Buying Customer List or Existing Business

[William Monroe]

Hi Paul (and Paul),

Am I allowed to respond if my name isn't Paul?  ;-]

I second Paul B's ideas below with one exception.  I wouldn't recommend that you buy any names without condition of acquisition.  I had worked out a deal at one time with just these types of parameters and it worked well.  I paid the previous tech for each client that I actually performed a service for after the introduction letter went out.  I would hesitate to get into an arrangement of paying for just a list which really as no guarantees.  This way, you both know what the list is really worth, and the previous tech is compensated for that value accordingly.

William R. Monroe

  SNIP

  Have the retiring gent "introduce" you to his (living) clientele. This may be a mailing that you do in his name (with his blessing, of course) or him phoning everyone, or something else. 

  SNIP

  Definitely you need to acquire his phone number. 

  SNIP

  My 2c,
  Paul Bruesch
  Stillwater, MN


  On Fri, Oct 24, 2008 at 7:49 AM, Paul McCloud <pmc033 at earthlink.net> wrote:


    List:   
        I have been offered first dibs on a piano business that has been gradually downsized over the past several years.  The owner, retiring at the end of the year, has been a technician for 60 years, most of which were spent here in San Diego.  He used to have a store location with various new and used pianos, but has given up piano sales, and does part time tuning.  What he's offering is his customer list, a few rental pianos (returned), tools and supplies, and a few odd piano benches and other accessories.  I know there has been some discussion in the past about purchasing an existing business or customer list, but I can't seem to find much in the archives.  Maybe I need a better search keyword.  
        I'm leaning towards some kind of arrangement where I would pay for any customer on the list that actually becomes my client.  Paying for  a couple thousand names where most of them are dead, moved, or otherwise useless to me doesn't make sense.  I've got plenty of those anyway.  I'm thinking that I would pay a certain amount for any client I got from his list that actually became a customer.  I could put out a mailer that would introduce me to his clients, asking them to call me for their next service.  Someone suggested to ask if he has a list of his most recent customers, and how much business he has done in the last year with them.  That figure would tell me what I could expect to make if I did purchase his list.  I'm also keen to acqure his telephone number.  He has moved into the shop where I work, and has a corner of the room.  When I'm there, I hear his phone ring and I listen to the p! hone calls that come in as his answering machine takes messages.  
        If any of you could offer advice, I'd be very glad to have it.
        Respectfully,
        Paul McCloud, RPT
        San Diego, CA
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