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[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by Scott Douglas

I would have thought you would show what you started with on at least some of those parts.
That, to me, is what you're all about. Taking below standard parts and making them better than new.
There are a lot of pictures of nice shiny parts. Very few say 'Here is what you send us, this is what we send back to you.'

The ad has been WeTransferred so I can finally relax a little. Final is same as last above but a minor word change on the web site call to action line.

Scott, that was one of my original plans but dropped it for a couple of reasons. First, after doing a little mocking up, you really need big pics for most of the processes/transformations. And with medium sized pics, you can show only 2 or 3 processes in a full page ad. I would need three pages to fully illustrate before and after. With one it looked like a jumble with no clear direction. So that motif is very limiting.

The deadline was today so I had limited time. It's going into the Early S Registry magazine which is the most targeted audience possible. It a very small (#of pages) magazine and will be easy to measure response based on phone calls, email and an increase in home page hits.

Anyway, I am planning on going into Panorama and Excellence as well and may do a completely new ad and take time to create something better. I will have to give some thought on how to effectively illustrate all that we do in a half and full page.

Thank you to everyone who offered helpful advice and suggestions. If it seemed like I didn't take your advice or appreciate it, first, I do appreciate it, but also know that I was getting feedback from posting on FB and email to friends and some customers. Customers were very helpful. They told me what they think about when they think Tru6. That's why the ad copy changed. Having customers tell you what to say in an ad has to mean something. And they are even happy customers, so there's that.

Anyway, there was a lot of competing opinions but I appreciate them all, thank you for taking the time to share yours.

For better or worse, can't wait to see it in print.

I will send it to Pano and Excellence Sales guys and see what they think too. That might be interesting.

[Pazuzu]

I know it's too late for now, but for next time...

I don't like the "obsessive" idea. You're like me, you'd probably rather keep the part an extra 2 weeks because you don't think it's good enough. EVERY telescope I've reworked in the past year has gone twice as long as I quoted, because I kept trying to push it *a bit more*. I was chasing fractions, and the client never would have known, except that they were waiting for their parts back, and I had to go to them tail between legs and explain why it was still not in their hands. No one complains, they're happy that I "care that much", but they'd be just as happy if I gave it to them 3 iterations earlier. If I had quoted them an inflated date because I knew I'd want to hold it longer, then I would have held them EVEN LONGER.

Don't advertise that. Let it be, but don't make it a hallmark. Ask forgiveness when it's later and perfect, rather than permission to make it late and perfect.

[Pazuzu]

Also, this just fell into my head..."We want to give you the Porsche that you want to give you."

[Ziggythecat]

You sent it to the publisher, without a full vote from the Advertising committee?
I remember the zoom meeting, but I guess the vote happened when I ....uh, stepped away for a few minutes...yeah, that was it......I stepped away.
You should have spent a few bucks because your graphics guy really screwed up, and missed a big typo.

The ad say Tru6
It should be TruDat

Good job...

[deanp]

Suggestions for future consideration

[Scott Douglas]

Shaun - I would have taken a picture of a caliper 'before' and then an 'after' shot. Split them and marry the two together (sorry, I don't have the photoshop skills to do that). Do that with a couple of different pieces to show the transformation. Pic size can stay the same IMO, they'll get the idea.

[KFC911]

I agree with the before & after pics of calipers and other parts. And ya need an eye catching big azz headline too:

Pimp yer hoopty!

Well.... mebbe not

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by Pazuzu

I know it's too late for now, but for next time...

I don't like the "obsessive" idea. You're like me, you'd probably rather keep the part an extra 2 weeks because you don't think it's good enough. EVERY telescope I've reworked in the past year has gone twice as long as I quoted, because I kept trying to push it *a bit more*. I was chasing fractions, and the client never would have known, except that they were waiting for their parts back, and I had to go to them tail between legs and explain why it was still not in their hands. No one complains, they're happy that I "care that much", but they'd be just as happy if I gave it to them 3 iterations earlier. If I had quoted them an inflated date because I knew I'd want to hold it longer, then I would have held them EVEN LONGER.

Don't advertise that. Let it be, but don't make it a hallmark. Ask forgiveness when it's later and perfect, rather than permission to make it late and perfect.

It's a very real problem, and mental disease we share Mike. I only have unhappy customers until they get their parts back, then they are elated. None of my customers would ever see the nano flaws I remove but by removing them, the entire piece looks just a little bit more perfect. I do try to get things out as fast as possible but fast is measured in weeks and months.

That said, it was 3 of my customers, 2 repeat, one new, who used obsessive which is why they like me. Still, good advice and will work with it.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by deanp

Suggestions for future consideration

Very cool Dean! It has some attributes I like better than mine and will be a good starting point for another go at designing an ad. Thank you!

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by Scott Douglas

Shaun - I would have taken a picture of a caliper 'before' and then an 'after' shot. Split them and marry the two together (sorry, I don't have the photoshop skills to do that). Do that with a couple of different pieces to show the transformation. Pic size can stay the same IMO, they'll get the idea.

Originally Posted by KC911

I agree with the before & after pics of calipers and other parts. And ya need an eye catching big azz headline too:

Pimp yer hoopty!

Well.... mebbe not

Did you guys not see my posts about the problems inherent with before and after pics?

Ideally, you can only do one discipline in a before and after ad. You have size constraints and attention constraints when you start to add more. If I only did calipers, I could do steel, early S/Turbo and then later Turbo all in one ad. That could work. Or I could do window frame anodizing and decklid grilles as an ad. But you can't do calipers and decklid grilles which is all the room you have for 2 disciplines.

And this may just be me, but everyone has 50 year old parts, they know what they look like. To me it seems like a waste of messaging space/brain capacity to show what the part looked like before being restored. Again, it could be me, but I just want to know what the end result will look like.

That said, the site will have before and after pics. But those will be meaningful as you aren't constrained by real estate.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Found this ad in the Hagerty magazine today. RPM has been a long time customer and one of the cars I've done work for is in the ad, the green Ferrari. Pretty cool.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

So it turns out advertising works. Not much response to the December ad but the current issue of ESSES has been out for a day or two (I haven't gotten mine in the mail yet) and we've gotten 4 phone calls. Everyone mentioned they love the ad. Thinking of adding a third technician now and going into Panorama.