Hi William,
I don't know about a $90 ad, but I'm going to definitly put a listing where everyone else is. My only worry is that I'll be overlooked, but I don't have the budget now, 7month old, wife, struggling finances you know how it goes. Anyway, so I gather it will take me up to 100 pianos to get my speed down? I'm about 1/5 the way there. I'm doing my 20th piano on Friday. So far customers are happy.
Marshall
----- Original Message -----
From: William Benjamin
To: 'Pianotech List'
Sent: Wednesday, March 08, 2006 10:42 AM
Subject: RE: DIRECT MAILING
Marshall,
I would highly recommend a good, $90 a month add in the yellow pages. Consistently threw the years it has brought me 30 percent of my business. If others are doing it, there must be a reason. Always go fishing where others fish.
As far as speed, I was at the PHTC for two years tuning about half the time. This works out to about 100 pianos worth of time. When I did my first piano out of school, it took a couple of hours, but by the end of the summer I was finishing in about an hour and 15 minutes.
William
PIANO BOUTIQUE
William Benjamin
Piano Tuner Extraordinaire
www.pianoboutique.biz
The tuner alone,
preserves the tone.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of pianotune05 at comcast.net
Sent: Tuesday, March 07, 2006 2:14 PM
To: Pianotech List
Subject: RE: DIRECT MAILING
Hi William,
I think the yellow pages ad is $20 a month for a line listing. Our area is pretty saturated with piano tuners, about 8 or nine n the phone book I think, so I won't spend too much on advertising there. I've tried other advertising mediums as well with no response. Are you going to the convention this year? If you do, we can get together and throw some ideas around.
My tuning speed is still slow. How long did it take you to tune in the beginning? How many pianos did it take you to reach your hour and a half mark?
Marshall
Original message --------------
From: "William Benjamin" <pianoboutique at comcast.net>
> Marshall,
>
> My standard for the classified section is about one tunings worth per month.
> My tunings are $90 so my budget is about $90 per month. I run the add only
> on Sunday, once a week and that works for me.
>
> As far as the yellow pages, again, I spend about one tunings worth per month
> and that is about a 2 by 3 inch add.
>
> These are just some guidelines that I have used and what I taught at the
> PHTC.
>
> William
>
>
>
>
> PIANO BOUTIQUE
> William Benjamin
> Piano Tuner Extraordinaire
> www.pianoboutique.biz
> The tuner alone,
> preserves the tone.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
&g! t; Of pianotune05
> Sent: Monday, March 06, 2006 8:40 PM
> To: Pianotech List
> Subject: Re: DIRECT MAILING
>
> Hi William
> Glad to hear from you. Thanks for the idea of mailings. As for classified
> ads, I am running one in a small paper around my area, but I had one that
> had only 7 lines and one paper wanted $200.00. I also tried an online paper,
>
> but no calls so far. I'm getting together with the yellowpags guy oh
> Thursday.
>
> I hope you're going to the convention. We can get connected there and do
> lunch.
> Marshall
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "William Benjamin"
> To: "'Pianotech List'"
> Sent: Monday, March 06, 2006 5:37 PM
> Subject: RE: DIRECT MAILING
>
>
> > Marshall,
> >
> > I have found that the best time of the year ! to send letters to churches is
> > at the first of November. I make it a point to talk about how the
> > holiday
> > season is so musical to churches. This is just a suggestion.
> >
> > One good thing to do is advertise in the classified section. It is cost
> > effective if you keep it short and use a catch line like: the tuner alone,
> > preserves the tone.
> >
> > William
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > PIANO BOUTIQUE
> > William Benjamin
> > Piano Tuner Extraordinaire
> > www.pianoboutique.biz
> > The tuner alone,
> > preserves the tone.
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On
> > Behalf
> > Of pianotune05
> > Sent: Sunday, March 05, 2006 5:10 PM
> > To: Pianotech List
> > Subject: Re: DIRECT MAILING
> >
&! gt; > Hi Dave,
> > Sharp looking letterhead is good. I'm glad this computer has Publisher on
> > it. The phone books works great, but once in a while a church has a P.O.
