Helped a friend get his first customer… it actually worked!

My friend bought an HVAC business and tried everything to get customers.Made a website… No calls.Ran ads… Burned money.Asked for referrals… Nothing.Frustrated, he asked me what to do. I told him:**‘Post in local Facebook groups.’**Not ads, not promos. Just real, useful posts that help people. We wrote a few, he posted them in local groups… and his phone started ringing.Here’s an example of what worked:If your heat goes out this winter, check the pipe outside. If it’s clogged with snow or ice, the heater won’t run until it’s clear. Most people can just reach in and remove the blockage. If the pipe is clear but the heater still won’t run, then it’s probably a bigger issue.**Call us at (555) 555-5555 if you need help.’Simple and helpful. It’s technically an ad, but it’s the kind of ad people actually want to see because it helps them. Now, my friend is getting steady calls without spending a dime on ads.Most people won’t try this. But the ones who do? They’ll get customers.P.S. This works for ANY local business, not just HVAC.

Just a reminder—this forum is for small business discussions and advice. Posts that don’t fit the rules might get removed. If you have any questions, reach out to the mods.

I don’t think this is spam. The formatting looks a little AI-ish, but the content is clearly human-written. Avoiding emojis and keeping posts straight to the point helps. I like the advice though!

Wylie said:
I don’t think this is spam. The formatting looks a little AI-ish, but the content is clearly human-written. Avoiding emojis and keeping posts straight to the point helps. I like the advice though!

Thanks! Removed the emojis. Not sure how to make it any shorter. If you try this, let me know how it goes!

But will Jenny actually pick up?

Mal said:
But will Jenny actually pick up?

I’ll bite… Who is Jenny?

Mal said:

Mal said:
But will Jenny actually pick up?

I’ll bite… Who is Jenny?

Sing the phone number in your head. Or just Google it.

Mal said:

Mal said:
But will Jenny actually pick up?

I’ll bite… Who is Jenny?

Wait… You came up with this method, helped your friend, wrote this post… and you used Jenny’s number without knowing who Jenny is?

@Onyx
Didn’t share the exact post we wrote—just a similar one. Some people might copy-paste instead of writing their own, so I kept it general. And that number? Just something random. No clue who Jenny is.

@Mal
Oh come on… That number isn’t random. It’s been stuck in your brain forever, waiting for its moment.

Onyx said:
@Mal
Oh come on… That number isn’t random. It’s been stuck in your brain forever, waiting for its moment.

Probably :joy: Just edited the post and changed the number now.

Mal said:

Onyx said:
@Mal
Oh come on… That number isn’t random. It’s been stuck in your brain forever, waiting for its moment.

Probably :joy: Just edited the post and changed the number now.

Well, now this whole thread doesn’t make sense anymore :laughing:

You gave out just enough info to be helpful but not enough for people to replace your service. Smart move!

Half the posts on this forum feel like people just trying to sell something. This should be a space for business owners to actually help each other, not just advertise.

Terry said:
Half the posts on this forum feel like people just trying to sell something. This should be a space for business owners to actually help each other, not just advertise.

He literally just shared a way to get customers without running ads… How is that spam?

Terry said:
Half the posts on this forum feel like people just trying to sell something. This should be a space for business owners to actually help each other, not just advertise.

:joy: What exactly do you think I’m trying to sell?

Spam.

Hollis said:
Spam.

How is this spam? He literally gave us a free way to get customers!

Madden said:

Hollis said:
Spam.

How is this spam? He literally gave us a free way to get customers!

And why would he do that? So he can create more competition?

Shiloh said:

Madden said:
Hollis said:
Spam.

How is this spam? He literally gave us a free way to get customers!

And why would he do that? So he can create more competition?

Not everyone is so insecure in their business that they freak out over others getting customers. If your business only works when no one else talks about what they do, maybe it’s time to rethink the business model.