Episode #51 – ValPak Coupons, Should You Reveal Your Prices on a Website, a Resource that Converts Voicemail to Email and SMS, and a BIG Marketing Lesson from DirecTV
April 8, 2009New to this website? View Episode #1 to bring you up to speed (we don't want you to miss out). Oh, and don't forget to sign up for show updates (top right corner of this page)
Episode #51 – “It’s funny how you think I’m listening” 
I hope you’re well. In this episode I start off with some (hopefully) revealing information about how best to use ValPak or a similar coupon service to promote your business in your local area. There’s some common mistakes that you can easily avoid, and I’ll point out the 4 biggest blunders that business owners make in using ValPak.
Next up, there’s a question about whether to reveal your company’s pricing online. Or is it better to have people submit a request for a quote? What do you think? I’ll give you my opinion, and the reasons why I believe it to be the right approach. Let me know if you agree or disagree.
I hate checking voice mails, and now I don’t have to with PhoneTag.com – it’s an inexpensive service that automatically intercepts your voicemail, transcribes the messages to text, and then emails you the response. Very cool, it definitely suits the way I like to work. Actually, it’s also great for when I’m in a meeting because I can READ voice messages on my phone, even while I’m still sitting in the meeting!
The BIG marketing lesson this week is from DirecTV, the well known satellite TV service provider in the U.S. DirecTV know what customers want, and they’ve found a way to avoid lots of unnecessary customer service calls, so the company benefits as well as the customers. I’ll show you how you can apply the principle in your business.
Websites and resources mentioned in the show:
The Continuity Summit (details to join me in Stamford, CT May 15-17th.)
PhoneTag (converts phone calls to emails or SMS messages)
NiftyClicks (discover the very latest web tools and resources)
Get a Private Telephone Consultation with me (to Help YOUR Business)
Microwave Marketing (Your Monthly Business Training System – special low price offer for you)
T-Shirts for the show are supplied by National Media Services (check out their excellent service)
Regards,
April 8th, 2009 at 5:04 am
Andrew…I usually give Valpak a quick once over, then toss it directly into the shredder. It’s very rarely that any of the offers stand out enough to catch my attention. I had one recently that did catch my eye, but when I went to check it out they had failed to print any contact information! There was no phone, no address and no website listed. I guess they thought I would look them up in the yellow pages. WRONG!
I wonder if these omisssions are the fault of the businesses or the people running the regional Valpak. As I understand it Valpak is a franchise type business, and it doesn’t require any real marketing experience to acquire a franchise.
Anyhow…another great show!
Jimm
April 8th, 2009 at 5:09 am
Andrew, I don’t see the seminar link at the bottom of the post.
April 8th, 2009 at 5:19 am
Hi Andrew!
Great episode this week! I found your ‘not to do’ tips on the ValPak book great. So many businesses don’t make the most of these booklets with their bad advertising. I always have a flick through them but I must admit I tend to think of them as book of ads not a book of great deals for me which just proves they are not offering the ‘what is in it for me’ factor. Oh and businesses that don’t mention their websites? GRRRR! I hate this, it’s a real pet peev of mine. I mean come on, do you want business or not?! The DirecTV guide is genius! Do you know how many calls to phone, cable and utility companies are ‘I don’t understand my bill, can you explain it to me’ calls? I’ve worked in these call centres before (and never again!) and I always wondered why they educated us on how to understand the bills so why not the customers? That guide is 10/10 – it has so many positives.
I look forward to next week’s episode on choosing business names. Until then
April 8th, 2009 at 5:50 am
What happened to the full screen availability?
April 8th, 2009 at 6:22 am
Andrew,
I own an exterior remodeling company. We have used val pak type books in the past to advertise. When I first started in business, I not have enough work to keep the couple friends working with me busy so we cut grass to fill the gaps. The coupon books would rustle up 1 or 2 remodeling estimates (hardly enough to make it worth it) but for the grass cutting I got about 50 calls with one run! Was this the add or the trade? I dont know. I think Jimm’s comment about the lack of advertising experience required to run such a business could not be more true. I traded the owner of the coupon business some work for an add and was surprised to find him printing and gluing the flip books together in his garage. They are usually the ones to do the artwork and if you don’t “edit” they’re designs you may get a poor add!
Another great show, I am at home waiting for my Directv guy to come re-aim my dish.
Steve
April 8th, 2009 at 8:02 am
Andrew,
I tend to throw away ValPak mailings without opening. I probably open 1 out of 3 just to see if maybe this time there is something relevant to my needs, rarely is there though.
I’m not sure if ValPak does this, I don’t think they do, but their advertisers would surely benefit from customized mailings so that ads reach relevant addresses. Of course this would involve more effort on the side of ValPak but if they are to compete in a digital age, they’ll need to become more customized to keep up. Plus, it shouldn’t be too hard to do since there is already an abundance of demographic info. for mailing addresses available.
Great episode.
Cheers,
Keith
April 8th, 2009 at 8:08 am
I generally look at the ValPak ads and then throw them away after picking out just one or two of the ads to keep–typically restaurant coupons.
April 8th, 2009 at 8:18 am
Hello Andrew,
Great show… This is a little off topic but I saw your presentation at the new media expo a few months ago, and you had mentioned a particular person (business/podcast provider) that built this site for you (made the wordpress modifications/tweaks to your liking).. Can you tell me who that was?
I’m building a new show right now and would like similar functionalities, etc added to my blog.
Thanks very much,
Mark
April 8th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Andrew – What do you think of this marketing ploy?
Subject: A Lesson In Marketing
How’s this for “Spin”……..
——————————————————————————–
THIS IS NOT ONLY TRUE, IT’S A RIOT! Read below the photo. —–
Judy Wallman, a professional genealogy researcher in southern California, was doing some personal work on her own family tree. She discovered that Harry (senator (D) from Nevada ) Reid’s great-great uncle, Remus Reid, was hanged for horse stealing and train robbery in Montana in 1889. Both Judy and Harry Reid share this common ancestor. The only known photograph of Remus shows him standing on the gallows in Montana territory.
On the back of the picture Judy obtained during her research is this inscription:
‘Remus Reid, horse thief, sent to Montana Territorial Prison 1885, escaped 1887, robbed the Montana Flyer six times. Caught by Pinkerton detectives, convicted and hanged in 1889.’
So Judy recently e-mailed Senator Harry Reid for information about their mutual great-great uncle. Believe it or not, Harry Reid’s staff sent back the following biographical sketch for her genealogy research:
‘Remus Reid was a famous cowboy in the Montana Territory. His business empire grew to include acquisition of valuable equestrian assets and intimate dealings with the Montana railroad. Beginning in 1883, he devoted several years of his life to government service, finally taking leave to resume his dealings with the railroad. In 1887, he was a key player in a vital investigation run by the renowned Pinkerton Detective Agency. In 1889, Remus passed away during an important civic function held in his honor when the platform upon which he was standing collapsed.’
Now that’s real POLITICAL SPIN! THAT is how it’s done folks!
April 8th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
Dear Lord I forgot what I was going to post!! The “REID” PR campaign had me in tears…..
April 8th, 2009 at 10:44 pm
I can’t believe it!
My boss and I were thinking about posting prices online, but we didn’t know if it would be a good idea.
My question got answered in episode #47 for my side business, so I said let’s “Ask Andrew” again.
So he submitted his question to find out what to do with his business.
My boss was right – Post your prices.
So now we are coming up with a Unique Selling Point (USP) to join forces with our public prices.
THANKS ANDREW!!! (again!)
April 10th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
thanks for that great video again. I will definitely bring this up with my boss to include in our business strategy.
Thanks Andrew!
April 13th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
Great comments everyone, thanks for your participation.
Mark,
The guy I recommend for WordPress help is Charles Stricklin. You can contact him at charles@four-oh.com – he has the #1 podcast about Wordpress, so he’s your guy for any Wordpress assistance.
Regards
Andrew
April 14th, 2009 at 10:52 pm
Hey, thanks for the great content, Andrew. I really like the blip about ValPak; I was very close to buying into some of their advertising a while back, but dropped out at the last minute for fear of poor ROI and that business had been picking up without it.
I think I may have made a mistake, though. I was thinking about this yesterday…when business is booming, I drop my advertising costs waay down, then pick them up again when times are slow, thus giving me a sine wave for a financial graph. It took me two years to realize that advertising and marketing must continue around the clock, regardless of how business is doing. I think I may have shot myself in the foot last fall when business was doing well, because we just finished the worst winter we have ever had (financially), but have come back to find ourselves in what is turning out to be the best month to date.
I’m babbling and talking through some thoughts to myself, so I apologize….but wow, is it ever important to stay consistent in marketing and advertising. Thanks, Andrew.
Dr. Scott
April 15th, 2009 at 1:32 am
You know, it’s so important to keep marketing during a recession. Most busineses curl up into a ball and hibernate, but of course that’s the worst thing to do. Dynamic, creative businesses will survive and even thrive in a recession.
Andrew
April 16th, 2009 at 6:21 pm
I totally agree with what you just said about the recession- we actually just developed a website to help people be creative and add video to their website b/c it’s so important to stand out in this economy
(it’s http://www.GetMevieo.com)
April 16th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
sorry typo! http://www.GetMeVideo.com, i typed too fast!
April 21st, 2009 at 7:02 am
Hi Andrew,
I just love your show learn something every time you are really providing a great service.
It’s funny I have always looked at the Val-paks that I receive in the mail, mostly because I was looking for a deal. Then when I started my e-commerce biz I knew that it could be another avenue for marketing my biz. I started really looking at the ads and thought some of the exact same things you have mentioned in this video.
Basically what’s in it for me, lol! Now I am equipped to see it in a new light and formulate my plan of attack to venture in the Val-Pak waters.
So after holding on to them for awhile mostly until the next one came in the mail, I would compare ads from what the same advertisers would place in the Val-pak and see if they changed something. I tell ya it was funny same mistakes were made. Mostly those hurry up offers gave no deadline for when one should hurry up.
