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LONG ----FOR SEASONED VETERANS ONLY - Just about making money.
Marshall,
So glad you are eager to learn and evolve in this wonderful crazy world =
of pianos! My number, which by the way, is in the PTG guide and on line =
at their web site, is 425-747-4914. I'm out working until 4:00 usually, =
then home for my rest, dinner and return calls. Any evening is great.
I once was a Boy Scout, trying hard to earn money to go to Philmont =
Scout Ranch in New Mexico. I was depending on mowing lawns, and business =
just wasn't booming. I whined to the Scout Leader about how slow things =
were, and he roared back at me to get off my butt and go out to the rich =
end of town and start knocking on doors and offering to scrub porches =
and floors. He proceeded to enumerate many ideas for earning money, all =
of which sounded so beneath me, yelling all the while to grow up and pay =
attention to what was going on around me. He gave me ideas on getting =
along with people, jobs to pursue, how life works, etc. What an eye =
opener for me. After just trying to get work it seems that jobs just =
flew my direction out of nowhere. One person told another that there was =
this kid who wanted to work and would clean up garbage areas, pull trash =
from under houses, clean basements, weed gardens, wash cars, clean =
windows, and, yes mow the lawn as long as I was there, even if there was =
a regular kid mowing for them. Hand clipping, hand raking, non-power =
mowing for older homes with small yards. Absorbing the important lesson =
of "The learning curve for dealing with older people set in their ways", =
collecting money owed, asking for work, and giving an honest day's =
effort on my part: All of this helped me to not only earn enough for =
that trip, but provided me with a whole lot of growing up and finding =
out what it takes to survive. I'll never forget that summer.
Now I'm getting older and health is failing some, so I ease into =
retirement and look now for fun things to do and enjoy life. So much =
work keeps coming my way that it's hard to slow down, though!
Quickies:
+ Can you tune in a day care center and keep smiling?
+ Challenge yourself to tune with a noisy refrigerator screaming at you. =
Or washer. Or dryer with tennis shoe in drum.
+ Horrible piano? Enjoy the people and develope friendship or sell them =
a new piano at the dealer and make spiff.
+ Make friends with child who plays piano, teach child what is going on =
with piano and child will be the one asking for you to come back and =
service piano.
+ Set sample key perfect and show player how much better note plays. Say =
piano will play better with regulation and you'll throw in free vacuum, =
too.
+Clean fallboard of shiny piano with Cory Piano Polish while customer is =
writing out check. Sell bottle of polish and pay for nice lunch.
+ Sticky upright action after move? Problem is moisture. Borrow customer =
hair-dryer and free up 80% of problem notes. Sell Dampp Chaser, use =
Protek and go to nice restaurant with wife and kids.
+ Ask customer if they have piano in church; ask for introduction to =
pianist. Get 7 pianos to tune next week.
+ Learn to do one new service or repair every day. Each item worth maybe =
one hour average. Rate x time x number working days of year gives you =
that many dollar raise for year potential. Would you settle for half =
even?
+ Don't play piano? Learn. Learn one new simple song every month. Play =
one hundred times. Perform like expert.
OK, it's time for my nap.
Joseph Alkana RPT
----- Original Message -----=20
From: pianotune05@comcast.net=20
To: An open list, for piano technicians=20
Sent: Monday, January 16, 2006 9:41 PM
Subject: Re: Piano work; was Freebees-
Hi JOe,
I'll give you a call sometime, but you're number wasn't listed on the =
post, unless I didn' t see it. =20
You have interesting ideas for sure, some of which I tired, and others =
I have not. I have years of cleaning experience. Perhaps I should =
offer to clean out a piano. In fact, a lady my wife used to clean for, =
asked about having her piano cleaned out. =20
The tricky part is JOe, will these ideas work in an area heavily =
saturated with piano techs much more experienced than I, but some of =
which not as well groomed.;) I'll never wear jeans to any tuning even =
my practice tunings. Nice Dockers and a sweater or shirt work for me. =
A tie is too confining. =20
Id like to hear what this Isaac guy taught you about marketing. Take =
care.
