how long?

[Dave Nereson]

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  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Tvak@AOL.COM=20
  To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
  Sent: Tuesday, July 03, 2001 6:55 AM
  Subject: how long?


  List,

  So whaddyathink?  Am I just impatient?   How long does it take to =
build up a=20
  clientele to support one's self?

  Tom Sivak
  Chicago PTG Associate

  Tom--
      It depends on so many variables:  how aggressive a businessperson =
you are and how good you are with people, selling other work besides =
tuning, selling accessories, etc., what you do to get your name around, =
how many pianos a day you're willing to tune/service, how many "off" =
days & vacation time you take, how many referrals you get from the store =
and the impression you leave on their customers/new piano owners, how =
much you charge, how many services you offer, how many new clients you =
add per year, what type of clients you add (piano teachers who will =
refer you to their students, or struggling young musicians with no =
money?), how transient the population is in your town or area of =
service, your lifestyle, habits, and expenses, dependents, if any, how =
the economy goes, ad infinitum, almost..... =20
      But as a very general guesstimate, and based on my experience, I'd =
say probably at least 5 years.  It takes about that long before you're =
starting to get good at it, anyhow. =20
      I get only 3 tunings a year out of the Yellow Pages, but then I =
don't have an ad -- just my name & phone.  But still, most of the new =
customers I get are referred to me by piano teachers, and by people I've =
done a good job for (which I try to do for everybody) -- they give my =
name to the lady across the street, their mother, their daughter, =
sister, brother, doctor, dentist,  other piano owners they run into from =
day to day at work, church, day care, garden club, wherever.
      I think the most important things are to always do a good job and =
include little "extras", even if sometimes it seems like good deeds get =
"punished" or open up a can of worms -- in the long run, they pay off by =
boosting your reputation.  And that's the other important thing -- =
reputation.  You may not be an experienced, expert technician for maybe =
10, 15 years or more, but if you try hard, aim to please, pay attention =
to detail, do the best job you can even if the money at first isn't that =
great, and keep learning, it'll pay off in the long run.  You want =
people to have you back every year, and one or two disgruntled customers =
could destroy a hard-won "upstanding" image. =20
      I'm one of those who make less than $33K, but then I don't have a =
family to support nor heavy mortgage or car payments, and lead a pretty =
modest lifestyle by choice, plus I'm not one of those type A, gung-ho, =
suit & tie, 5 pianos a day, on-the-phone-all-evening go getters, either. =
 (But I do try to charge what I'm worth most of the time except for my =
young struggling musician friends who don't have the money but really =
need the piano in tune & working right -- in return, they get me into =
gigs free).=20
      Most of the other tuners I've seen start out and keep going, had a =
pretty good clientele established after roughly 5 years (3 for some; =
maybe 8 or 10 years for others), but some of them may have done other =
things or had part-time non-piano jobs for extra income, too.=20
      You do have to be patient, but persistent, too.  At least you have =
a huge population base.
      --Sincerely, David Nereson, RPT, Denver=20

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