College Piano Sales – Slick Marketing Tactics or Scam?
♫ Saturday, April 23rd, 2011
School Piano Sales – Slick Marketing and advertising Tactics or Scam?
Report by Richard Bristol
On the surface, School Piano Sales appear to be a great opportunity to choose up a effectively-maintained piano at a bargain price. Whilst it’s genuine there are a couple of good bargains at these events, a intelligent piano shopper can get a much better piano for less cash if they know how these events really work. To find out how to prevent slick piano marketing tactics that can hurt you financially, read on!
Initial, it’s crucial that you comprehend the how and why of School Piano Sales. They exist since the price of maintaining University Music Departments supplied with decent pianos has skyrocketed more than the years. To offset this expense, regional piano shops and piano manufacturers joined forces to supply the loan of a Handful of pianos to the schools music departments each year – in exchange for the opportunity of selling these loaner pianos at the finish of the school year, onsite at the school’s music department.
This loan program is a legitimate way for University music departments to have excellent high quality pianos in their practice rooms – at no cost. It’s a great deal for the school. Selling these pianos at the end of the college year is also legitimate, but we are speaking about possibly a dozen or two pianos – complete – even at the biggest of Universities.
Enter now the nearby piano store who has supplied these loaner pianos (in cooperation with the piano manufacturer). When it comes time to sell these Handful of loaner pianos, out comes the slick marketing and advertising tactics, which some folks may take into account borderline scams. These events are very hyped and broadly advertised with upwards of ,000 in direct marketing fees expended to bring in hundreds of prospects to these College Piano Sales. Along with the marketing, in comes truckload soon after truckload of pianos directly from the showroom floors of the regional piano company. Now all of a sudden, you have maybe 100 or 150 pianos billed as “School Loaner Pianos” that “ought to be sold at drastically reduced costs.” Does this sound fully honest?
These sales generally last 3 or 4 days, the first two days by appointment only. Up to a half-dozen hotshot piano salespeople usually staff these events. Mass appointments are set at the identical time to create a “acquiring frenzy” atmosphere! When the prospects show up for their appointment, they are provided a rapid tour while being swiftly qualified as “buyer” or “non-buyer.” Those regarded as to be just shoppers can be abruptly dismissed, told that if they want to shop for pianos, they need to go to a piano shop and browse all they want -simply because this sale is for purchasers who know what they want.
The survivors of this qualifying game are offered a bit much more time . but hurried along as quickly as doable. The salespeople are trained to close deals quick and move on to the next prospect. The whole process is based on “hurry up and pick a piano – obtain now – these excellent deals won’t last extended!”This is NOT the proper way for anyone to purchase a piano – unless they are nicely prepared in advance. And that’s what the rest of this report is about. How to take advantage of this ruthless technique, and get a better piano for much less cash – even if it’s from a competitive dealer who is NOT involved with the College Piano Sale itself.
Prior to retiring from the piano enterprise, I worked many of these events as a salesperson. I was hardly ever the best producer, due to the fact I tended to give individuals more time and help than the top guns would present. I gave further aid to folks and never regretted it. Now, based on my experiences, I have assembled a method for the BUYER who plans to attend 1 of these School Piano Sales.
There are some great deals at these sales, even though most of the pianos have not been at the school for far more than a number of hours. But you can’t attend an event like this unprepared. So, do yourself a favor and comply with these beneficial hints:
1. Find out WHO (what piano store) is sponsoring the loan plan and sale. Visit this store at least a single complete week prior to the College Piano Sale and find out all you can about the goods they sell.
2. A lot of of the pianos you see in their shop will mysteriously seem at the college a couple of days later. It costs the shop a lot cash to move all these pianos to the School for this sale, and then move them back once again if they don’t sell. What this means is that you can typically strike a much better deal with the seller IN THE Shop ahead of they have to move the pianos. Inform them that you know about the school piano sale and that you want their finest prices now, prior to the sale. (There had been frequently greater deals at the store where I worked before and in the course of the sale if people would just take the time to shop.)
3. Uncover a piano you like and nail down the Finest Cost you can get if you acquire prior to the sale. But don’t buy it just however. Now, it is time to play hardball.
4. Your following quit is to visit ALL the competitive shops. Inform them you plan to attend the upcoming College Piano Sale at Wherever University. Tell them you strategy to buy a piano for sure. Nonetheless, tell the salespeople you meet that you would think about creating a deal with them Prior to the School Sale, if the price tag is right. Utilizing this leverage, you can typically get large value concessions from the regional competitors, simply because they know that the School Sale will take hundreds of thousands of dollars out of the prospective piano marketplace, a fact that may cripple their business for weeks to come.
five. If you wish, continue the game by returning to the School Sale vendor and telling him you located a greater deal someplace else. You may well be in a position to get an even lower price on your piano of option.
6. When you are convinced you’ve located the greatest piano at the greatest cost, purchase it prior to the College Sale. You’ll have a greater shopping encounter and get a much better deal by utilizing the upcoming sale as leverage.
Frankly, the massive shops who sponsor these variety of events frequently do NOT have the greatest piano offers in town. I personally choose a modest retailer like My 1st Piano in the Phoenix Arizona marketplace, where they have everyday low prices on the very best high quality pianos. A shop like this has low overhead, little or no marketing, and does most of its company by way of referrals and their site. A wise piano shopper can usually uncover a considerably much better deal at a place like My First Piano than by means of a School Sale with all its hype, high-pressure, and high-priced marketing costs. In fact, at a place like My 1st Piano, most of their instruments can be evaluated in property without any pressure to purchase whatsoever!
If you are still attracted to the notion of a College Piano Sale, at least do yourself a favor. Check out ALL the competitive shops in town prior to the sale. You’ll be a much a lot more educated buyer as a result of doing this additional homework, and may locate a much better deal in the process.
Great buying! May the music be with you!
About the Author
For further data about pianos and an example of pianos for sale from the Phoenix, Arizona region, please see Phoenix Piano and Phoenix Piano Purchasers.