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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Excellent, thank you. =
Alan</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=Wimblees@AOL.COM =
href="mailto:Wimblees@AOL.COM">Wimblees@AOL.COM</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=pianotech@ptg.org
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, September 07, =
2002 2:17
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: New Question re: =
Potential
Customers</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT size=2>In a =
message dated
9/7/02 6:14:43 PM !!!First Boot!!!, <A
href="mailto:mathstar@salemnet.com">mathstar@salemnet.com</A> =
writes:
<BR><BR><BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px =
solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"
TYPE="CITE">I've noticed several references to sending out reminder =
cards,
etc. <BR><BR>I have been calling people when it's time (or when I =
think it's
time) to <BR>tune. Sometimes I get put off indefinitely or =
vaguely--they
think the piano <BR>sounds fine or don't want to spend the $, I =
suppose.
<BR><BR>This feels like I used to when I sold insurance and called =
to set
<BR>appointments ... I don't like the feeling BUT I just think there =
would
be <BR>more procrastination and forgotten schedules if I leave it to =
the
customer <BR>to call--also more pitch adjustments to deal with, etc. =
<BR><BR>Your thoughts? <BR><BR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>We've talked =
about this a
couple of times in the past. But it never hurts to talk about it, =
especially
since we have a lot more newbies on the list. <BR><BR>The need for =
piano
tuning is like the need to get your teeth cleaned. 6 moths or a year =
goes by
in a hurry. And just like your teeth, it is difficult to realize =
something has
gone awry, since it happens so gradually. That is why a gentle =
reminder is not
a bad idea. <BR><BR>But, as Alan said, customers don't always respond =
to a
cold call. Most of the time customers hang up without really listening =
to who
you are, or what your are trying to "sell" them, because to them, =
you're just
another phone solicitor. <BR><BR>That is why I send out reminder post =
cards.
There are some available from the home office, or you can make your =
own. The
reminder card is a non invasive way to let your customers know that it =
has
been 6 months, or a year, since you were there, and that it is time to =
get the
piano tuned again. (I send out reminder cards for 4 years. It's =
amazing how
many people call you even after 4 years, not realizing it's been that =
long).
The post card allows them to schedule an appointment at their own =
convenience,
whenever they want to get around to it. You will find that they are =
much more
receptive to having you in their house when they have invited you, =
than when
you have asked them for the appointment. <BR><BR>It is also a time =
saver for
you. I used to call my customers. I even sent them a post card telling =
them I
was going to call them. Then one year, over a six month period of =
time, one
month I sent out a post card telling the customer I would call them, =
and then
the next moth, I asked them to call me. After six moth, there was no
significant difference in my income from one month to the next. =
Basically,
I was getting the same number of appointments during the months =
I was
calling customer, as when I was asking them to call me. <BR><BR>That =
was about
20 years ago, and I have never called a customer to ask them to get =
the piano
tuned. They always call me, and I'm saving about 3 - 4 hours a week to =
do
other things. The other advantage to the post card is that it will get =
put on
the refrigerator door, and it will stay there for months. I have =
gotten phone
calls from customer who got the reminder card 4 or 5 months before. =
It's also
great free advertising. That post card on the refrigerator will get =
seen by
friends and family members. And when it gets sent to churches and =
schools, the
secretaries and other staff members often see the reminder cards. =
<BR><BR>For
the little amount of money the post card cost, they are a great way to =
build
up your clientele. <BR><BR>Wim =
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