Remember this postcard, It didn't work !!

[jerry ACC]

This was my first attempt at randomly sent poatcards. Tried this out when I first started just a little over two years ago. Sent 500 out and did not recieve a single call. My wife says the poop was too much, but everyone I showed it too got a kick out of it. I was hoping it might create a buzz. I know I should have had Wayne design one but I am more BD than most, and thought my creative side was good enough. Lesson Learned.

 

[John G.]

The poop looked fake, if you are going to use shit in ads, use good shit man.

 

[Wayne Miller]

Unfortunately, 500 isn't going to tell you much.

 

[MarkCermak]

Unfortunately, 500 isn't going to tell you much.

My thoughts exactly.

 

[Bjorn]

500 is a good test

if you get no response it sucks

is that a Wayne miller masterpiece?

the dog picking up the poo just might be a little over the top for most customers and could be insulting to some of the pet owners your trying to reach.


glad you did not send out 5000 of those eh?

 

[Desk Jockey]

is that a Wayne miller masterpiece?

I doubt it, it doesn't look like his work at all. Not to knock the piece but it looks more like something I would do in Publisher.

Wayne has better software and a lot more talent than I.

 

[Bjorn]

Merty has more talent than you

 

[renegade_cowboy]

I can see that not working. Use soft colors and positive feeling pics you will get better results. And listen to your wife she is closer to your target market.

Have a good day.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Merty has more talent than you

Porkchop? Only at making a shoe smell!

 

[Bruce Humphrey]

LMAO I remember when you first posted this card a few years back, best post card ever. Not saying I would use it , but it is the best card ever.

 

[truckmount girl]

I want to know how to train my dogs to do that!

I don't know about carpet cleaning, but that would be a great ad if you were a dog trainer!!

Take care,
Lisa

 

[Ron K]

Kind of looks like what the dog is scooping up.

If your first impression is shit you've made a lasting impression.

 

[hogjowl]

I sometimes wonder is Terri reads threads before he posts in them?

 

[rhyde]

it's funny but ...i simply don't like the add there's nothing emotionally rewarding with the add and it's leaving a negative impression in the sense that people don't want to think about shit on their carpet regardless of who's picking it up and some will find a steaming pile of poo offensive.

 

[Dolly Llama]

a pile CRAP on the carpet would seem to be a real loser..... :roll:


..L.T.A.

 

[rick imby]

Repeat it. Repetition works. At the beginning you were not known by anyone.

The results might be totally different now.

But then the results might be exactly the same.

It is funny though.

Rick

__________________
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[Cameron1]

Nice looking card I thought, but................................ in the 32 years that I have been doing this I have noticed that the simple black and white card has always worked better for us. We just keep recycling the same ole cards every few years.

That along with a few new ones from Jon and Don that we slip in from time to time.

 

[randy]

Kind of like a security alarm salesman coming into a home and rattling off rape statistics in front of the wife and daughter. It just disgust the recipient. You need a post card that shows a positive outcome and result. People are buying benefits and GROSS rarely sells anything.

Do you see Tampex or Maxipad running ads that gross out the market place ?
No , they sell benefits, dryness, sanitary, healthy, cleanliness, relief, privacy, and a "guarantee" that the user will not be embarrassed in public.

This may sound really bizarre but you need to hit a certain isle at Walmart and read a few packages, watch a few feminine product commercials ( I mean really pay attention) and then hit the library. Grab a few women's magazines and do a little reading of the ads. Guess what ? No gross stuff in the ads.

Some studies show women making 80% of carpet cleaning decisions. We sell the same benefits as the above mentioned products, just in a different category of life ( thank God) .

Your post card would be revolting to most house wives, frankly if a bunch of crude carpet cleaners like your ad DON'T run it. :roll:
Prochem could probably run the same picture in ICS selling pet products to the carpet cleaner and do well with it.

