Can you please use English not texting type.
Thanks

Also, has anyone used the spanish phone book? I was approached earlier this year to get in on the first release in Northwest Indiana and Chicagoland.

Joe Rule#1. Just because it’s a good idea, doesn’t mean it’ll work.
Always distance yourself from the idea and let it stand on its own.

Joe Rule#2. OUR IDEAS are NOT ORIGINAL.
Look for examples of others that have had your idea and look for hallmarks of their success (your post nails this one). FYI: Truly original ideas are rare beyond words. They come from fellas so far out that they have a hard time communicating with us all.

Joe Rule#3. Put the idea away and let it marinate.
If it’s still talking to you 6 months later, then go after it. (I’ve got Over30MPG.com that’s just dying to be worked on… grrrr)

Hope this helps,
Joe

I use to sell YP and I could go on and on about why you should not do it. I have a FAR BETTER IDEA FOR YOU.

You’ve earmarked $4,000 for YP spending p/year.
Hire yourself a local fellow that can throw up a WordPress Blog for you. Cost: $300 to $600. You’ll need it hosted: $200 p/yr, you’ll need to be trained on how to post inventory to it (offer your geek pal $100 to be avail to you by phone at any time you need it).

OK, now your almost ready to fly, Do your homework on what vehicles are HOT on the net and look thru your inventory for matches. Start posting inventory into your blog like a mad man and make it personal. EXAMPLE: http://usedcarqueen.com/ (my wifes blog).

While you’re waiting for your blog to fill and the search engines to index you, you have $3,400 in unspent monies to put to work (budget: $4,200 Spent so far: $800).

Spend money on PPC (Pay Per Click) advertising on Google and Yahoo.

Be sure to get a buy-in from management on your efforts (jealous sales reps will whine, whine, whine and make management miserable). While soliciting management, ask that they share 50% of the costs in the project (produce receipts), payable AFTER it’s up and running.

Now, your burning with NitroMethane! (aka: kik’n a**)
Joe
p.s. Have your rent-a-geek train you on how to post inventoy to Craigs list. Also ask him for a WordPress mod to allow you to easily post inventory to Craigs list.

I’ve actually seriously considered the idea and don’t know of any salesperson that is promoting themselves in the Yellow Pages?

The traditional YP works still, and everyone leafs through them.

What’s your feedback on such an idea?

Chris

I did some research on YP. Here it is. Please share some feedback

1. Major Yellow Paper (“YP) Companies
1.1. List of YP in the US
1.1.1. AT&T Advertising & Publishing (Bell South, YellowPages.com)
1.1.2. Idearc Media (Verizon)
1.1.3. R.H, Donnelley (“RHD”)
1.1.4. Yellow Book
1.1.5. Local Insight Media
1.1.6. White Directory Publishers (subsidiary of Hearst Group)
1.1.7. Windstream Yellow Pages
1.1.8. Valley Yellow Pages
1.1.9. User-Friendly Phone Book
1.1.10. DataNational
1.1.11. Phone Directories Co
1.1.12. Names and Numbers
1.1.13. ypOne Publishing
1.1.14. United Yellow Pages
1.1.15. Ambassador Media Group
1.1.16. Metro Directories
1.1.17. Hagadone Directories
1.1.18. SureWest Directories
1.1.19. Pinnacle Publishing
1.1.20. Gannett Directories
1.1.21. Best Publications
1.1.22. Impact Directories
1.1.23. Area Wide Directory Co
1.1.24. Ad-Ventures Publishing
1.1.25. LocalTel
1.1.26. Your Town Publishing Solutions
1.1.27. Echo Pages
1.1.28. U.S. Hispanic Yellow Pages Market Overview
1.1.29. Seccion Amarilla USA
1.1.30. Hispanic Yellow Pages of America
1.1.31. Hispanic Yellow Pages Network
1.2. Top four YPs
(86% of market share http://www.yptalk.com/archive.cfm?ID=199&CatID=16 )
1.2.1. AT&T Advertising & Publishing
1.2.2. Verizon
1.2.3. RHD
1.2.4. Yellow Books
1.4. Yellow Pages Association’s Largest Referrals by Number
1.4.1. Restaurant
1.4.2. Physician & Surgeons
1.4.3. Automobile parts & used
1.4.4. Automobile Repairing & Service
1.4.5. Pizza
1.4.6. Automatic Dealers- News & Used
1.4.7. Attorneys/ Lawyers
1.4.8. Dentists
1.4.9. Plumbing
1.4.10. Beauty Salons
1.4.11. Real Estate (number 34)
1.5. Key Facts
1.5.1. Usage of YP decreased from 15.1 bn to 13.4bn references during 2002-2006 according to the YPA Industry Usage Study.
1.5.1.1. Increased Internet search and non English speaking demographics it’s cause
1.5.2. There are estimated about 7,600 independent YP publishers. The number of publishers is expected to decline to competitiveness of the market and active M&A (according to Kelsey)
1.5.3. Margins tend to be lower on the internet YP than print YP (according to RHD) as they try to increase internet ad usage.
1.5.4. Kelsey Group says that internet YP usage has increased from 7%-14% during 2003-2007. Furthermore, Kelsey Group expects internet YP to grow 24% each year from 2007-2012.
1.5.5. Advertisers prefer directory advertising due to its relatively low cost, broad demographics and geographic distribution and high consumer usage rates .
1.6. Yellow Paper News
1.6.1. RHD’s yellow pages ad counts dropped 9% in January ’08 in Las Vegas and Orlando. Also, yellow papers are discouraging businesses’ making ads in color to cut costs. Additional ad space (change of font & number of columns) is also being given for incumbent businesses that spend a bit more on the ad (Deutshce Bank 3/9/08 Company Alert)
1.6.2. From “The Future of Yellow Pages,” profit of YP expected due to discounting of ad price. A survey by Kelsey Group shows that SMBs use print yellow pages 43% less. The number of print yellow pages seems stable but the frequency that they use is decreasing.

