We all know successful builders
and remodelers who spend
nothing on advertising. Maybe
you're one of them. I used to be.
The recession that had plagued
other parts of the Northeast since
1989 finally swept into the small
central Maine city where I lived
early in 1991. It hit with a
vengeance.
As prospective customers grew
skittish about the worsening local
economy, the way I had found
customers in the past — word of
mouth — no longer worked.
Nonetheless, my company
staged a modest recovery. I did it
by launching a direct mail
advertising campaign that got our
phones ringing again. Calls
brought in all sorts of jobs,
ranging from a $285 porch to a
$15,200 kitchen and bedroom
remodel. The direct