Marshall
-------------- Original message --------------=20
From: "Joseph Alkana" <josephspiano@comcast.net>=20
> Long, and not for the seasoned veteran.=20
>=20
> Marshall and everyone looking to make money in the piano business: =
>=20
> I was a late comer to the piano business. Pretty much of a =
non-player, but=20
> heavily steeped in music experience looking for an outlet for my =
musical=20
> interest and some way to make money too. I could give you the =
whole story of=20
> working in this vocation, but writing isn't my forte and besides, =
the length=20
> of the tome would make for a great bedtime reader. However, =
certain things=20
> remain crucial to starting and maintaining any business. It's not =
hard to=20
> come up with ways to develope your business "reach" and you need =
to take=20
> some time and reflect on the whole approach to piano! service.=20
>=20
> PTG offers opportunities to learn, both formal and informal, =
practically=20
> just for the taking. Without them and the desire to excel and =
improve on my=20
> part I would be hard pressed to have stayed in business very long. =
Learning=20
> almost every aspect of piano lore has to be a priority. Consider =
yourself a=20
> sponge, soaking up knowledge about personalities, relationships, =
business=20
> ethics, business skills, anything piano related and always =
practicing to be=20
> the very best technician that you can. At first glance, my =
opportunities=20
> seemed limited. There are so many great techs in my area, that one =
would=20
> think all opportunities are sewed up. Far from it, I learned that =
you must=20
> pursue some avenues that are a bit removed from premium piano =
work, but you=20
> can make a very good living if you only try. Quality jobs will =
come to those=20
> practicing quality work. Attend an Is! aac Sadigursky class and be =
ready to=20
> make dollars afterwards. Be ready to work an eight hour day - from =
eight 'o=20
> clock to eight 'o clock. (Isaac's wisdom)=20
>=20
> Be around pianos, not in front of a TV set. Go to the dealer, =
schmooze him,=20
> take an interest in what he sells, how he sells and watch for =
opportunities=20
> to jump in and help with a piano. Visit the store using any =
excuse, just to=20
> be there. Measure a piano, ask some questions, inspect their used =
stuff and=20
> offer to help fix a few things on a beater right then and there. =
Bring in a=20
> friend who is a player and show him the merchandise. Sales people =
love to=20
> see techs refer customers. Ask the manager if you can vacuum out =
some of=20
> the merchandise and polish cabinets and pedals to make the stock =
more=20
> attractive. Walk the manager around to pianos you have assessed =
and show him=20
> what is needed to improve his merchandise f! or sale. Leave a =
stack of cards=20
> at every visit.=20
>=20
> Visit with other techs as often as you can to learn what it is =
that they do.=20
> Listen, observe. Offer to help on a project. Can you do simple =
shop jobs=20
> well? Offer to clean actions, scrub out pianos, de-string pianos, =
you get=20
> the idea.=20
>=20
> When you have what you think is nothing to do, read everything =
piano related=20
> that you can. Immerse yourself in pianos. Have you read the last =
20 years of=20
> the PTG Journal? Why not? Start out looking for customers that =
probably will=20
> turn out to be one timers. So what. Their money all spends the =
same as the=20
> Steinway owner's. Most techs have "paid their dues", that is, =
spent quite a=20
> bit of time working on inferior instruments, honing skills by =
doing basic=20
> jobs over and over again, often in less than pristine surroundings =
and often=20
> for a lot less money than the top tech ! in the area. Consider =
magnetic car=20
> signs and park for a while in a shopping plaza or grocery store =
parking lot.=20
> Park by the entrance to a large housing development. Put your =
information up=20
> on every bulletin board you can find. Offer services no one else =
does.=20
> Develope skills no one else has. Be the most congenial person that =
you can=20
> be at all times. Make sure you are marketable appearance wise. =
(Clothes,=20
> personal grooming, auto presentable)=20
>=20
> Brainstorm with others in small business and open yourself up to =
new ways to=20
> develope business. Invest heavily in yourself. I fail to =
understand how you=20
