Trash 'em. The coupons and ads I get in regular ValPak mailings are almost exclusively for companies offering home improvement services; siding, windows, sunrooms, attic living space conversions, and so on. There may be a dentist or two, but for the most part it’s all contractors.
Coupons in general, loose, are handier if we already recognize the name of the place.
My wife worked for custom framing shops (many years ago), and because of that we have occasionally used them (though more often, my wife will just do it, since she knows the ropes).
For learning about a new business of any type, we still use the yellow pages. Preferably, with an ad that will tell us something about your business on it. We do look at the yellow pages for coupons after we have the name of the place.
Good luck with your business.
I use custom framing services regularly, enough so that I’m on a first-name basis with both the owner and the employee at my local shop. I collect both original comic art and vintage prints, and wouldn’t trust my “babies” to the tender mercies of a big box framer even if that meant I had to store them in portfolios rather than display them. I’m not blind to price, but it’s never been the primary factor for my framing decisions. If it’s important enough to have professionally framed, it’s important enough to have it done right.
This local company earned my trust in handling some expensive and delicate material, and that counts for more than whatever amount less I might have paid to a big box. It’s very important to me to know that only archival materials are being used, and that they will work very carefully not to damage my original. I’ve heard plenty of horror stories from comic art collectors to worry - up to and including some low-paid employee cutting off the edges of an original piece of art to make his job easier.
In my particular case, no coupon would entice me to switch, but were my local shop to close or should I move out of the area, a coupon worth at least $10 (whether as a percentage or a flat amount) might entice me to try one business over another first. If they did a good work, that $10 might very well make the difference between establishing a long-term relationship or not. Once I found a place that I was very pleased with, I’d be loathe to change.
Valu-pak coupons and the like go straight to the trash unopened. Don’t use physical phone directories, and use Switchboard solely to look up phone numbers to companies I’m already familiar with. When I’m looking for a new business, I head to the web or go to local specialty business for referrals. Many a keyword savvy local business has snagged my money by having a simple but effective web site that convinces me they have what I need. Most of the others have established good relations with antique stores and the like that I frequent, and left plenty of business cards or fliers on hand. Employees always lose some of them, but if there’s a large enough stock to begin with someone can usually scrounge one up.
Former Val-pak Sales Manager here …
Val-pak works best for fast food, pizza, dry cleaning, hair care (and other such low dollar, high impulse type purchases. I could relate hundreds of success stories …) Higher dollar purchases are a little tricky, and require some very talented and creative ad copy skills to make them work.
While I did have one specialty framing shop that had some limited success (it took a lot of patience and 6 months to see a return), I had two other shops that were never able to trace a new customer back to Val-pak.
Were I sitting in your office right now, my advice would be as follows:
As a start up business (under 5 years), and unless you are independently wealthy, you probably do not have the time or the cash to be experimenting on advertising. Look to your established competitors, and follow their lead.
Your advertising dollars would probably be better spent on display space in a specialty Fine Arts publication (Ask your local Fine Arts Counsel), or, alternatively, find businesses related to yours and ask if you can leave business cards or flyers on their counter. Don’t be afraid to offer these business owners for referrals. Offer an incentive such as a “special discount” for their customers, or even a kick back for the referrals that result in sales.
Always include some method to identify where a new customer comes from (ever notice the “code” on a coupon?) Always track your advertising carefully. When you find something that works, THAT is where you pour your budget. Till it stops working – then you find something else. (It’s an art, not science …)
[Your Val-pak rep should be educating you about such things …]
Remember that superior customer service is the best way to build a solid business.
Success and Good Fortune to you in your endeavor.
Lucy
P.S.
NEVER buy advertising from a rep that insists that you “get the deal done today” for “whatever” reason. Oh, and Always, Always, Always, Always, Always, Always Ask for the rep’s credentials, and for references from business people in businesses similar to yours – and take the time to check them out. Honest reps are patient and will work with you to find the best solution to get those buts in the door, even if the “best” solution is not their medium. Too many scammers out there ripping unsuspecting business people off every hour of every day. Be suspicious. Be very suspicious, until you have satisfied yourself that the rep, the and business they represent are legitimate. The BBB and similar organizations are a wonderful resource. USE THEM!
I open and look through Valpaks every time I get them, although I have only used one or two coupons other than the Dominos Pizza ones - mostly because they tend to be for service type businesses and I am currently renting (IE save big $$ on fixing your heater doesn’t do it for me when I just call the landlord 
)
As far a custom framing, I have never had it done and often wondered what in the world possessed people to open shops that do little to nothing beyond framing. I mean, I understand why you MIGHT want to have it done, and as such I get why a place like Michaels might offer it as a service in addition to the other things they do, as it fits with their business model. But an entire store just for framing ? Anyway, I don’t have it done because the pricing is well outside of what I would pay for the service. (As in, it may COST that much to run a business and do it and still make some profit- but the VALUE that I might get from it is much less than the usual charge)
And don’t work for a reputable agency trying to get your client’s official current configuration with them. Had some heated calls with some of these reps who were convinced that I was trying to cut them out of the buy. These guys get pretty pissed about this stuff!
Thanks to all who replied. I’ve been reading all sorts of information from a variety of sources but didn’t really feel that I was finding out what actual every day normal folks do. The sales reps paint a much rosier picture.
In general, custom framing can be used for pretty much anything you’d like to display by hanging it on your wall. I’ve framed spoons, a bike wheel, t-shirts,guns, stamp collections, concert tickets, knives, menus, a sneaker autographed by Shaquille O’Neal, swords, a kite, a broken tennis racket, sports jerseys and other collectables. The list is really quite long.
Most of what comes through is more traditional art on paper or canvas. Typically people are framing things that have some meaning to them such as portraits , diplomas and certificates, prints or paintings they purchased while travelling, family memorabilia such as military medals, and so forth.
(Bolding mine) This is really the key. Different people value different things. Often the people who don’t leave their work, saying “$350? The print was only $100” are carrying $350 handbags, which is something I would never even consider buying. Not because I think expensive handbags are bad, they just aren’t my thing. I’m not out to convince people who don’t value it that custom framing is the bee’s knees. I just want to do everything I can to help the people who do drool over a 22kt gold leaf frame and a perfectly wrapped silk mat find my shop.
As for why someone would open a shop for the sole purpose of framing, I think most of us are otherwise unemplyable and hey, we need jobs, too.
And special thanks to LucyInDisguise for what seems like the inside track.
I’ve been known to open Valpak type coupon mailings- but don’t regularly since I don’t think I’ve ever seen a coupon that I actually expected to use.
I’ve had things custom framed- mostly counted-cross stitch, though my mother has also had some original art. Much of the cross-stitch that I do gets custom framed because the pieces are odd sizes or shapes and after I put the time into creating the work- it is worth it to me to see it framed properly. The place I go to at present will cut me a foam backing which I then attach the picture to and then I let them put it in the frame. (I can think of a couple of times when I framed a cross stitch picture in a pre-made frame because the item was small and not-so-oddly shaped and my budget was limited.)
I always open Val-Pak envelopes, and similar coupon mailings. I’ve used many of the coupon offers that I’ve found in Val-Pak. If I were already interested in looking for a business that performs a certain service, a coupon that offered a significant savings might very well lead me to become a customer. But I can’t imagine that a coupon would be influential in causing me to want a product or service that I’m not actively seeking.
Oh, you guys going to Michael’s for framing - you’re getting robbed. My local framing lady does my needlework, which is specialized work and requires stretching, etc, for half of what Michael’s would ask for just a print or something. Now, my local lady doesn’t have one of the super-nice shops in the pedestrian districts or anything; she has a little worn-out mini-mall store and I think she must get all her business from referrals from the needlework store and satisfied customers. When I put a piece in the Fair, I saw her little collection of “I framed that” pieces - she’d done probably half of all the fair pieces, and that’s a lot of work. Michael’s is a serious ripoff.
I go through the mailers, usually to draw out a coupon or two that usually appear for restaurants I’ll frequent. There’s been one or two new items that I’ve pulled, but the trouble most of the time with these stuffer mailings is I do not need aluminum siding, privacy glass, gutter cleanings, a new muffler, or checks with American Flags or Care Bears on them.
And I’ve not yet gotten any custom framing. I thought about it, and even priced, to get my college degree framed just how I’d want it. But I was just out of college and not yet in my job (read: I was broke. Real broke.), so I decided I’d put it off. I will probably get a custom framing one day soon for the ol’ sheepskin.
I open them and tend to keep the pizza/dry cleaning type stuff. I put them in the “Junk clip” that hangs on the side of the microwave. If I needed custom framing, I’d probably grab the coupon. But, the chances of me needing it are pretty slim and the chances of me needing it when I get the coupon are even more remote. I also kept the carpet cleaning ones 'cause I always thought I’d get someone in to clean the carpets. Now that the apt office provides that every 6 months, I don’t keep those!
Actually, that’s their job …
But the reaaaalllyyy good reps (a.k.a. rare animals) will help you to find a solution that works for you.
Some realistic numbers for your edification:
Direct Mail will yeild about a 3 - 4% return for low price, high impulse sales (i.e fast food, pizza etc.). The numbers for Higher ticket sales tend to drop geometrically. If your average sale is over $50.00 you can expect a return of around 0.003 (or roughly about 3 responses out of 1000 pcs. mailed). Average sale over $75.00, .0003 – $100, .00003)
If your profit/sale is around 30% and you convert 100% of the responses to sales then you will net about $45.00 (possible, but not likely – do you sell something to everybody who walks through the door?). I haven’t had a need to price out Val-pak mailing for a few years, but as I recall it’s just a tad more expensive than $45.00/1000. (4 color piece. In your business, you reallllyyyyy need the 4-color to make an effective piece …)
Advertising is like any other business expense. If you’re going to be losing money it doesn’t make much sense to buy it. Your advertising dollar must pay for itself and bring you about a 25% return on your investment. Make your rep (and by that I mean really insist) break down the numbers and show you how you are going to get at least a 25% return on your advertising dollar. If they can’t do it, don’t buy it.
Again, talk to your competitors and find out what’s working for them. Unless they’re right across the street you’ll be very surprised at how willing they are to help you! Anything that helps you grow increases the visibility of the industry which helps everyone.
Did I mention customer service? (Can’t stress it enough …) Take care of the customers you get and they will bring you more business.
Again, Good fortune to you in your endeavor.
Lucy
I rarely open them. I don’t recall ever using a coupon in one or going to a place just because it was advertised in one.
But I’m not sure that I’m typical.
Wish I knew your framer. Michael’s is much cheaper than the local small places I have tried.