By Michael S. Winicki

If only I had a buck for every time I've heard that from some small business owner or manager. And it's not like it's a recent phenomenon either. I've been hearing that same old lament for close to 20 years now.

And I've yet to figure out why "advertising" works for people like "Staples", "Home Depot", "McDonalds", "Best Buy", "L.L. Bean" and millions more but it won't work for the locally owned shoe store down on "Main Street" USA (sarcastic smirk on face here). Strange huh?

So what's the problem? The problem is virtually all small businesses misstep when it comes to advertising. At the beginning they have no idea what "advertising" really is and how to use it to their best advantage. Many unrealistically think you can buy some ad space, slap your business name across the top; their address and phone number underneath and expect some sort of avalanche of business. Well folks, that's not how it works in the real world.

The new business owner spends some money, runs some ads introducing his or her business to the community and then in their opinion not much happens. There are just so many things sick and twisted with this perspective.

First, during all this the ad reps for the various newspapers and other media circle around the new business like hyenas that haven't eaten for a month- and for most, their approach is all wrong. Instead of "educating" they "sell" and in many cases quite hard so in no time at all the business owner develops a severe dislike (or even pardon the term "hatred") for ad reps.

Instead of taking the time to learn something about advertising the business owner "assumes" the ad reps and the various media do. fatal assumption on his or her part. Ad reps generally speaking don't have the expertise themselves or the time to "train" a business owner about advertising (I'll cover this topic a little more thoroughly in another article- the whole ad rep/business owner relationship is full of danger and unrealistic expectations).

The business owner needs to take the bull by the horns and study advertising. John Caples, "Tested Advertising Methods" is a great place to start. Jay Conrad Levinson's "Guerilla Marketing" series is a classic. My latest book, "Killer Techniques to Succeed with Newspaper, Magazine and Yellow Page Advertising" was written for the businessperson who doesn't understand what good advertising is and how to do it for him or herself.

And let me define what "good" advertising is. Good advertising is advertising that gives you the desired and realistic affect you want as the business owner. Let me qualify that a little. The desired affect maybe $10,000 worth of business created by a $50 ad and that just isn't realistic folks. I can tell you that many mail order people consider a successful ad to be one that sells enough products or services where the ad actually makes money for the business after the cost of the product and the ad are deducted. You just can't expect a $100 ad to create thousands of dollars worth of business, even though on occasion that can happen.

Let's be honest most business owners don't really know how much money any ad brings in do they? And it's because no one in the business tracks the response. They're so giddy that a potential customer walked through the door or called them on the phone that they're in rapture with the moment and never think to ask this potential customer, "How did you hear about me and my business?" So the net result being that the poor $100 ad, no matter how badly written and designed won't ever get the credit it deserves even if by miracle of miracles it manages to create some potential sales for the business.

And I won't get into the scenario where the ad brings in potential business but the person handling the potential customer blows it by not closing the sale properly or perhaps they didn't sound as friendly and helpful on the phone as they should have. I kid you not, when I say I know of instances where ads brought in business for someone but not one sale was closed to due the lack of sales skills by the person or persons handling those perspective customers. But of course the business owner won't blame the lack of sales skills for not sealing the deal but will instead say, "Advertising doesn't work"!

About the Author:
Mike Wincki, the "Ace of Space" (advertising), is a marketing consultant. His new book, "Killer Techniques to Succeed with Newspaper, Magazine and Yellow Page Advertising" shows you how to dominate your competition using newspaper, magazine or the yellow pages advertisments. Mike also does copywriting and will do ad critiques. Visit his website at www.bignoisemarketing.com, email at Mwinicki@yahoo.com or phone at 716-397-5719.