> have time to pursue another business with money to be made in the =
piano=20
> business at hand. Call me and I'll give you ideas to pursue. =
Marshall,=20
> believe me, your biggest problem is not that you can't afford a =
Yellow Pages=20
> ad!=20
>=20
> Joseph Alkana RPT=20
>=20
&! gt;=20
> ----- Original Message -----=20
> From: "pianotune05"=20
> To: "An open list for piano technicians"=20
> Sent: Monday, January 16, 2006 8:02 PM=20
> Subject: Re: Freebees-=20
>=20
>=20
> > Hi Brian,=20
> > My biggest problem is that I cannot aford a yellow pages ad. In =
fact, my=20
> > wife and I are barely making it with the office cleaning =
accounts we have.=20
> > So, how's a tuner breaking in to the business get his foot in =
when there's=20
> > only one music store in town, and about 9+ tuners in the area, =
South Bend=20
> > area. I'm considering relocating just to get business because =
all of the=20
> > other tech. are hogging all the work.=20
> > Marshall=20
> > ----- Original Message -----=20
> > From: "Brian Doepke"=20
> > To: "'An open list for piano technicians'"=20
> >! ; Sent: Friday, January 13, 2006 8:15 PM=20
> > Subject: RE: Freebees-=20
> >=20
> >=20
> >> Hmmmmm??? I get many calls because I am the first in the yellow =
pages.=20
> >> I=20
> >> ask polite questions, try to personable and most of the time =
get a new=20
> >> client.=20
> >>=20
> >> So, I think the business name that starts with AAA worked well =
for me.=20
> >> If=20
> >> you are going to have expense of being in the yellow pages, be =
at the=20
> >> top.=20
> >> And return phone calls!!! So many others in the book do not =
return calls.=20
> >> I=20
> >> can't understand it...but....it's their loss.=20
> >>=20
> >> Brian P. Doepke=20
> >>=20
> >> AAA Piano Works, Inc.=20
> >> 260-432-2043=20
> >> 260-417-1298=20
> >>=20
> >> -----Original Message-----=20
> ! >> From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org =
[mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On=20
> >> Behalf=20
> >> Of Susan Kline=20
> >> Sent: Friday, January 13, 2006 2:38 PM=20
> >> To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
> >> Subject: Re: Freebees-=20
> >>=20
> >> Build a good tuning, and repairs which stay repaired -- relax =
and forget=20
> >> about the rest of it, the fussy charges, the contracts in case =
of=20
> >> no-shows,=20
> >> the discounts for booking the next tuning on the spot, the =
reminder=20
> >> cards,=20
> >> the call-backs, the big display ad, the business name starting =
with AAA,=20
> >> the chatty little newsletter sent to everyone twice a year =
"it's time for=20
> >> your darling piano's next tuning" -- just toss all that=20
> >> time-wasting=20
> >> irritating trivia -- they will come.=20
> >>=20
> >&g! t; Really, think about what message you are sending out. Even =
just a pen=20
> >> with=20
> >> your name on it -- "This is someone who was short of work for =
so long=20
> >> that=20
> >> he decided to shell out money for advertising. Either he is =
brand new to=20
> >> the trade, or his work is bad enough that he doesn't get much =
repeat=20
> >> business. He expects me to throw away his card and forget his =
name."=20
> >> People=20
> >> are naturally polite; they'll respect your professional dignity =
by taking=20
> >> your freebee and thanking you -- but they'll react to the =
hidden message=20
> >> just the same, maybe not even realizing why they aren't really =
sure they=20
> >> want you back.=20
> >>=20
> >> If you're going to attempt to manipulate customers, try the =
opposite tack=20
> >> -- "Be sure to call at least three weeks in advance, espe! =
cially around=20
> >> the=20
> >> holidays ..."=20
> >>=20
> >> ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssnnnn=20
> >>=20
> >> _______________________________________________=20
> >> Pianotech list info: =
https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives=20
> >>=20
> >> _______________________________________________=20
> >> Pianotech list info: =
https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives=20
> >=20
> > _______________________________________________=20
> > Pianotech list info: =
https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives=20
> >=20
>=20
>=20
> _______________________________________________=20
> Pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
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