This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment 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 ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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