Regrettably, piano shopping can be a nightmare of pressure! Worse yet, the needs and concerns expressed by the average or first time piano buyer are often at conflict with the advice they receive while shopping. So, where can a smart piano shopper turn for advice without feeling pressured into making a buying decision "right now." To answer that question, let's examine the mindset of some typical piano buyers, whom I shall call Jim and Mary Forte in this article.
Typical Piano Shopping Concerns
The hypothetical Forte family would like their children to learn how to play the piano, but like most parents, they have concerns about investing a lot of money for an expensive piano before they know how well their kids are going to do. They want to see measureable progress before writing that big check to the piano store. Unfortunately, no matter how much sense that might make to parents, in the real world of piano sales, that's the last thing that most piano dealers want to hear.
As a retired piano professional, I can tell you straight out that a piano salesperson's job is to convince people to buy "right now." I often thought there had to be a better way of helping people with their piano needs, but that's how things worked - either you sold or you starved! Frankly, I severely limited my income potential because I avoided pressuring people. I knew there were millions of orphan pianos languishing in homes, never used for more than a short time, which is exactly the concern, if not the outright fear, expressed by so many prospective piano purchasers.
Fearless Piano Shopping at Last!
The days of subtle, high pressure piano sales are over if you know where to shop! There are a few piano stores springing up here and there that work the way I always thought a piano store should work. In one of these places, it is now possible for Jim and Mary Forte to give their kids piano lessons without mortgaging their home, and their soul, to do it.
In fact, the Forte's or any other sensible parent in this new piano market place can have a brand new, or quality pre-owned piano delivered to their home for under $150 total outlay, with no strings attached and absolutely no buying pressure of any kind whatsoever! They can try the piano in their home for up to one year for a low monthly investment, and if things don't work out, they can return the piano with no questions asked - without ever purchasing it. This is a piano parent's dream scenario - and the traditional piano salesperson's worst nightmare!
Piano Shopping Without Risk
This is the way I always imagined the piano business should be, but it gets even better. One of the pioneers of this unique trial plan calls it a "play period" in which there is no commitment to buy anything. At the end of this "play period" the parents have several options, none of which pressures anyone to buy anything before they are absolutely ready to make that decision on their own.
People living in the Phoenix AZ area, for example, can visit this new type of piano store online or personally. They are shown pianos in the $35, $50 and $75 per month range, with "play periods" varying from 3 months to 12 months depending on the piano. Let's say they choose a $50 per month piano with a 9 month "play period." By the end of the ninth month, they will have invested less than $150 to get started, including the delivery of the piano to any Phoenix location, plus the $50 monthly investment. The monthly payment is billed directly to their credit card making it hassle free - and no annoying credit check either.
At the conclusion of the "play period," they have several options. If things haven't worked out with the children's lessons, they can just return the piano they selected with no questions asked. Or if things have gone well, they can either continue making monthly payments for as long as they wish on a rental basis, or they can choose to buy the piano applying 100% of their "play period payments" to the piano in their home, or to any other piano offered by the company. The choice is completely theirs, without any pressure to buy at any time.
Piano Shopping That Truly Makes Sense!
As a retired Phoenix piano salesman, who is no longer under pressure to sell pianos for a living, I can objectively say that Josh Wallace of My First Piano in Mesa, Arizona is doing the right thing for piano buyers. The way he offers pianos to the buying public is the way I always dreamed a piano should be offered to people, with absolutely no sales pressure of any kind, and terms that any first time piano buyer can truly live with. If you live in the Phoenix area, My First Piano may very well be your first and last stop for all your piano needs.
For people living outside the Phoenix Arizona area, here is what I recommend. Don't allow yourself to be pressured into buying a piano too soon! Make absolutely certain it's the right thing and the right time for your family before investing. Ask about alternative purchase programs such as a piano rental or a lease program. Make sure you are getting all the options listed above before entering into any agreement, and be certain that if you are offered 100% credit for a trial period, that the credit applies to the discounted sale price - not the manufacturer's list price!
For more information about this exciting new trend in piano marketing, do yourself a favor and check out the resources below. Happy shopping!
Author Resource:
The author, Richard Bristol, is a retired piano sales professional whose career work ethic caused him to avoid pressuring his customers into making hasty buying decisions, a personal choice that limited his income, but which he believed was the right thing to do.
Josh Wallace , owner and founder of My First Piano, created a brand new, pressure-free way of shopping for pianos that can be seen and experienced at .
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