The advantage is that you are marketing to the people closest in your area, ones that are literally within walking distance. . Its also cheaper than direct mail. We put a coupon on ours. Part of it read "There's a piano technician in the neighborhood!". I hired my daughter and her cousin to pass them out for 10 cents a piece. On Sun, Jul 4, 2010 at 2:10 PM, Matthew Todd <toddpianoworks at att.net> wrote: > IMO, that way of advertising just creates trash in someones yard, except > it'll have your name and number on it. Hopefully it won't have your street > address on it too. > > Although, there have been times when I see a McDonalds wrapper in the > gutter and I start craving the Big Mac. Doesn't happen too often though. > > ***TODD PIANO WORKS* > Matthew Todd, Piano Technician > (979) 248-9578 > http://www.toddpianoworks.com > > > --- On *Sun, 7/4/10, tnrwim at aol.com <tnrwim at aol.com>* wrote: > > > From: tnrwim at aol.com <tnrwim at aol.com> > > Subject: Re: [pianotech] Getting started... > To: pianotech at ptg.org > Date: Sunday, July 4, 2010, 8:19 PM > > > In general, Ryan, great advice. But before hanging adverting on doors, it > is best to check with the local governing agency, (city hall, county seat) > if this is allowed. Some communities don't like having people go door to > door. > > Wim > > I have a friend who literally went door to door when he first arrived in > town. Hang door hanger advertisements on every possible residence within a 2 > mile radius of where you live. > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Ryan Sowers <tunerryan at gmail.com> > To: pianotech <pianotech at ptg.org> > Sent: Sun, Jul 4, 2010 9:37 am > Subject: Re: [pianotech] Getting started... > > Good to hear from you Joe!! Excellent post! > > Starting a piano service business is certainly not a "Get Rich Quick!" > scheme by any measure. Putting out some advertising and waiting for the > business to come in is pretty ineffective. Here is my list of ideas: > > Join PTG and attend monthly meetings and annual seminars religiously. > Volunteer to help - (bringing yummy snacks to the meetings will endure you > to all!). > Pass the RPT exams as soon as possible. After that run for chapter office. > Dress professionally. Wear slacks, a nice shirt and tie, carry altoids at > all times, Have a nice looking tool kit full of pretty, shiny implements. > Make sure to develop personal traits that will help you suceed. If > necessary get coaching. > Try to affiliate yourself with reputable piano dealers, and develop > positive relationships with them. > Join the Local Music Teachers Association and attend their monthly > meetings. Offer to do a program for them. Donate tunings for annual > adjudications. Anything you can do to get in with the teachers is worth its > weight in gold!! > Contact every church in your town directly. Churches are community centers > and a link to lots of clients. > I have a friend who literally went door to door when he first arrived in > town. Hang door hanger advertisements on every possible residence within a 2 > mile radius of where you live. > Develop positive relationships with other reputable piano technicians. Get > good at doing grunt work in their shops. If you can help them make money > they will love you! Be very sensitive if you are costing them more than you > are worth. > Do your homework! Read the classics: Guerrilla Marketing, Marketing Without > Advertising, How to Win Friends and Influence People, etc. > Always have your own project piano to work on. Fix it up, sell it, and get > another one. > Make sure your business card, invoices, and stationary are professional. I > hate chintzy business cards!! > Make sure you can play at least one good piano tune. It doesn't have to > be Rachmaninoff -just something pretty to show off the tuning. > > > > On Sun, Jul 4, 2010 at 8:07 AM, Joseph Alkana <josephspiano at comcast.net<http://us.mc838.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=josephspiano@comcast.net> > > wrote: > >> If you’ve taken the Randy Potter course, you know from the material that >> Randy advocates joining PTG as a viable way to gain insight, camaraderie and >> possible work via the association with members over time. Not seeing your >> name in the guild membership directory, I wonder if you have pursued that >> avenue as recommended by the course? Also Randy strongly recommends that as >> a part of your training you avail yourself of a mentor while completing your >> studies. Did you follow that recommendation? >> >> What information have you gleaned from attending technician meetings, >> training sessions with dealers, and that national convention just past in >> Las Vegas. You did attend, as recommended by Randy’s course? >> >> What exactly have you done to prepare yourself for operating a business as >> a piano technician, other than, we assume, learning the rudiments of tuning? >> >> Not trying to be sarcastic or demeaning here; we’d just like to know more >> about your preparation, training and efforts to pursue a business in piano >> technology. >> >> Have you really completed the business segment of the Randy Potter course >> and followed through with the many suggestions for business building? >> >> On the basis of the information you give, it sounds as though you are >> ill-prepared to “jump start” any business endeavor. Please enlighten us >> further and I’m sure we can provide you more specific ideas to help you. >> Before we can give you concrete suggestions, it would be helpful to >> eliminate, from our prospective, the ideas and efforts you have already >> tried. >> >> Sincerely, >> Joseph Alkana RPT (Retired) >> >> ------------------------------ >> *From:* pianotech-bounces at ptg.org<http://us.mc838.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=pianotech-bounces@ptg.org>[mailto: >> pianotech-bounces at ptg.org<http://us.mc838.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=pianotech-bounces@ptg.org>] >> *On Behalf Of *Tom Rhea, Jr. >> *Sent:* Saturday, July 03, 2010 8:33 PM >> *To:* pianotech at ptg.org<http://us.mc838.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=pianotech@ptg.org> >> *Subject:* [pianotech] Getting started... >> >> List, >> I’m getting a really late start as a piano technician. I’ve – essentially >> – completed the Randy Potter Piano Technology course and have been tuning >> for a few months. Business is – to put it bluntly – horrible! After a >> flurry of interest, I’m finding it very difficult to drum up new business in >> the Hampton Roads, VA area. There are several RPTs and other technicians >> locally, but not enough – I think – to cover all the needs of the >> community. Since I’m 65, I don’t have a lot of time to go before I’ll just >> be too old to continue, but I’d like to be as effective and prolific as I >> can be, given my limited longevity. Any ideas on how to jump-start my >> business? >> >> Thanks, >> Tom Rhea, Jr. >> Rhea Piano Service >> >> > > > > -- > Ryan Sowers, RPT > Puget Sound Chapter > Olympia, WA > www.pianova.net > > -- Ryan Sowers, RPT Puget Sound Chapter Olympia, WA www.pianova.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://ptg.org/pipermail/pianotech.php/attachments/20100704/a0450ff9/attachment.htm>
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