The average housewife is a hell of a lot smarter than the average carpet cleaner and she has different views of what is funny, cute, and acceptable. That's about as concise as I can put it. The quality of the printing, full color & graphics are great. You just need a different " sell ".

Well I'm glad this post is over. :shock:

 

[Green Carpet Clean]

Made me laugh... good try!

 

[rhino1]

Unfortunately, 500 isn't going to tell you much.

500 mailings to a targeted area is plenty in my area. If I didn't get 5 to 10 jobs from a mailing I would go back to the drawing board.

Frankly, I think the card is embarrassing to the homeowner. Many customers don't want to even tell you their dog took a dump on their carpet, much less see it in full color.

Funny to me, yes. But I don't hire carpet cleaners.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

Never embarrass your customer. Years back I'd show them the dirty water. I think it was a mistake.

I now never tell them how "dirty" their carpet is while cleaning it. Instead I note how "clean and nice" it is coming out. Subtle but effective change.

 

[hogjowl]

I did something similarly stupid. Had a lady tell me once that her dog never went in the house, even though the place smelled like a piss pit. So, I went out and got my black light and showed her all the piss in the house.

Never heard from that lady again ...

 

[Bjorn]

that's a good trick to never talk to your muther inlaw

 

[billyeadon]

We are selling the end results to the customer. We are not trying to convince them what slobs they are.

The founder of Revlon said "In our factories we make cosmetics; in our stores we sell hope."

We sell beautiful clean, healthy homes for our customers families. That is why I never liked ads that stated "Got Dirt" While every home has dirt no wants to admit to it.


Thanks for telling us about th results. It takes a confident person to admit their error. And we have all made plenty.

Bill Yeadon
www.strategiesforsuccess.com

 

[hogjowl]

My Easy Marketing?

 

[randy]

Never embarrass your customer. Years back I'd show them the dirty water. I think it was a mistake.

I now never tell them how "dirty" their carpet is while cleaning it. Instead I note how "clean and nice" it is coming out. Subtle but effective change.

I can top that ! In my first year I actually had a clear "demo bucket" :roll: . I would drain the water out of that 75 PSI portable (yep 75 PSI was once pretty much the standard portable pump back then) and show it to the customer. Then we were supposed to knock on the next doors neighbors on each side and the home across the street and show them how dirty their neighbors carpet was "after only 4 years since the last cleaning" and pitch the neighbors. I would show the demo bucket to the customer, but never once knocked on a door with that bucket of dirty water. They kept hassling me about it as I would just leave a business card and a price quote without the "demo". They claimed that every job should get you another customer because of that dam demo bucket and I wasn't selling anyone ! LOL

In a few weeks they fired me. I then spent the next year working for around a dozen carpet cleaning "companies". I even bought my very own 75 PSI extractor & Hild rotary. I still have the picture that my sister took of me standing in front of that dam box extractor. No one will every see it, it's like a private joke. I take it out of my desk, look at it and bust up laughing. Finally after working for several large department store rug rat operations, Sears, Macys home services, and a dry foam company, I started doing sub-contract work for a owner operator. You know he actually confiscated my demo bucket.

For you guys that need a different guru every week, a well known instructor (that still teaches) actually came up with that demo bucket idea. How many of you will run out looking for clear buckets tomorrow.

 

[randy]

I did something similarly stupid. Had a lady tell me once that her dog never went in the house, even though the place smelled like a piss pit. So, I went out and got my black light and showed her all the piss in the house.

Never heard from that lady again ...

You guys are really getting me tonight. I got thrown out of a house once doing that !

 

[tmdry]

That's funny Randy.

So did you become your own boss now?

My aunt lives up there.

 

[Mikey P]

For you guys that need a different guru every week, a well known instructor (that still teaches) actually came up with that demo bucket idea. How many of you will run out looking for clear buckets tomorrow.

Jasper?



I too am guilty of embarrassing the customer.

I'd guess 25% will find a full vacuum cup interesting and the other %75 an insult like Lee says.