Earlier last week, I decided to put together some bandit signs, so when I go out next time, they'll all be ready to put up. So, I nailed together six signs and left them in my car all week. Saturday morning, I wake up about 4am and decide to get up and put the signs up. This will give me time to get back, take a quick shower and still get some sleep in. I figure 4am on a Saturday morning - who's going to be up? So I come to the first place and start hammering the sign into the ground. Crack! - the sign splits in half. So, I run back to the car, get another sign and same thing! $#@%&*!!! So I run back to the car again, and I can't believe my luck - the third sign splits as well! We are in the heart of summer here in central Texas, with temps regularly hovering around 100 degrees and no rain, therefore, the ground is massively dry and hard. I figure that coupled with the signs baking in my car all week, led to their being brittle and splitting. Well, I managed to get the 4th sign in the ground and moved on to my second placement.
When I got to the second spot, I pulled off to the shoulder of a turn-around of a major intersection. There was a car stopped at the light, and I sat in the car with the lights off until the car left. Well, the car took off when the light turned green and I got out of the car. Just then three vehicles pulled up to the light. One vehicle had a person literally dangling out the window yelling and laughing at someone in one of the other cars. I figured these were late (VERY late) night party-goers on their way home. I decided for safety reasons to get back in the car. Once they left, I got back out of the car and put up sign #2. Luckily for me, the ground was softer where I put this sign up and it went in without splitting. With one sign remaining, I decided to just put it up on the opposite side of the same intersection. I put it up, went home, showered, and snored away until around 8am, when my daughter woke us both up.
No calls at all on Saturday.
Sunday, I received a call while grocery shopping. I usually do the grocery shopping for the family, because my wife isn't really feeling up-to-snuff these days (i.e., morning sickness). While shopping, my cell phone rang and I looked at the number. It had the same area code and same first 3 digits of my wife's number, so I thought it was her. I hit connect and couldn't hear a thing, so I said "hello". I could hear a faint sound on the other end, so I thought it was either a crank call or a bad connx, and hung up. I looked at the number again, and thought it was too wierd how the numbers were so identical. I recieved another call later in the day when I had guests over at our house. I had the phone on mute, so I didn't realize I got a call until sometime later. Whoever it was didn't leave a message. The area code was from way outside my farm area, too. It was late, so I'll try to call them back on Monday.
Aside from my very first week of placing bandit signs, I've had very few calls and -0- leads. I am beginning to wonder if it's worth dragging myself out of bed early on Saturday every week and put these things up. I realize persistence and exposure are keys to marketing and I need to continue. If I even get one worthwhile deal out of using them, it will be more than worth it.
1 comment:
You may be right. When I put out my very first batch of signs, I received 5+ calls. Unfortunately one was from the code enforcment where House #1 is located. They forgot one of my signs, and the next week I got another call from theem. So I'm a little leary of putting anymore signs up in that city's jurisdiction. I could put the signs up on Saturday mornings and take them down when I go to work the following Monday, but that's a lot of work (and time).
I think I'll continue doing what I'm doing (i.e., focusing on "funnel" routes with bandit signs) and add additional marketing techniques to the fold (such as my biz and post cards). I have another meeting with my CPA this week to go over entity creation and taxes, and, hopefully, I'll come away with an LLC (and name). I'll then order some biz cards with the name to look more professional.
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