AAA

[Farrell]

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