how long?

[Clyde Hollinger]

Tom,

A main thing is to get your name out there.  Referrals from happy clients are
nice, but if your client base is too small, it will take too long to build up the
clientele.  Figure out how to do that inexpensively.  Keep trying different
things and see what works in your area.

I wouldn't trust mailing service reminder cards out to former clients.  People
are just too busy or distracted or something.  After I see a client the first
time I ask them about their piano maintenance wishes, then I follow up on the
phone.  Yes, it gets tedious for me, but I have a waiting list about 9-10 months
per year.  It's a slow month (or vacation time) when I have less than 60
tunings.  Remember it is much easier to keep a client you already have than to
find new ones.  You won't keep them all, however.

Regarding Dave Barr's class, I think I'm correct when I say I heard him in the
class one time say he works d--- hard, to the tune of 30 pianos per week.
(Correct me if I'm wrong.)  I could make a hundred grand, too, if I did that, but
there's a lot more to life than work.  As the saying goes, no old person says, "I
wish I had spent more time at the office" (or work or whatever).  That statement
might help some of us set priorities.

Got off on a tangent there -- sorry.

Regards,
Clyde Hollinger, RPT
Lititz, PA, USA

Tvak@AOL.COM wrote:

> List,
>
> Next week I will be attending my first PTG convention, having joined this
> year.  I joined the PTG because piano tuning has become a bigger part of my
> life (and income) and I seek to improve my skills.  I want to go full time
> and I have to admit that I have become impatient as of late with progress
> toward that goal.
>
> I was spoiled last fall, when I had  6-10 tunings per week.  Finally, I
> thought, it's starting to happen!  But this spring has been highly
> disappointing:   5 tunings in March, 17 tunings in April, 10 in May, and only
> 8 in June.  Past summers have been nearly clientless.  (2 or 3/month)
>
> Now I know this question is unanswerable in any quantifiable or finite
> manner, but how long does it take to build up a clientele to support oneself?
>  I noticed in the PTG survey that 33% of those surveyed earned less than $33K
> annually.  Are my expectations simply too high?
>
> I should provide some details to my situation:  I've been listed in the
> Yellow Pages for 3 years.
>
> I do send out reminder cards when a year has passed, but response varies
> greatly, it seems.
>
> I have had evaluations by 4 different RPTs who were all very positive about
> my work.  (One hired me to assist him at peak times; another passed several
> clients to me and continues to send me referrals.)  Our chapter had Associate
> Tuning Evaluations in May, and the 2 RPTs assigned to me encouraged me to
> take the RPT exam, which I plan to take next year at the convention in
> Chicago.  (I have to mention this because I don't think the quality of my
> work is the problem.  Not that I'm satisfied with myself... )
>
> I work at a piano store one day a week where I do floor tunings and preps,
> but I didn't count floor tunings in my monthly totals.
>
> So whaddyathink?  Am I just impatient?   How long does it take to build up a
> clientele to support one's self?
>
> Tom Sivak
> Chicago PTG Associate