> > box and the letter comes back. I'm putting together address labels for a
> > mailing.
> > Marshall
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Dave Bunch"
> > To: "Pianotech List"
> > Sent: Sunday, March 05, 2006 2:59 PM
> > Subject: Re: DIRECT MAILING
> >
> >
> >> Hi Marshall-
> >> I wrote a letter because I wanted to give more information about my
> >> business
> >> than what would fit on a card. I told them how I understood the special
> >> problems and needs of pianos in churches, such as temperature and
> >> humidity
> >> problems, or the need to have t! he piano in tune with the organ. I
> >> addressed
> ; >> them in care of the "Music Dept", whoever that may be. I think most of
> >> them
> >> were read because it doesn't look like the mass generated junk mail that
> >> we
> >> get every day. I also had a classy looking letterhead and return address.
> >> As
> >> for the addresses, I just got them from the Yellow Pages. Any church with
> >> a
> >> phone will be there.
> >>
> >> Dave Bunch
> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >> From: "pianotune05"
> >> To: "Pianotech List"
> >> Sent: Sunday, March 05, 2006 12:08 PM
> >> Subject: Re: DIRECT MAILING
> >>
> >>
> >>> Hi Dave,
> >>> Do you think a church would be more apt to read a letter or post card
> >>> now
&g! t; >>> a
> >>> days? Does the color of post card have anything to do with the
> >>> response?
> >>> Where did you get your addresses? I use either google as Dean May
> >>> suggested
> >>> or netministries.org. The have a section that has a denomination list
> >>> which
> >>> one can go into a denominations website. I used to do this when I maile
> >>> d
> >>> out post cards to promote a disability speaking ministry.
> >>> Marshall
> >>> ----- Original Message -----
> >>> From: "Dave Bunch"
> >>> To: "Pianotech List"
> >>> Sent: Saturday, March 04, 2006 7:01 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
> >>>>
> >>>> ----- Original Message -----
> >>>> From: "pianotune05"
> >>>> To: "Pianotech List"
> >>>> Sent: Saturday, March 04, 2006 11:17 AM
> >>>> Subject: DIRECT MAILING
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>> HI Everyone,
> >>>>> I while back, someone mentioned to me, Tom from IN, I think. I
> >>>>> apologize
> >>>>> if
> >>>>> I cannot remember, mentioned sending out po! st cards about our service
> >>>>> as
> & gt;>>>> piano techs. What was your respone rate per 500 1000 etc. cards?
> >>>>> Marshall
> >>>>>
> >>>>> ----- Original Message -----
> >>>>> From: "Ric Brekne"
> >>>>> To:
> >>>>> Sent: Saturday, March 04, 2006 10:45 AM
> >>>>> Subject: Whats up ?
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>> Hi Terry
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> I was wondering if you had come up with anything for me as to how
> >>>>>> much
> >>>>>> the kind of board we have talked about would cost. I really do need
> >>>>>> to
> >>>>>> get this project rolling so if you have the time to put some numbers
> >&! gt;>>>> together I'd appreciate it.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Cheers
> >>>>>> RicB
> >>>>>> _______________________________________________
> >>>>>> Pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
> >>>>>
> >>>>> _______________________________________________
> >>>>> Pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>> --
> >>>>> No virus found in this incoming message.
> >>>>> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> >>>>> Version: 7.1.375 / Virus Database: 268.1.2/274 - Release Date:
> >>>>> 3/3/2006
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>&g! t;
> >>>> _________________________________________ ______
> >>>> Pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
> >>>
> >>> _______________________________________________
> >>> Pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> --
> >>> No virus found in this incoming message.
> >>> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> >>> Version: 7.1.375 / Virus Database: 268.1.2/274 - Release Date: 3/3/2006
> >>>
> >>>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> 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
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
_______________________________________________
Pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/20060308/45e0594b/attachment-0001.html
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC