A lot has been written lately about and for rookies, like myself, starting out - how to drum up business, cold calls, mailings, ethics etc, etc. Six months ago I was sitting in an office full time, unhappy, doing the odd tuning. Today, though I struggle at times, about 80 % of my income is from my piano business. It's growing very quickly and here's a couple reasons why I think that's happened. When I first started studying, my mentor made me promise not to go out and mess with peoples pianos until he said I was ready. I kept that promise (a major lesson in patience!), but when I finally did get out there working I was confident in my skills and abilities and I think it shows. I am also very honest with clients when a job is beyond my abilities and have to call in the big guns. They appreciate this and also know their precious piano is getting the best care available. Direct Mailings vs. Cold Calls - Nothing beats a handshake and a smile. IMHO. I don't think cold calls are unethical if handled properly. I visited almost every church in the city last summer and the four main school boards. After an introduction my first question was "Do you have a regular piano technician who cares for your pianos?" If they said "Yes, we use so and so" I'd reply with something like "Good, you have one of the best" or "he does nice work, thanks for your time....." Under no circumstance will I attempt to undercut or take business from a colleague, or mislead a potential client in any way. I am still very much a rookie and don't claim to have any answers, but these things have really kick started my career. I also read everything I can get my hands on regarding pianos, I listen way more than I talk when around other techs, joined the PTG, read the Journal, attended my first convention last month (PNW in Calgary, it was great). Warranty tunings for a reputable dealer are an excellent way to build clientele, get to know some music teachers and local pianists, they're a great resource. I love my new career, sure beats sitting in an office! Just another rookie trying to help, Norma Neufeld Saskatoon, SK ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dave Bunch" <pdtek at mchsi.com> To: "Pianotech List" <pianotech at ptg.org> Sent: Saturday, March 04, 2006 6:01 PM Subject: Re: DIRECT MAILING > Hello- When I first started out 20 years ago and was looking for ways to > drum up business, I made up a promotional letter and sent it to every church > in a 30 mile radius. I found the response rate was about 2%. Not much, but > you have to remember that most places already have a tuner and those that > don't usually like a direct referral from someone that they trust. > > That 2% was a foot in the door, however, and the good work I did allowed me > to keep the accounts and the word spread to other churches and private > owners. Probably the biggest break was when the local piano teacher of great > influence on the music community decided to try out this "upstart". When she > was happy with my work, that opened the floodgate to the other teachers in > the area and their students. It all has to start somewhere. > > Dave Bunch > >
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC