No budget(how to get one)

[A440A@aol.com]

 Wally Scherer wrote:

> One of the universities in my area has about twenty or so pianos in their
> music department, but seem to have NO BUDGET for piano tuning. I have
caught
> the Dept. Head briefly in passing a couple of times, and he has been real
> nice, saying he will keep me in mind for tuning.

 Greetings,

      If I may make a suggestion;  "Catching the Dept. Head briefly in
passing"  is not the way to be seriously considered for an account such as
this.   Administrators and dept. heads usually deal much better with
decisions like this if there is a document that they can digest before being
"caught in passing".
       Your odds of having a chance to sit down and seriously discuss the
school's, (and your), needs will be greatly improved if you submit a written
proposal.   This allows the decision-makers a chance to compare, weigh, (
flip coins, whatever they do!), what response they make before being asked to
make a decision.  They generally are much easier to deal with when they have
SOME preparation.
      Personal contact is an intergal part of our business,  but to begin a
relationship with an institution, you want a document on file with
them,(perhaps with a resume) and a page in their Rolodex,  rather than
trusting that the head of the department to "keep you in mind".  You can send
the letter, unsolicited, and then go about your other business while you wait
for an answer.  It may take a year, but you want to be on file, on paper, and
easy to reach,  when they begin the task of dealing with their pianos.
     Don't ever underestimate the strength and durability of a WRITTEN
proposal.

Good luck,
Ed Foote
Precision Piano Works
Nashville, Tn