all your list for the first few months and then examine your list for the last time they called you and find a cut off line like 2, 3 years.
Program will be better (more flexibility and options)if and when new marketing program comes out.

Contact if you need more info.

Terry

 

[Brian R]

Email newsletters are the way to go. Most people who use computers are going to do so in there office, which means they have a job and can afford your high end cleaning.

I just think paper is getting to be a thing of the past...not just yet but it's getting there.


pm me if you want a good company for Email marketing.

 

[billyeadon]

Without seeming salesy thought I would answer a couple of questions. The cost for the 1:1 which means you do nothing other than upload your list and choice of coupons is 119.00 a month plus approximately .55 per newsletter.
This means for 1000 news letters it would be 119.00 + 550.00 = 669.00 So about .69 per newsletter. If you do it 12 times a year it would cost you 8.28 to be in front of a previous customer every month. I can't think of anything else that is that cheap.

Lets say that you get a 99% failure rate. Or for you positive thinkers a 1% success rate.
That would be 10 customers booked a job. If your average job is 150.00 (certainly not outrageous) that would be 1500.00 per month. 1500.00 - 669.00 = 831.00 to the good.

Tell me that mailing to previous customers that you can't get better than 1%.

Now you could do them yourself. Be creative, write them, print them, fold them, place the little sticky thing on them, and the take them to the post office and mail them.

We think you should mail them monthly but we don't force you to do that. You choose when you want them to go.

Finally we believe in guarantees. If you try the program for 6 months straight and you say Big Billy suckered me in with his smooth talk and I don't think it worked like he said we will give you back your 6 month fees 6 x 119.00 = 714.00.

Tell me how you can go wrong.

 

[billyeadon]

Mr. Odin,

If you consider keeping your compny name in front of your customer as brand building then I would say no you can't do it too much. Even if they throw it away they saw your name. That is the important thing.

Second point: the majority of our customers are not old crochety Menudo smoking guys so the newsletter would not be designed to target you.

But you do have good taste in women and sunglasses.

 

[Carpet Cleaning Fool]

hey billyeadon,

One of the biggest obstacles preventing me from the newsletter (besides expense) is list management. Currently, I track all my clients using a software program called Quickbooks Pro 2008. It does a fantastic job of tracking client info, A/R, history, etc..

Unfortunately, when you export the Customer List from Quickbooks to an Excel spreadsheet it lumps the City, State, and Zip code into “one field”. No way around it. Everything can still be neatly sorted by zip code by clicking the appropriate “field” then “sort”. But, city, state and zip are in one field non-the-less.

The problem is that Jondon requires the city, state and zip to be in three separate “fields”. Personally, I’m too busy getting dog pee out of carpet (and posting on Mikeysboard) to key-in 500 records every month. Is there any chance you can have your top NERD look into this issue? I don’t think Quickbooks is going away anytime soon and I’m too lazy to keep track of two databases every month.

Thanks,

The Fool

 

[billyeadon]

hey billyeadon,

One of the biggest obstacles preventing me from the newsletter (besides expense) is list management. Currently, I track all my clients using a software program called Quickbooks Pro 2008. It does a fantastic job of tracking client info, A/R, history, etc..

Unfortunately, when you export the Customer List from Quickbooks to an Excel spreadsheet it lumps the City, State, and Zip code into “one field”. No way around it. Everything can still be neatly sorted by zip code by clicking the appropriate “field” then “sort”. But, city, state and zip are in one field non-the-less.

The problem is that Jondon requires the city, state and zip to be in three separate “fields”. Personally, I’m too busy getting dog pee out of carpet (and posting on Mikeysboard) to key-in 500 records every month. Is there any chance you can have your top NERD look into this issue? I don’t think Quickbooks is going away anytime soon and I’m too lazy to keep track of two databases every month.

Thanks,

The Fool

George,
I can certainly see the importance of posting on MB after all what am I doing. I will pass it on to our newsletter staff (not sure if they want to be listed as top nerd) and get you an answer.

OK now you can get back to the glories of dog pee.

 

[Carpet Cleaning Fool]

Respectfully,

everybody knows "staff" can sometimes run interference for the real policy makers. They never know of the real issues affecting thousands of people. I'm curious what the top nErD has to say about it. Can he do it? Can it be done? if so, sign me up today for the newsletter!! If not, I'll go back to sniffing dog pee.

Ps. I already know what staff is going to say.

 

[Brian R]

My Quick Books keeps them separated.
Are you exporting Bill to or Job Address?
How you input info might affect it.

Just exported my whole list for some jumbo card mailers.

 

[Carpet Cleaning Fool]

Correction, I'm using version 2007. I export "bill to" and "Job address" to excel and the city, state and zip are lumped into one field. I am unable to break it down any forther. Is it okay if i contact you via phone sometime? if so, please message me you # and best time to reach you.

Thanks!

 

[Brian R]

When you export, you can choose either Job addres or Bill to address but,
You can also pic name, street, city, state, zip or whatever else. I believe that is what separates it. I will have to do it again to make sure.

Remember to UN-check what ever you DON'T want on the Export list.

 

[Carpet Cleaning Fool]

Cool, If we can resolve my database problem I'll sign up for the newsletter

 

[Carpet Cleaning Fool]

FYI,

Jondon's top nerd (Jeff) called today and resolved my database issue in QuickBooks that prevented me from uploading my client list to their newsletter website. In other words, they fixed my freakin QuickBooks duuuude......

I really don't enjoy sniffing dog pee, and I try to be a person of my word, so i will contact their newsletter department ASAP and sign up for their 1 to 1 marketing. It will be another advertising expense I can't afford but I have faith in Jondon's ability to produce a respectable ROI (return on investment) via their newsletter service.

It was a difficult decision for me because I am a true die-hard Joe Polish fan. He offers (or he used to) a competing newsletter service. I still feel some loyalty towards Joe Polish because he is the original pioneer of carpet cleaning marketing. But, lately he seems to have lost touch, focus, and passion towards carpet cleaners.

The passion I used to see in Joe Polish I now see in the folks over at Jondon. So, thanks Joe Polish!!! It’s been real… But, I’m with Jondon now.

The Fool.

Ps. Thanks billyeadon for the Jon Don follow thru.
Pps. And thank you Brian Robison for alerting me that Quickbooks could be causing the problem.
Pppps.
Ppppps.
Pppppps.
Ppppppps.
Pppppppps. Sorry about all the Ps's. It's an inside joke. Does anybody recognize it?