The greatest expense you're going to incur in conducting a successful business is with advertising. You backbone of business. Of course, when starting a home business from a garage, basement, or kitchen
table, you can't quite match the advertising efforts huge corporations - at least  not in the beginning. But there is a way you can approximate their maneuvers without actually spending their kind of money. The secret is known as P.I.  Advertising.

    P.I. stands for "Per Inquiry," and is a method of advertising most generally
    associated with radio broadcasting. You pay only for the responses you receive
    from your advertising message. The method is somewhat akin to bartering, and
    is probably used by many more advertisers than you realize. The advantages of
    P.I. advertising are all in favor of the advertiser. There is no risk in placing P.I.
    advertising, and by using this kind of an advertising arrangement you pay only for
    the results the ads produce.

    To get in on this free advertising, start with a loose leaf notebook and about 100
    sheets of filler paper. Next, visit your public library and start looking through the
    Broadcast Yearbook on radio stations in the U.S., or in the Standard Rate and
    Data Services Directory (SRDS) section on spot radio. Another method is to call
    or visit one of your local radio stations and ask to borrow (and take home with
    you) their current copy of either of these volumes. To purchase them outright will
    cost about $100 each. Once you have a copy of either of these publications,
    select the state or states you want to           HOW TO GET FREE RADIO
                      ADVERTISING

    The greatest expense you're going to incur in conducting a successful business is
    with advertising. You must advertise. Your business cannot grow and flourish
    unless you present your product or service to as many potential buyers as
    possible. Advertising is the life-blood of any profitable business. Regardless of
    where or how you advertise, it's generally going to cost you.

    Successful businesses are built upon their advertising programs. The top
    companies in the world allocate millions of dollars annually to their advertising
    budgets. Hundreds of thousands of dollars can be spent on a single, thirty second
    television commercial. And with reason. Consistent, memorable advertising
    placed before a crowd of prospective buyers will ultimately increase sales. Think
    about it for a moment. During the late evening hours when you are hungry, what
    type of commercials appear on television? Advertisements promoting fast-food
    restaurants! A product placed before a prospect in a timely fashion will always
    generate more sales than a product that has limited exposure. Advertising is the
    backbone of business.

    Of course, when starting a home business from a garage, basement, or kitchen
    table, you can't quite match the advertising efforts of huge corporations - at least
    not in the beginning. But there is a way you can approximate their maneuvers
    without actually spending their kind of money. The secret is known as P.I.
    Advertising.

    P.I. stands for "Per Inquiry," and is a method of advertising most generally
    associated with radio broadcasting. You pay only for the responses you receive
    from your advertising message. The method is somewhat akin to bartering, and
    is probably used by many more advertisers than you realize. The advantages of
    P.I. advertising are all in favor of the advertiser. There is no risk in placing P.I.
    advertising, and by using this kind of an advertising arrangement you pay only for
    the results the ads produce.

    To get in on this free advertising, start with a loose leaf notebook and about 100
    sheets of filler paper. Next, visit your public library and start looking through the
    Broadcast Yearbook on radio stations in the U.S., or in the Standard Rate and
    Data Services Directory (SRDS) section on spot radio. Another method is to call
    or visit one of your local radio stations and ask to borrow (and take home with
    you) their current copy of either of these volumes. To purchase them outright will
    cost about $100 each. Once you have a copy of either of these publications,
    select the state or states you want to work first. Both of these publications will give
    you just about all the information you will need to know about licensed radio
    stations in your area.

    It's generally best to begin in your own state and work outward from there. If you
    are promoting a money-making manual, you might want to start first with those
    states reporting the highest rate of unemployment. Use some old fashioned
    common sense. Who are the people most likely to be interested in your offer, and
    where are the largest concentrations of these people? You wouldn't attempt to sell
    windshield de-ice canisters in Florida, or suntan lotion in Minnesota during the
    winter months, would you?

    Once you've identified your first "target" area, examine the radio listings for the
    cities and towns in that region. Jot down in your notebook the names of the
    general managers, the station call letters, and the addresses. Be sure to list the
    telephone numbers as well. On your first try, list only one radio station per city.
    Pick out the radio station to which people most interested in your product would
    be listening. This can be determined by the programming description contained
    within the data block about the station in the Broadcasting Yearbook or the SRDS
    Directory.

    Let's say that you've listed 250 different radio stations. Arrange the list of stations
    you want to contact alphabetically by the towns they are licensed to serve. Use a
    tab to separate each state. Now place a phone call or write a letter to the
    manager of each of the stations. With this first contact introduce yourself and
    inquire if the station would consider a P.I. advertising campaign. Inform the station
    manager that you have a product you feel will sell very well in his market and
    would like to test it before going ahead with a paid advertising program. You must
    point out that your product sells for so many dollars, and that during this test you
    will allow the station 50% of that price for each response the ads pull in for you.
    Some stations may demand a higher percentage, so be prepared to be flexible
    with your offer. Explain that you will handle everything for the station: the writing of
    the commercials, all accounting and bookkeeping, shipping of the product, as
    well as any refunds or complaints that occur. In other words, all the station has to
    do is schedule your commercials on the log and give it their best shot. When the
    responses come in, the station will simply need to count them and forward the
    entire number on to you for fulfillment. You make out a check for payment, and
    everybody is happy.

    Contacting station managers by phone is by far the quickest, least expensive,
    and most productive method of finding those stations willing to consider your P.I.
    proposal. However, if you have difficulty contacting the station manager, it will be
    necessary to write a letter. Make your letter positive in tone, straightforward, and
    complete. Present all the details in logical order on one page, perfectly typed on
    your company letterhead and mailed in an imprinted envelope. Rubber-stamped
    letterheads or envelopes will not get more than a passing glance. Include a
    self-addressed and stamped postcard with spaces for positive or negative
    checks in reply to your question: "Are you willing to look over my materials and
    consider a mutually profitable Per Inquiry advertising campaign on your station?"
    If you're turned down and the station is not interested in taking on any P.I.
    advertising, simply give them your thanks, make a notation in your notebook by
    that station's name, and go on to your next call.

    Once you have an agreement from a radio station to look over your materials and
    give serious consideration to a P.I. program, move quickly. Get your package off
    right away by First Class mail or overnight delivery. Don't allow time for a station
    manager's interest in your program to cool down. You must respond while the
    conversation is fresh in the manager's mind and he is well disposed toward your
    material. If you wait too long, he may forget about your conversation or loose
    interest in your proposal.

    Your package of information should include several items: a written or taped copy
    of the commercial you plan to use, a brief page describing your product
    (development, inventor/author), a detailed proposal of how you will handle all
    orders received and when and how you will pay the station it's share of the
    income, and a reply postcard. Write a short cover letter, place it on top of your
    prepared P.I. advertising package, and get it in the mail to each interested
    prospect without delay.

    One of your greatest needs will be at least two, thirty-second commercials and
    two, sixty-second commercials promoting your product. You can compose these
    yourself or have a professional copywriter help you. Mass communications
    students at a local university might be interested in helping design such
    advertisements as a class project, to gain experience for their resumes, or at a
    fraction of the cost of established copywriters. When the texts of these ads are
    completed, have several hundred copies printed and organized as a part of your
    P.I. advertising package.

    Develop an advertising contract that details everything about your program, and
    how responses are to be handled. One or more special paragraphs relative to
    refunds, complaints, and liabilities need also be included in this contract. All this
    can be very quickly written up and printed in large quantities on carbonless,
    multi-part, snap-out business forms.

    Finally, include in your packet a self-addressed, stamped postcard the radio
    station can use to let you know if they are going to use your P.I. advertising
    program, when they will start running your commercials on the air, how often, and
    during which time periods. Again, simply type out the wording in the form you
    want to use on these reply postcards, and have copies printed for your packets.

    You'll also need to compose a cover letter to introduce the packet as a follow-up
    to your conversation with the station manager. Write one to fit all situations and
    have copies printed. When you're ready to send out a package, all you'll have to
    do is sign it. If you spoke of different arrangements or a specific matter was
    discussed in your initial contact, you will need to type a different letter
    incorporating comments or answers to the points discussed. Having your letter on
    a word processor or memory typewriter will save you considerable time if you
    have to change some information, and will allow you to personalize each letter
    mailed out. However, it's not absolutely necessary.

    In summary, your first step is to make an initial contact with prospective radio
    stations after searching through the SRDS or Broadcasting Yearbook. Actual
    contact with the stations is by phone or mail. When turned down, simply say
    thanks, and go on to the next station on your list. For those who want to know
    more about your proposal, immediately get a P.I. advertising package off to them
    via the fastest method possible. Don't let the interest wane. Your advertising
    package should contain the following:

    Cover letter
    Sample brochure, product literature
    Thirty-second and sixty-second commercials
    P.I. Advertising Contract
    Self-addressed, stamped postcard for station reply

    Before you ask why you need an acknowledgement postcard when you have
    already given them a contract, remember: everything about business changes
    from day to day - conditions, employees, ownership of stations, and a host of
    other things. The station manager may sign a contract to begin your advertising
    on the first of March. The contract is signed on the first of January, but when
    March rolls around, he may have forgotten, been replaced, or even decided
    against running your program. You must have a firm commitment from the station
    as to how often and at what hours they will run your advertisements. A lot of paper
    covering all the minute details can reinforce with the radio station manager the
    importance of this campaign, and convince him that your company is a good
    choice for this business arrangement. Several weeks before your ad campaign is
    to begin, call and check with the station manager to make sure everything is in
    order. "Are the commercials set up on tape for air play?" "Is the mailing address
    in the commercial correct?" "Is the schedule of air play set and may I please have
    a copy?"

    If you're impatient to get started with your own P.I. advertising campaign, before
    you plunge in head first, remember: radio people are dedicated business
    professionals. Radio is simply a means of advertising products and making
    money. While the entertainment aspect of radio is important, the radio station is
    dedicated to making a profit. Be sure you have a product or service that lends
    itself well to selling via radio advertising.

    At the bottom line, a lot is riding on the content of your commercial: the benefits
    your product can provide the listener, and how easy it is for him to enjoy those
    benefits. For instance, if you have a new book on how to find jobs when there
    seemingly aren't any jobs available, you want to talk to people who are
    desperately searching for employment. You have to appeal to them in words that
    not only make them pay attention to your commercial, but will cause them to feel
    that your offer will solve their problems. It's the timely presentation of an
    appropriate product to the right audience combined with the strength of the
    advertising message that will bring in responses and generate sales.

    Radio station managers are sales people, and sales people the world over will
    be sold on your idea if you put your selling package together properly. If the
    responses come in to your first offer, you have set yourself up for an entire series
    of successes. Success has a ripple effect, but you have to begin on the first one if
    the others are to follow. Get started today. Begin gathering all the materials for
    your advertising packet and lining up prospective radio stations. We wish you
    success!