Whew! You’ve just opened your new business, your ads are working, the web site is up, and the signage is done. But, wait! What about a listing in the phone book? Yes, people still use the phone book, but they’re more apt to call directory assistance from their cell phone when they’re motoring down the road.
Are you listed? Better call 411 and find out, Oh, and better call from your friend’s cell phone directory, too, as they have another service, and don’t forget to call Cingular, nope AT&T bought them out … get the picture? If you aren’t listed in every directory you don’t exist to a bunch of consumers who are trying to do business with you. You need to fix that!
Back in the day it was basically automatic -- there was one phone company and they put your business in the book. It’s not so fast and easy today. In a perfect world they’re supposed to all work together and populate on another’s books and databases, but that’s not happening.
This whole problem came to light when a close friend tried to get his home number OFF the phone list of all the directories since they were all giving his home number out for the Meijer Thrifty Acres store. He got 20 calls a day for months on end and could not make them stop. He even put a message on an answering machine that said “Hi, this is not Meijer’s …” My friend made dozens of attempts to correct the situation. He eventually located all the directories with his name in it and notified them.
So, with that in mind, to help you get your company listed I’ve compiled a comprehensive list of places to call, email or submit your business so you can get your business listed in the Phone Book.
• AT&T Real Yellow Pages and yellowpages.com. For Real Yellow Pages call 866-620-6000. The online yellowpages.com is a combined operation of AT&T, BellSouth and Cingular. Call 800-479-2977 or visit www.nationalyp.com.
• YELLOWBOOK USA Call 800-373-2324 or visit: www.yellowbook.com
• Verizon print directories and www.superpages.com online option. Call 800-789-5756 or visit www.directorystore.comproduct
• R.H. Donnelley is one of the nation's leading Yellow Pages and online local commercial search companies. The company operates in 28 states. Visit their web site to check if they handle your state. www.rhd.com
• Nextel, and other wireless and online ventures, use the yellow pages service of go2 System of Irvine, California. Call: 949-553-0800.
• Yellow Pages Nationwide, Inc. Call 888-935-5698 or visit: www.yellowpagesnationwide.com
• Enlace Spanish Yellow Pages by Cobalt Publishing LLC, the largest Spanish phone directory in nation in 22 markets. Call 502-585-0640 or visit: www.superpaginas.com.
• Your Community Phone Book, independent telephone directory publishers in 150 markets in mid-Atlantic and southern U.S. Call 677-3839 or visit:: www.communitybook.com
• Internet Yellow Pages online yellow pages. Call 800-300-3209 or visit: www.up.com
• MobileGates, wireless yellow pages. Call 714-464-8000
• The online Yellow Pages owned by AT&T projects 1.8 billion searches this year. Get a free listing which unfortunately has to be renewed manually every year at www.yellowpages.com
Here’s an interesting tidbit, nearly 50% of all internet searches are for business phone numbers or addresses. So if you are not listed in all of the major search engines you really don’t exist. For a comprehensive list of places to list your business visit: www.locallytype.com This is a terrific resource for getting your business listed.
One more thing. There are many independent Yellow Pages publishers throughout the country. Be sure to contact the major phone company in your local area to get listed. They are usually the most complete and up-to-date resource since they are mandated by the FCC to maintain that information. You can then go to the website of your phone company and see who they have contracted with to provide their yellow pages, and make the connection.
For instance, if you live in Florida, depending on your area, you may have either AT&T, Sprint or Verizon phone service. All three provide their own yellow pages. If you go to the phone company website, it will give you all the contact information for that area.
Do it now and “get listed.”
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To learn more about this author, visit Scott Lorenz's Website.
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Scott Lorenz
(Visit Scott's Website)
Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind
Communications, a public relations and
marketing firm that has a special knack
for working with individuals and
entrepreneurs to help them get all the
publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz
has handled public relations and marketing
for numerous doctors, lawyers, authors
inventors and entrepreneurs since 1980 and
is an integral part of the marketing
strategy for many firms.
Lorenz has arranged for plastic surgery,
LASIK surgery, dental surgery, liposuction
and BOTOX for numerous radio, TV, and
Sports personalities in Michigan. He’s
arranged endorsements with members of the
Detroit Lions and Red Wings as well as
Detroit TV and radio personalities helping
to convince customers that it’s safe and
desirable to use elective medical
procedures.
On an international level, Lorenz handled
the public relations effort for Kevin
Uliassi, a balloonist attempting to become
the first person to fly solo around the
world in a balloon. More than 135 news
organizations generated over 4,000
articles and newscasts worldwide during
the launches and flights over a four year
period.
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