<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <STYLE type=text/css></STYLE> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16481" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY> <DIV><SPAN class=551300313-17072007><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff size=2>There's a piano technician in a nearby city who always runs a lovely ad in the Symphony program.  I can tell you what city he lives/works in and I can tell you that he only services Steinway grands... but I cannot tell you his name or business name or telephone number.  Hmmm, I suspect that's not what he intended.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=551300313-17072007><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=551300313-17072007><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff size=2>So, one comment:  make sure the "hook" in your ad makes your name or contact info memorable.  It's nice of you to remind folks to get their pianos tuned -- but what you really want is for them to have YOU tune 'em!</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=551300313-17072007><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=551300313-17072007><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff size=2>My guess, based on experience, is that the ad won't be a money-maker for you -- but supporting the arts is always a good gesture, and it might be the tipping point that gets a customer to call you, rather than some other technician.  </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=551300313-17072007><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=551300313-17072007><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff size=2>Our chapter has been running an ad in the Iowa MTA magazine and, as far as I know, no one has gotten any work directly from the ad.  On the other hand, if it has made music teachers more aware of the PTG, then it has succeeded in at least one important way.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=551300313-17072007></SPAN><SPAN class=551300313-17072007><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=551300313-17072007><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff size=2>Annie Grieshop</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=551300313-17072007><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff size=2><A href="http://www.allthingspiano.com">www.allthingspiano.com</A></FONT></SPAN></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid"> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org]<B>On Behalf Of </B>Geoffrey Arnold<BR><B>Sent:</B> Monday, July 16, 2007 11:12 PM<BR><B>To:</B> pianotech@ptg.org<BR><B>Subject:</B> Ad-vice<BR><BR></FONT></DIV> <DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif"> <DIV>Hello all!<BR><BR>Well I took the plunge and signed up for the quarter page ad in my local symphony's upcoming season's program, costing more than my yellow page ad for the year! I feel good about the potential return on this investment and have until the first of August to send them a .pdf of the <SPAN style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline">color</SPAN> ad I want to print.<BR><BR>I realize advertising is about projecting the perspective and image unique to my company. I know not to preach, to grab the attention, and create a desire for the service, establish myself as an expert in the field... but how to do so artfully, with humility and tact, all crammed into a 7" x 2.75" rectangle.<BR><BR>Any advice is welcome. What have you found effective in such advertising? Web links or attached examples of piano related ads you have found effective would be great. Or words of wisdom could be even better<BR><BR>I like the PTG reminder card of "Don't let your piano loose its elegance". I would like to evoke a sense of the history and cultural significance available right in the home through the piano... Camaraderie with Bach and Mozart... or a specific Symphony angle "The symphony tunes up before everyone of their concerts..."<BR><BR>I realize this is a bit abstract, off topic, and perhaps even inappropriate... hopefully some day I will have the budget to higher a professional graphic artist and/or ad design team (yeah right!)... all advice is appreciated<BR><BR>Thanks!<BR><BR>Greg Arnold<BR></DIV></DIV><BR> <HR SIZE=1> Fussy? Opinionated? Impossible to please? Perfect. <A href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=48516/*http://surveylink.yahoo.com/gmrs/yahoo_panel_invite.asp?a=7 ">Join Yahoo!'s user panel</A> and lay it on us. </BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>