Distributing business cards for computer repairs start up

makara

I had some cards made, and dropped about 80 in a local road's letterboxes.  No responses so far, but then computer repairs aren't as in demand as plumbers etc.

Any tips on an alternative way to distribute them? Bit wary of leaving them under car wipers

Browntoa

I've tried this , leaflet distribution or business cards was a failure 

Newsagents windows , failure

Local Facebook groups better response

Downsides , get rid of malware and viruses of a pc , they ring up a month later "it's still infected" when it's actually because they are back on the dodgy sites you removed and told them was the source.

I gave up

makara

Thanks for the feedback.  Only had one customer like that, who kept using his adult daughter's university laptop to surf !!!!!!, and after I fixed it he kept calling me for the next 4 days, complaining something else had gone wrong with it.  I eventually told him I am busy, and parted ways.  Thereafter I told customers that once a PC leaves my premises (or I leave their premises) anything that subsequently goes "wrong" will incur a call-out charge.  It's worked, as no one reports problems - or the ones that do come back stump up the money.

General_Grant

As a recipient of such a card (or leaflet) through my door, I would send it to recycling as I wouldn't want someone I don't know having access to my computer.  It would be like letting someone access my computer because they phoned saying they were from Microsoft and they could see there was something wrong with my PC but they could fix it . . .

I would only take a personal recommendation from someone I knew and trusted.

makara

Thanks, interesting perspective.  

My existing customers have been asking me to give (some) cards to them to give to people they know

- I guess that falls into the realm of "personal recommendation"

cymruchris

If I needed someone to fix a computer I'd go by a personal recommendation - -and as above wouldn't trust my pc to someone who had left a card in my letterbox. 

Slinky

I used to run a community magazine which we hand delivered through doors. We used to have 2-3 computer bods advertising at any one time and they did well. People, particularly older people, trust the advertisers in their local magazines far more than random cards and leaflets that come through. Is there something similar in your area?

80 cards isn't anything like enough to elicit immediate responses. We were delivering 4000 magazines a month.

makara

Not sure there currently is, although I believe there has been in the past.  Thanks for the idea, I'll do some digging 

makara

Slinky said:

80 cards isn't anything like enough to elicit immediate responses. We were delivering 4000 magazines a month.

Thanks, I already have 2000 business cards, and revamped the design then ordered 2000 more...so about 4000 in total now. 

I take your point about 80 not being enough...might deliver say 400 more to see if I get responses...

makara

Slinky said:

80 cards isn't anything like enough to elicit immediate responses. We were delivering 4000 magazines a month.

So is it a numbers game? My 4000 cards cost £60 in total...if I deliver all of them in my local area, to 4000 doors...the expectation / hope is that at least a few of those 4000 homes will respond...netting me hopefully more business than the £60 cost incurred? 

lincroft1710

makara said:

Slinky said:

80 cards isn't anything like enough to elicit immediate responses. We were delivering 4000 magazines a month.

So is it a numbers game? My 4000 cards cost £60 in total...if I deliver all of them in my local area, to 4000 doors...the expectation / hope is that at least a few of those 4000 homes will respond...netting me hopefully more business than the £60 cost incurred? 

Who knows?


Anyone else offering computer repairs in the area?