<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2802" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: = Arial" bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 rightMargin=7> <DIV> <DIV> <DIV>I agree also.  I have a one liner in one phone book.  I had one of those neat little 3-4 line boxes one in a couple of local books for a year.  I got maybe 5 calls from it.&nbsp= ; 3 were price shoppers who blew me off. 1 caller left a message, but by the tim= e I was able to get back to her, she'd gotten the guy listed below me to do the job...:-(</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>The only reason I have a listing anymore is for people who are already customers that might have lost my contact info.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>WORD OF MOUTH!  Competent work and good customer relations will en= sure steadily increasing business.  That's where working for a store--even a= t reduced rates--can help you out as you start to get your business off the ground.  Referrals.  Referrals from referrals.  Referrals fro= m people you don't even know.  It's exponential, unlike the trickle-in of= ad callers.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Dave Stahl</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>In a message dated 1/27/2006 6:22:17 A.M. Pacific Standard Time, davidlovepianos@comcast.net writes:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><= FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size= =2>I agree.  A one line listing is currently what I have. David Love davidlovepianos@comcast.net -----Original Message----- From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Dean May Sent: Frida= y, January 27, 2006 4:44 AM To: 'Pianotech List' Subject: RE: prospecti= ng for customers David, David, David, You are killing yourself = with your yellow page ads as your numbers are proving. $180 to generate a co= uple of customers is not break even. I have proved it to myself. I also have= brothers in various other businesses who have proved it to themselves. Yellow Page advertising is not good investing. Just get the minimum one= line, don't even pay extra for bold. People who use Yellow Pages are usually price shopping so they will go down the entire list to call everyone. I do that all the time and I consider the ads an annoyance. T= hey make it more difficult to go down the list. Dean Dean May&nb= sp;            cell 812.239.3359 PianoRebuilders.com   812.235.5272 Terre Haut= e IN  47802 -----Original Message----- From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf = Of David Ilvedson Sent: Friday, January 27, 2006 12:10 AM To: pianotech@ptg.org Subject: RE: prospecting for customers I went = into my Time & Chaos program and searched for Yellow Pages filter I ente= r with new customers if that is how I got them...I have about 60 customer= s referred to me from the Yellow Pages since about 2003 or so...maybe 20 = a year...a couple a month....not many it would seem.    I think= David Love only has a one line listing?   I have an inch & a= half ad.   I pay about $180 a month for 3 phone books... David Ilvedson, RPT Pacifica, California ----- Original message ---------------------------------------- From: "David Love" <davidlovepianos@comcast.net> To: "Pianotech List" <pianotech@ptg.org> Received: 1/26/2006 8:16:31 PM Subject: RE= : prospecting for customers >You might be right, I can't speak= for all areas.  In the areas I am familiar >with, the one and on= ly local phone service provider (land lines, pole >service, connection boxes, etc.) offers a Yellow Page directory that is >distributed to = all customers who use their service.  That's virtually >everyone, though the cell phone boom has created an ever increasing group >= who only have cell phones.  In addition to their Yellow Pages there are any >number of smaller "Yellow Page" directories operating un= der a slightly >different names:  Valley YP, Mountain YP, Big YP, S= mall YP, Your YP, My YP, >blah blah blah.  They also offer advertising and it doesn't matter what >phone number you put in there.  Problem is, their distribution and accepted >use by consumers pales in comparison to the local phone service provider. >So you aren't reaching as many people.  A= lso, when you call information for >a number, the one that is given is= the number listed by the local service >provider.  No way around= that.  There is no information for cell phones.  So >if= you are going to advertise in the YP, be aware of which one you are >usi= ng, what the distribution is and the relative costs.  While I do >advertise in several local directories (there are sorted by region here), I >can't say that they've ever provided more than a= handful of customers. >Almost everything is referral.  The call= s I get from the YP are usually >shopping price.  >David= Love >davidlovepianos@comcast.net >-----Original Message----- >From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf >Of William R. Monroe >Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2006 7:51 PM >To: Pianotec= h List >Subject: Re: prospecting for customers >Not necessar= ily true, David.  I advertise and only list my cell phone - only >have my cell phone for business - no business line. = So it will depend upon >your area.  Obviously yours requires a business line. >Regards, >William R. Monroe >----- Original Message ----- >From: "David Lo= ve" <davidlovepianos@comcast.net> >To: "'Pianotech List'" <pianotech@ptg.org> >Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2006 7:58 PM >Subject: RE: prospecting for customers >> They won't let you advertise without a phone line that you pay them for. >> >> David Love >> davidlovepianos@comcast.net >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On >Behalf >> Of pianotune05 >> Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2006 5:53 PM >&g= t; To: Pianotech List >> Subject: Re: prospecting for customers >> >> Hi Sid, >> I'm definitly lookin= g into the yellow pages.  I'm hoping that they'll let >me >> >> advertise since I only us= e my cell phone.  I don't see the need for a lan >> line.&nbsp= ; We used to have a weekly like that, but it went out of business, >The >> Penny Saver I think it 's called.&n= bsp; Im going to keep checking.  I >appreciate >> the ideas= a great deal.  I'll let you know what I came up with. >> Marshall >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Sid Blum" <piano@sover.net> >> To: "Pianotech List" <pianotech@ptg.org> >> Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2006 8:3= 0 PM >> Subject: Re: prospecting for customers >> >> >> > When I was starting out= on my own, after five years of apprenticeship, >the >> >> > most productive  and cost effective advertising was the local buy and >sell >> >> > weekly.  A simple= listing in the yellow pages is also a must, in my >> > opinion. >> > >> > Sid Blum >> > >> > >> >>Hi everyone, >> >&gt= ;I wanted to know if anyone out there knows of a directory of piano >owners >> >>that I can obtain in order to pros= pect for customers.  I'm looking for >> >>something like= a "coles" directory that only has piano owners, piano >> >>teachers etc in it that I can contact in order to gain opportunities to >> >>tune.  Thanks in advance. >> >>Marshall >> > >> > --= >> > _______________________________________________ >&= gt; > Pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Pianotech list= info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >> >> &= gt;> _______________________________________________ >> Pianotech list= info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >> >> <= BR> >_______________________________________________ >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: http://www.ptg.org/mailman/listinfo</BLOCKQUOTE></DIV> <DIV></DIV></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Dave Stahl Dave Stahl Piano Service 650-224-3560 <A href="http://www.dstahlpiano.net/">http://dstahlpiano.net/</A><= /DIV></BODY></HTML>