If anyone knows how much average dealerships spend on yellow paper ads that would be great

“Here is where your argument falls short, and is most likely the reason you are no longer employed by yellowpages.com. You can’t sell this type of advertising without being able to justify the investment.”

IMHO….you can NEVER justify the investment when it comes to advertising….even though YPC has the highest ROI in the business….

I honestly began to loathe the job….they try to convince their employees during training that its not telemarketing….but it is….it is the most refined form of telemarketing out there….I couldn’t stand being hung up on dozens of times a day after saying “yellow pages” or after barely getting a word out of your mouth….

I tried to sell to dealerships a few times….but the GMs think they know everything and aren’t willing to listen to you….that got old quick….

Sorry I was abrasive….its just a little frustrating when you look at the thousands upon thousands of dollars that a dealership spends on wasted advertising every month and wont bother to spend a minute fraction of that on YPC when I know that it actually will turn a profit….not to mention that a lot of the money that dealerships spend on advertising comes directly from the manufacturer….

I am going back into the car business….

For 18 months I worked at Verizon as a Yell Page rep (employee of the Month 2 times).

How I limit my spending:
White page listings, bold with yellow highlighting, add webaddress.
Yellow pages: Retain best headings, trim any non-core headings. Commit to Alphebetical listings only. Add bold, add one line with web address.
Franchised dealers dbl. ck to be listed in “TradeMark Listings” (ask for help if needed).
DONE.
(prepare yourself for your YP reps crying and gnashing of teeth)

For the last 4 years I have built web sites for dealers, then got recruited to be an in house Internet Director. I have listened to 100′s and 100′s of hours of phone calls (10 dedicated 800#’s) AND watched the trends over 3 years. Here are the FACTS according to Joe.

3 years ago, phone traffic from web site was nearly 100% sales, a few service calls here and there.

IN 2007, nearly 35% of incoming phone traffic (from web site) was service and parts requests. By reviewing your traffic records on your sites back end, you’ll see the vast majority of SERP visitors* are trying to find your name directly (*SERP = Search Engine Return Page). THIS IS A PHONE BOOK LIKE DIRECTORY REQUEST.

Google has gotten so good at suppling phone numbers AND MAPS that it’s now the “directory of choice”. See just how awesome goolgle’s become, let’s look for a cigar store near my zipcode. http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rls=GGLJ%2CGGLJ%3A2006-21%2CGGLJ%3Aen&q=cigar+store+13212 A friggin Cigar Store!

Let’s talk penetration of this google directory application. Not everyone gets it yet. SO this means it will become more and more pervasive as time moves forward.

Summary.
Move ca$h away from tra$h and amp up your future.

And as for what type of media to use, I agree that each dealership has to wiegh the balance. But I always felt that after all my marketing is set and someone wants to call to set up a test drive or get information on a car, the one place they ahve my number is on Yellow Pages. I still do the old version and I am trying the new version. It is starting to take off. I have pulled back in otehr areas like newspaper, but keep billboards and radio as art of my mix. I am in CA were there are dealership malls every where so lcoally I must be competitive.

Does anyone have corproate co-ops or sponsorships? Mine is minimal for YP but wondering if this helps.