[CAUT] selling my customers down the river

[tnrwim at aol.com]

Ben

First of all, in case you're interested, I've written a book, "The Business of Piano Tuning", which has a chapter on how to sell, or buy, a piano tuning business. It's available from Randy Potter. 

In a nut shell, I would not suggest selling your customer list one part at a time. The 200 customers who you say "love" you, are not going to feel the same way towards another tuner. Besides, how do you know these people "love" you? They might have kept using you for no other reason than they are too lazy to find someone else. As far as those that "like" you, or have called you once in a while, they are no more important than the "rest" of your list. 

I would suggest you sell your whole business to the tuner who bought the "rest"of the customers. Come to an agreed price, and if he can't pay for it all at once, work out some time payment plan, based on the customers from who he is actually getting income. An example would be to get $25 per customer for the first year, and then $20 per customer for the next year.

Wim

-----Original Message-----
From: Ben Treuhaft <blt at igc.org>
To: caut at ptg.org
Sent: Sun, May 9, 2010 2:08 pm
Subject: Re: [CAUT] selling my customers down the river


Carl, you have written on the subject of selling customer lists.  My offer has elicited much mirth but no takers.  Where can I read your article?     thank you     Ben

From: Carl Root <carldroot at comcast.net>
Reply-To: <caut at ptg.org>
Date: Sun, 9 May 2010 08:11:44 -0400
To: <caut at ptg.org>
Subject: Re: [CAUT] selling my customers down the river

I have an interest in the subject of buying and selling piano service client lists.  (wrote a PTJ article on the subject a while back.)  I'm tempted to dissect this offering line by line, but I keep coming back to your subject line . . .  "selling my customers down the river".

Really?!?!?!?

Carl D. Root, RPT


On May 8, 2010, at 11:04 PM, Ben Treuhaft wrote:


dear CAUT, the Underwater Piano Shop is moving to Tokyo and I am leaving hard-earned NY customers.  I would like to sell my list,  a Filemaker database (and Excel).  
 
 Out of 1,000 customers, almost 200 love me.  Them I am selling for $30 each, and they include German ambassadors’ wives and some of the best pianists in NY.
 
 Another 50 like me but don’t call all that often.  They are $20 apiece.
 
 About 375 liked me but rarely call.  $5 – 10.
 
 The rest I have already sold for $1 each to an associate PTG member.  
 
 Anyone interested please call or write, I am willing to sell these segments separately, and to stand behind the lists to the extent that if nobody takes to you I’d return your money.  
 
 I’d first hire you to tune a piano for me, to audition you.    
                       Thank you,       Ben (formerly w/Steinway concert dept., currently NYU’s tuner)
 
 Benjamin Treuhaft
 .·´&hibar;`·.¸¸.><(((((º>
 Underwater Piano Shop
 39 E. 7th St. #3
 New York, NY 10003
 (212) 505-3173
 BLT at igc.org
 

  
  




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