Two suggestions that have worked well for me. Find a music store - not a piano dealer (you report those being tech-saturated) - but a store that sells sheet music, gives music lessons, sells/rents band instruments for local schools. Offer to tune their piano(s) (teaching pianos) for free if you can leave a stack of cards. I do this for the two music stores in my town and get lots of referrals from them. Move to a town where the population is growing. With folks moving into the area all the time, you never have to worry about other techs in the area - you don't need to try to take customers away from existing techs - new ones are flowing into the area at all times. (Probably good for a cleaning business also.) And if you move to an area where the population is growing, then I highly recommend a Yellow Pages ad. In Florida, the average home-owner stays in one location for five years. People don't get to know their neighbors all that well. People tend to use the Yellow Pages. I have had ads for that past 5+ years and get lots of business from them. I will likely stop them this year because I am too busy. Good luck. Find a store that gives piano lessons - that has worked very well for me. Terry Farrell ----- Original Message ----- >I think living in a large area is a positive situation for business, or >should be anyway. I'm in a town of a little over 100k, and there's at >least 9 techs. I 'm familiar with, two of whom I 'm good friends with. I >spoke with a tech today who is getting out of the business full time >because after 13 years she's having trouble making it. She's now a mail >carrier maintaining the customers she does have, but not getting any new >ones. I"m thinking of relocating to a large city where I have more than >one music store to connect with. Yes, we only haave one music store here, >and the closest one to this is about 30miles away. > > Interesting that you mentioned getting with a tech on jobs I'm not famiiar > with Susan. I mentioned that tonight on the phone when I contacted that > woman about her tuning business, the one who is now a mail carrier. As > for messing up a job, well so far so good no goof ups. My first paid > tuning went well. No complaints, and I even called to see if they had any > questions concerns, it was a facility that folks would fent for weeeing > receptions etc, a pretty upscale place. The piano turned out quite well. > > As for training locally, well, I'll travel a reasonable distance to learn > from another RPT. This past weekend, I had the privilage and pleasure to > receive tutoring from an awesome RPT in Madison WI. He is very familiar > with the needs of the sight impaired as my instructor in Chicago is. I > spent most of the day on Sat. going over techniques to help with my speed, > tuning techniques, and yes even using felts!!!:) Make sure that Jeannie > lady reads this one.:) He helped me in such a great way, that I'm able to > use them. He said that I'm well on my way even though I'm starting out, > I'm well on my way! :) > > As for handing out business cards. I don' t hand them to just anyone. > Years of experience in the telemarketing field taught me to qualify leads > etc. I'll ask a person that approaches me, "Do you have a piano?", yes, > business card, no, "do you know someone who has one?" yes, busiess care, > no, then I talk a little and they usually leave me alone after that. > > Take care. sorry I was late on the response. > Marshall
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