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You wake up one morning with a stabbing pain in your back. It’s in the lower part
and hard to reach. You decide to take some aspirin or Tylenol. It seems to help and
you forget about it. A week later you’re in the hospital in traction. What went wrong?

It’s a scenario that describes many small businesses that refuse to pay for
expert advertising advice. Sure, they know all about tire sales or Mexican food, but
what do they know about marketing? They try a few simple, inexpensive flyers or
local ads and yet, their restaurant or store remains empty. What went wrong?

Advertising is a business and a profession. People like myself spend years
learning the trade and learning some more. It never ends. Even with my degrees and
agency experience, I’m still learning. I’ve counseled thousands of companies over
the past thirty years and it’s amazing how many companies use the do-it-yourself
method of marketing in a hit-or-miss way. If you want to be successful, think about
the following:

(1) Why are you in business?

(2) What are your marketing qualifications?

(3) Do you want to stay in business?

(4) How much do you budget for advertising?

I would want to also know, as part of question 4, what part of that budget allows
for consulting services? Your basic business plan must include and promotional
program, but that can’t be conceived until you understand how you will reach your
customers and how they will find you. Whether it’s an advertising agency or a
consultant, invest in a professional as you would in an attorney or insurance agent.
The difference is that the advertising expert will make you money. The object of any
business is to be profitable but recognize your own limitations and stick with what
you know best. Leave the rest to the one’s that have spent years in their fields. In
the end, you’ll be further ahead and wiser for the choice.

Jeffrey Hauser was a sales consultant for the Bell System Yellow Pages for
nearly 25 years. He graduated from Pratt Institute with a BFA in Advertising
and has a Master’s Degree from Monmouth University. He had his own
advertising agency in Scottsdale, Arizona and ran a consulting and design
firm, ABC Advertising. He has authored 6 books and a novel, “Pursuit of the
Phoenix,” available at amazon.com. His latest book is, “Inside the Yellow
Pages.”

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You don’t even know whether your program is working or not. Sure, you think it’s fine, but you also don’t call the doctor when you have a severe cough or cold. It’s the same thing. Of course, you have to recognize you actually have a problem to begin with. Your miserable promotions won’t hack and sneeze to alert you. But they still may be ill just the same. So how can you tell?

You could ask yourself a few simple questions. Then you will know if you are wasting time and money on your current campaign:

• Are you tracking every customer?
• Do you know what part of the ad or ads that brought them in?
• Do you know how often you should change your ad?
• Are you advertising in the same place as your competition?
• Are you missing any customers?

Take a look at question two. Do you have an effective headline or picture, in your ad? If you’re not sure, you didn’t track the results properly. What if it’s attracting the wrong type of customer? For instance, if you sell tires, are they always coming in asking for the low-priced, discount types? If so, wouldn’t you make more selling the high-end, longer-lasting ones? Perhaps it’s the advertising message that’s causing the trouble. An easy fix might be to change your approach and stress the warranty and quality of the item, rather than the price. Without feedback, you’ll never be able to seek out the offender. Especially if you run several ads in different media.

The solution is to retain a trained professional. One that is experienced in designing and recommending effective marketing. After all, you probably pay an accountant and that person is strictly overhead. A true advertising consultant can make you money by tapping the right kind of customer and luring them in. But, if you have a limited budget, you could begin with a good book instead. How about one written by a rep who worked for the Bell System for 25 years. It’s a cheaper way to go and still might provide ways to spruce up your current program.

Jeffrey Hauser’s latest book is, “Inside the Yellow Pages,” which can be viewed at http://www.poweradbook.com

He was a sales consultant for the Bell System Yellow Pages for nearly 25 years. He graduated from Pratt Institute with a BFA in Advertising and has a Master’s Degree in teaching. He had his own advertising agency in Scottsdale, Arizona and ran a consulting and design firm, ABC Advertising. Currently, he is the Marketing Director for thenurseschoice.com, a Health Information and Doctor Referral site.

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