In a message dated 5/20/00 8:15:35 PM Central Daylight Time, btrout@desupernet.net writes: Good questions, Brian. << I've met technicians who were quite brilliant technically who worked at nearly a poverty level. And I've met (piano) dealers who do quite well financially who have little technical knowledge. The brilliant piano technician who doesn't charge enough has either never attended a PTG seminar, or they only took technical subject. If they had ever taken a business class, they would have found out how to make more money. The piano dealer who doesn't know anything about piano technology, but makes a lot of money, is merely a good salesman. Any good salesman can sell pianos, as well as used cars, dishwashers, etc. No doubt there are many technicians who are on the bottom end both technically and financially. (I'll be the first to admit that I'm closer to the bottom on both counts than I'd like to be, but I'm striving to learn, and am anxiously awaiting Arlington and beyond!!!) But I am very interested in those who have achieved / are achieving the upper end of both the technical and financial within the piano industry. Seriously, I don't know how to even ask, but what might be some of the keys to achieving BOTH, and AT THE SAME TIME? I know I am not at the at the top of the list, both financially and technically, but I do think I do quite well financially, and I think I know quite a lot about pianos. I didn't start out that way, though. It took me many years of attending chapter meetings, seminars and conventions. I have gone to every convention for the past 23 years. I try to attend at least one seminar a year. And for 23 years, I have attended just about every chapter meeting. I think I have only missed about a dozen chapter meetings, and the St. Louis chapter meets every month. For me chapter meetings are top priority. There has to be a very good reason for me not to attend one. The only things that have prevented me from going to a meeting has been the last rehearsal before a performance, or I was out of town, or I, or one of my family members, was deathly sick. I schedule all the meetings a year in advance. If I am asked to tune a piano, or attend another committee meeting on the night of the chapter meeting, I say, NO, I am busy that night. The bottom line, Brian, is that learning to do my job as well as I can is the most important thing in my life. For you, when you have learned to do your job as well as you can, the money will automatically come your way. It might take a couple of years, but it will happen. Willem
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