advertising

[Ron Nossaman]

Yo,

At the risk of injecting a degree of negativism into the poll, I would like
to offer the observation that no form of paid advertising to which I have
succumbed through the last 21+ years has ever paid for itself. I have always
carried a minimal yellow page ad to satisfy what I have come to regard as
the "illusion of legitimacy". Virtually all of my business comes from
referrals. I don't give away pens, calendars, teacher discounts, or European
vacations. I don't send out reminder cards, nor schedule the next service
when I do the current service. I don't keep card files with the name of the
dog, the upcoming competitions the kids will be participating in, or any
other information I could use to give the impression that I am anything
other than a (I hope) first rate piano mechanic. I make no pretense of
adoption, or undue fixation on the families in posession of the pianos I
service. I just try to treat them like I would like to be treated, and
render them the best service of which I am capable, at an appropriate price,
with a minimum of flim-flam (stupid jokes aside). Oddly enough, people you
wouldn't suspect of being capable of noticing anything that straight-forward
and simple will surprise you by not only calling you back like an old
friend, but will refer a bunch of other folks to you for service. The Golden
Rule sounds like a corny and out-dated sort of cliche, but it works better
than any advertising you can buy. It will cost you a couple of bucks from
time to time, but the long term pay-back is amazing and wonderful.


 
 Ron