Pianotech

  • 1.  Where do your new customers come from?

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 01-03-2019 06:35
    Hello all,

    It's been a long time since I've posted here. Happy 2019!

    I'm closing out 2018 and wanted to share advertising feedback for anyone interested.

    Along with income and expenses, I track the total number of new customers and how they found me. My Excel spreadsheet has evolved over the past 15 years into a very reliable way of tracking this information. Its helps me decide where to spend my advertising money.

     These are my categories:

    1. Word of mouth--- personal references
    2. Online--- any online searches that do not include the ptg.org website
    3. ptg.org--- "Find a Registered Piano Technician" button on the homepage
    4. Car sign--- I have a sign on my left and right doors of my car with my name, Registered Piano Technician, PTG logo and phone number. On the back of my car is my name and number only.
    5. Me--- customers who find me because of my ptg shirt or because of a face-to-face conversation with me
    6. Phone books--- white pages and yellow pages

     The numbers below are percentages of my total number of new customers for that year.

                Word of Mouth           Online             ptg.org             Car Sign          Me       Phone Books

    2015              73                          12                    1                       3                9                   2

    2016              73                           11                    0                       4                9                   2

    2017              75                           11                    1                       3                10                 0

    2018              72                           15                    0                       4                9                   1

    - John Parham



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    John Parham, RPT
    Hickory, NC
    828-244-2487
    john440@me.com
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  • 2.  RE: Where do your new customers come from?

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 01-03-2019 11:02
    Hi John.  For years I've known that word of mouth has been the most effective way to gain new customers.  You can't buy that!!  All you have to do is behave out there in the field.  It's a concept that is in massive disrepair with the younger generation coming up .... but then I recall the olde gomers singing a similar song when I was young.

    In short John, as my career slowly grinds to a halt, my findings match yours.  I didn't go to the extent of data gathering like you did but my company, my career, my livelihood has been so prominent on my mind for so many years that I have obtained these results just by sleeping, eating and working with it most of my life  .....  just shy of 50 years. 

    Angie's list has created a few customers and has a bit of a following.  It has value for those who have just moved to the area and don't know anyone to ask for a referral.

    When it comes to gaining new customers, I fear the future of the PTG is in doubt.  Our society isn't that conducive to that sort of thing anymore.  I'll be bold and say I feel it's become an outdated process.  I don't have a solution and I certainly don't want the Guild to go away.  Getting the piano owner to see it's viability and value I feel is a failing effort.  I'd like to be wrong but so many people are easily blinded by the flash and pizazz of modern day advertising.  With the younger generation falling away from the discipline that's required to learn how to play the piano, the long term process of it all, I personally don't have any hope of the Guild being able to overcome it.  So when a customer says they found me on the PTG website, I glow from within.  There is a small glimmer of hope for the Guild and I will continue to support it with my membership dues each year until I'm unable to write the check.  Oh that's right, it can be done electronically (digitally) these days. 

    I don't get a phone book dropped off anymore.  It went straight to the recycle bin anyway.  Remember the Sears and Roebuck catalogues?  Probably not, eh?

    Vehicular advertising never did appeal to me.  It has worked well for some people.  These new wraps that you can get to cover your entire vehicle with a billboard are impressive and attract the eye but I don't think i want to park my car ( a multiple usage vehicle) at a remote kayak put in with that on it.  Tweakers seem to think that's a welcome mat. 

    Lar, not quite the oldest guy in the room.

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    Larry Fisher
    Owner, Chief Grunt, Head Hosehead
    Vancouver WA
    360-256-2999
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Where do your new customers come from?

    Posted 01-03-2019 11:32
    Thank you John for sharing that info.
    I roughly look at that info on a yearly basis without putting it on paper and i have noticed the same stats apply to my business.  I am not listed on the PTG website as i am an associate member (i wish associates were listed as well and let piano owners decide for themselves if they want to put the care of their piano into an associate's hands or persé look for an rpt), so no new customers through the ptg site.  My car sign (only my website and phone number on the rear bumper) gives me roughly 8% of my new business, my own website gives me roughly 15%.
    Advertising in phone books (i list in 2 phone books) has given me 1 to 2 new customers yearly and i have to agree with Larry: phone books are not a rewarding way; i will have to think hard wether to continue listing for the next run.  I'm not very computer and social media savvy, so i am not advertising via that route. I have had a few customers ask me why i don't go the social media route as they think it is the best thing since pockets: all of those customers work in the web building business.
    i can definitely see the change as Larry described which has been happening for many years, however, i will keep running my business the way i feel comfortable with and which has been a successful way for so many years.  I think your skill set and how you conduct yourself is the best advertising, but you also will have to make sure people see your name, so knock on doors, sign on car, and a good personal website are probably the way to go (for me at least).
    Have a great, healthy and happy 2019
    Peter
    www .janssenpiano.com
    678 416 8055

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    Petrus Janssen
    Peachtree City GA
    678-416-8055
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Where do your new customers come from?

    Posted 01-04-2019 06:45
    Larry F. wrote: "Vehicular advertising never did appeal to me.  It has worked well for some people.  These new wraps that you can get to cover your entire vehicle with a billboard are impressive and attract the eye but I don't think i want to park my car ( a multiple usage vehicle) at a remote kayak put in with that on it.  Tweakers seem to think that's a welcome mat."

    Larry - what is a tweaker?

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    Terry Farrell
    Farrell Piano Service, Inc.
    Brandon, Florida
    terry@farrellpiano.com
    813-684-3505
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Where do your new customers come from?

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 01-04-2019 11:22
    Terry,
    A "tweaker" is someone on drugs. The implication is that drug abusers are likely to target professional vehicles for theft of tools.  
    John, I'm surprised that the mix of new customer sources don't change over the years. I would have thought that word of mouth would increase. Perhaps that's more of a long-term trend. Full wraps for a car aren't necessary. Magnets are inexpensive and removable.

    There are two subcategories of word of mouth that were not mentioned: teachers, and music stores. Once a piano teacher discovers you, that can be leveraged into many, many customers. I keep a list of teachers on my iPad--if a customer needs a new teacher, I can email a PDF to them on the spot. I also try to make contact with new teachers and ask if they'd like to be on my list. It's great for business to be in middle of that ecosystem. I've also gotten referrals from music stores where I've placed cards. Not only general music stores (which seem to be going the way of camera stores, unfortunately, as everything goes online and people now download free copied music from IMSLP...), but from local luthiers(string instrument shops) as well. One kid might play the violin, but maybe the parent needs a referral for a piano tuner because there's also a piano in the house.

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    Scott Cole, RPT
    rvpianotuner.com
    Talent, OR
    (541-601-9033
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    Original Message