Joseph, "the length of the tome would make for a great bedtime reader" :) that made me chuckle! some of my emails often have that effect... Great advice there. Patrick > Long, and not for the seasoned veteran. > > Marshall and everyone looking to make money in the piano business: > > I was a late comer to the piano business. Pretty much of a non-player, > but > heavily steeped in music experience looking for an outlet for my musical > interest and some way to make money too. I could give you the whole story > of > working in this vocation, but writing isn't my forte and besides, the > length > of the tome would make for a great bedtime reader. However, certain things > remain crucial to starting and maintaining any business. It's not hard to > come up with ways to develope your business "reach" and you need to take > some time and reflect on the whole approach to piano service. > > PTG offers opportunities to learn, both formal and informal, practically > just for the taking. Without them and the desire to excel and improve on > my > part I would be hard pressed to have stayed in business very long. > Learning > almost every aspect of piano lore has to be a priority. Consider yourself > a > sponge, soaking up knowledge about personalities, relationships, business > ethics, business skills, anything piano related and always practicing to > be > the very best technician that you can. At first glance, my opportunities > seemed limited. There are so many great techs in my area, that one would > think all opportunities are sewed up. Far from it, I learned that you must > pursue some avenues that are a bit removed from premium piano work, but > you > can make a very good living if you only try. Quality jobs will come to > those > practicing quality work. Attend an Isaac Sadigursky class and be ready to > make dollars afterwards. Be ready to work an eight hour day - from eight > 'o > clock to eight 'o clock. (Isaac's wisdom) > > Be around pianos, not in front of a TV set. Go to the dealer, schmooze > him, > take an interest in what he sells, how he sells and watch for > opportunities > to jump in and help with a piano. Visit the store using any excuse, just > to > be there. Measure a piano, ask some questions, inspect their used stuff > and > offer to help fix a few things on a beater right then and there. Bring in > a > friend who is a player and show him the merchandise. Sales people love to > see techs refer customers. Ask the manager if you can vacuum out some of > the merchandise and polish cabinets and pedals to make the stock more > attractive. Walk the manager around to pianos you have assessed and show > him > what is needed to improve his merchandise for sale. Leave a stack of cards > at every visit. > > Visit with other techs as often as you can to learn what it is that they > do. > Listen, observe. Offer to help on a project. Can you do simple shop jobs > well? Offer to clean actions, scrub out pianos, de-string pianos, you get > the idea. > > When you have what you think is nothing to do, read everything piano > related > that you can. Immerse yourself in pianos. Have you read the last 20 years > of > the PTG Journal? Why not? Start out looking for customers that probably > will > turn out to be one timers. So what. Their money all spends the same as the > Steinway owner's. Most techs have "paid their dues", that is, spent quite > a > bit of time working on inferior instruments, honing skills by doing basic > jobs over and over again, often in less than pristine surroundings and > often > for a lot less money than the top tech in the area. Consider magnetic car > signs and park for a while in a shopping plaza or grocery store parking > lot. > Park by the entrance to a large housing development. Put your information > up > on every bulletin board you can find. Offer services no one else does. > Develope skills no one else has. Be the most congenial person that you can > be at all times. Make sure you are marketable appearance wise. (Clothes, > personal grooming, auto presentable) > > Brainstorm with others in small business and open yourself up to new ways > to > develope business. Invest heavily in yourself. I fail to understand how > you > have time to pursue another business with money to be made in the piano > business at hand. Call me and I'll give you ideas to pursue. Marshall, > believe me, your biggest problem is not that you can't afford a Yellow > Pages > ad! > > Joseph Alkana RPT > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "pianotune05" <pianotune05@comcast.net> > To: "An open list for piano technicians" <pianotech@ptg.org> > Sent: Monday, January 16, 2006 8:02 PM > Subject: Re: Freebees- > > >> Hi Brian, >> My biggest problem is that I cannot aford a yellow pages ad. In fact, >> my >> wife and I are barely making it with the office cleaning accounts we >> have. >> So, how's a tuner breaking in to the business get his foot in when >> there's >> only one music store in town, and about 9+ tuners in the area, South >> Bend >> area. I'm considering relocating just to get business because all of >> the >> other tech. are hogging all the work. >> Marshall >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Brian Doepke" <doepkeb@comcast.net> >> To: "'An open list for piano technicians'" <pianotech@ptg.org> >> Sent: Friday, January 13, 2006 8:15 PM >> Subject: RE: Freebees- >> >> >>> Hmmmmm??? I get many calls because I am the first in the yellow pages. >>> I >>> ask polite questions, try to personable and most of the time get a new >>> client. >>> >>> So, I think the business name that starts with AAA worked well for me. >>> If >>> you are going to have expense of being in the yellow pages, be at the >>> top. >>> And return phone calls!!! So many others in the book do not return >>> calls. >>> I >>> can't understand it...but....it's their loss. >>> >>> Brian P. Doepke >>> >>> AAA Piano Works, Inc. >>> 260-432-2043 >>> 260-417-1298 >>> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On >>> Behalf >>> Of Susan Kline >>> Sent: Friday, January 13, 2006 2:38 PM >>> To: pianotech@ptg.org >>> Subject: Re: Freebees- >>> >>> Build a good tuning, and repairs which stay repaired -- relax and >>> forget >>> about the rest of it, the fussy charges, the contracts in case of >>> no-shows, >>> the discounts for booking the next tuning on the spot, the reminder >>> cards, >>> the call-backs, the big display ad, the business name starting with >>> AAA, >>> the chatty little newsletter sent to everyone twice a year "it's time >>> for >>> your darling piano's next tuning" <barf> -- just toss all that >>> time-wasting >>> irritating trivia -- they will come. >>> >>> Really, think about what message you are sending out. Even just a pen >>> with >>> your name on it -- "This is someone who was short of work for so long >>> that >>> he decided to shell out money for advertising. Either he is brand new >>> to >>> the trade, or his work is bad enough that he doesn't get much repeat >>> business. He expects me to throw away his card and forget his name." >>> People >>> are naturally polite; they'll respect your professional dignity by >>> taking >>> your freebee and thanking you -- but they'll react to the hidden >>> message >>> just the same, maybe not even realizing why they aren't really sure >>> they >>> want you back. >>> >>> If you're going to attempt to manipulate customers, try the opposite >>> tack >>> -- "Be sure to call at least three weeks in advance, especially around >>> the >>> holidays ..." >>> >>> ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssnnnn >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >> > > > _______________________________________________ > Pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives > Patrick Hinves Ballesta Afinador/Técnico 610442371 PIANISSIMO PIANOFORTE S.L.
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