Thanks for your tips of what not to do it really gives me a better look at what I should do and focus on.
Have a great day!
June 11th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
Good advice and interesting comments.
Valpak offers on-line coupons and mobile coupons to all of its advertisers. Over the past decade, it has grown significantly.
Valpak is targeted toward households with higher than average income. It is designed to appeal to the most influential consumer in America, the woman of the of house.
One common mistake business owners make is thinking their consumer opinions and habits reflect that of their customers.. Most often, they don’t.
Valpak is the largest producer and distributor of cooperative direct mail advertising in the advertising industry. Over 200 national franchises trust Valpak to generate business in all major markets and most secondary markets. About 89% of Valpak advertisers are repeat customers.
I guarantee, no matter what product or service you sell, if your customers eat pizza, own a home, drive a car, have a family, etc., and Valpak is mailed in your market, Valpak is getting inside the homes of your customers.
For over 40 years, Valpak has been produced and mailed from a central facility in Florida.
You can take a tour at Valpak.com
September 24th, 2009 at 11:22 pm
“I guarantee, no matter what product or service you sell, if your customers eat pizza, own a home, drive a car, have a family, etc., and Valpak is mailed in your market, Valpak is getting inside the homes of your customers.”
LOL!!!!!!!!! The trash bin in the home maybe.
Val has helped sink many business in the Brandon, Fl area & elsewhere in Tampa Bay by making these “guarantees”.
Being a business owner in the area, I know this from my many contacts over the years. Additionally, when we advertised following ALL of the recommended mailing areas, dates & offers we NEVER saw a positive return on our investment. We did get a few calls, but nothing compared to the volume we received from our other much less expensive mailers. The only advise we got was to keep spending on their product which we did for over 9 months. Other mailers produced results on their 1st drop dates topping Valpak’s best month of our entire mailing period with them.
In her defense, Val is a salesperson and has to make money to survive. The best advise she gave was to closely track results. Unfortunately for Valpak that was the reason we dropped them.
From what I have read, their parent company Cox Media has been trying desperately to sell (dump) Valpak & their CEO had recently “resigned”. Not the sign of a prospering business.
September 24th, 2009 at 11:30 pm
By the way Andrew Great episode & advice as usual!
October 7th, 2009 at 10:38 pm
What’s quite interesting is the fact that some of these individuals say that the Valpak envelope goes right into the trash bin. What fools, especially with this economy? I guess you like paying retail price and don’t mind. I personally enjoy a discount price or free item every now and then. I don’t expect them all the time but, when it’s offered you better believe I’m all over it !! There have been restaurants that I’ve never tried before, but since I received the Valpak coupon, it was an invitation. Most of the woman open up the Valpak envelope because they take care of the household, shopping, cooking, cleaning, family, bills, etc. Can’t tell you how exciting it is to receive a $10 OFF coupon for any $20 dollar purchase at Buca Di Peppo (Italian restaurant). How about a FREE yogurt? $1000 OFF Invisalign? or would you rather pay full price?
November 25th, 2009 at 3:49 am
Its not uncommon for a business owner to blame the advertising media for their poor marketing offers. A value conscious public will open direct mail, consider and compare offers and make a decision. Since 88% of Valpak advertsiers are repeat users, the proof of performance is evident. Incidently, Valpak, as a media outperformed all competing print, electronic and online advertising in 2009. A sure sign that direct mail is alive and well.
January 4th, 2010 at 7:30 pm
“Valpak, as a media outperformed all competing print, electronic and online advertising in 2009.”
I guess Val doesn’t consider google online advertising. Even wayyyyyyy back in Valpak’s glory days, they were no where near what google has achieved.
Beyond Google- there are MANY other online advertising companies that post a higher profit & more importantly higher ROI for their clients. The only people I ever hear bragging about performance of Valpak are those trying to sell it.
January 4th, 2010 at 8:06 pm
Val – It is also not uncommon for a salesperson to make excuses for an overpriced product that provides less than half the results of their competitors product & cost at least 3x as much.
I have run identical offers in Valpak, Clipper, Penny Saver. Valpak cost the most & produced the least. I mean least in actual responses- not ROI. There is no ROI with Valpak, just consider them another bill to add to your overhead & eventually the employee you have to fire because they don’t produce.
I have even ran the same offers in Americas Favorite Coupon Book- (not even mailed to homes, just placed in businesses for customers to pick up) and got more responses than with the same ad in Valpak.
Funny how when your parent company Cox Media announced they were selling (dumping) Valpak & some other struggling Newspaper Companies they owned, the word from Valpak was they would be bought up quickly- Delusional as usual. I see in the last month they “decided to keep Valpak” They decided to keep Valpak the same way homeowners who can’t sell their home for what they owe “decide to keep their homes”
I think you are reaching claiming Valpak outperformed all competing print, electronic and online advertising in 2009 . Especially considering Valpak forecast about a 5 percent drop in annual revenue in 09 and made several job cuts throughout the year.
If your debt ridden company was so great, it would have been bought up. It isn’t and wasn’t…