TW (and others) Very good discussin. IMHO

Originally Posted by MichaelRoss

TW,

Isn't that the Logic of the Yellow Pages? You don't need to convince someone to use your Type of service - they already want to which is why they are looking in the Yellow Pages. You just need to convince them to use You Instead-Of Your Competitor.

>>>>>>>>>> Re: Yellow pages. The type of biz that does best there are the same types of biz's that do best on the web. They are also the types of biz's for whom bugging people would do no good at all. They are what I call if-you-need-it-you-need-it-if-you-don't-you-don't types of biz's (ex: tow trucks, travel agents, dating services). Problem is, many biz's THINK they are in that category, when they are not. Most biz's are NOT that kind of biz. But when they think they are, they mistakenly believe the entirety of their potential customers are the same group as 'people already looking for what I have.' The GENIUS of pre-paid legal was that it TRANSFORMED an only-if-you-need-it type of biz INTO a 'regular' biz -- OPENNING THE DOOR to bugging-style marketing ----- thus getting EXPONENTIALLY MORE customers. Note: The infomercial about the Little Giant Ladder is directed at people NOT already looking for a ladder -- yet I'm sure that infomercial sells MASSIVELY better than any lying-in-wait style marketing, no matter what the 'conversion rate' might be. In other words, if they focused on people who ARE looking for a ladder -- and snagged a giant % of THEM, that would STILL PALE in comparison (1/10?) to how many they sell by going after those *qualified* people who are NOT already looking for a ladder -- as counterintuitive as that may be! Ideally, push ads CHANGE people! Pull ads merely 'take advantage' of already-existing 'momentum,' of which there usually isn't any to speak of. I'd rather get my food as a bat does, not like a spider does. Although there are some pretty big spiders out there! --- You never said which side of the debate you fall on.

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And your Advice to the CEOs might be as simple - dudes, you has gots to spend money on advertising and bug the heck out of people and profits will come. But, it's the same message they hear from all the people selling ad space.
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>>>>>>>>>>>>> The difference is the 'performance-based' fees. If what I say doesn't work, pay me nothing. That does differ from the newspaper or radio rep, for instance.


-- TW