Why the Yellow Pages is the Small Business’s Best Friend

I sold Yellow Page ads for 25 years. During that time, I dealt with mostly the local mom and pop type businesses. The reason was simple. The large companies chose the more expensive media to promote their national chains. So Home Depot would have their ads in the Sunday newspaper as a flyer and of course on TV and radio. But I worked with people like Freds Ace Hardware, and they were delighted to be listed under a dozen headings in the directory. Thats because they knew something that the big box boys didnt. When the guy down the street needed paint or a screen replacement, they would head for the Yellow Pages to see who had what. Sure, everyone knows Home Depot but not everyone shops there. It may be because they are TOO big. The parking is harder, the products more spaced out and tougher to find, the salespeople difficult to track down, and the lines are longer at the checkout. For whatever reason, some people will still shop at the Ace Hardware, when given the choice.

For service businesses, the decison is even easier. If you are a TV repair guy or the local locksmith, an ad in just about any other media is a waste of time and costly in comparison. The reason is obvious; when someone has a broken washer or whatever, they normally will head for the Yellow Pages. Yes, they might wander over to the computer and search the net, but the old-fashioned book still has some advantages.

To start with, you can scan many ads at once. You can call the business and write down information directly on the ad itself. You can even tear out the page, or a coupon, if they have one. And not everyone has Internet access or high-speed at that. But everyone has a Yellow Pages and theyre always free to use.

Finally, regardless of the budget that the small business has available, they can always afford a Yellow Page ad, even if its just a one-line listing in a less-used heading. And many of the alphabetical, in-column ads, start at just a few dollars a month. The business can target their market by only going in the local area directories that reach those they are selling to, while ignoring others, if they choose. That way, they save money and can concentrate on the places where they profit the most.

Therefore, in summary, for the average small business, whether offering a product or service, the local Yellow Pages can be a huge partner for success. To discover more, contact your Yellow Page representative. Or, to learn about the advantages of Yellow page advertising and how to design effective ads for less, go to my website at: http://poweradbook.com for an overview of the industry and stories about how other small businesses used the Yellow Pages to increase their customer base. Youll be glad you did while saving money and increasing sales; faster than you can say, Wolley Segap to the rescue!

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 in teaching. 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." His latest book is, "Inside the Yellow Pages" which can be seen at his website, http://www.poweradbook.com and he is currently the Marketing Director for http://www.thenurseschoice.com a Health Information and Doctor Referral site.

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