SO I feel like a "mom and pop" store that just had Walmart open up next door.

baimun said:
Premier guitar got upset about Premier Music? Weren't you in business first?
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actually this site was originally called "premierguitarlessons.com" since I own Premier Music. I ended up changing it over and the resulting "the man is putting me down" hoopla actually helped me publicize the place in the early days. GC might end up doing the same thing.
 
sorry to hear about that mark... for what it's worth, there is a guitar center and sam ash in the same shopping center only 5 miles from my house. however, there are 3 or 4 pretty successful. keep doing what you are good at and you'll figure it out. wish i had more for you... mojo sent
 
mystixboi1 said:
sorry to hear about that mark... for what it's worth, there is a guitar center and sam ash in the same shopping center only 5 miles from my house. however, there are 3 or 4 pretty successful. keep doing what you are good at and you'll figure it out. wish i had more for you... mojo sent
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Thanks :) We'll get through it but this year is going to suck a bit I think.
 
GC offers lessons here. The instructors are shit. A lot of times you don't see the same instructor every time. Many of the students at the store I take lessons at went there first. I've yet to hear a positive review.
 
That sucks. Not a whole lot you can do about it, other than to offer the best service you can. If they want to move into YOUR territory and offer a rival product, you need to SHOW and TELL people why you are better. Hype the fact that your instructors have real experience, and music degrees, and that you collectively have XX years of professional music teaching experience. Hype that you have been in the community for years, and that you are not a faceless corporation. You need to emphasize you are Premier Music, and Premier means something. Real music education from pros, not some high school drop out working for minimum wage for a faceless corporation.

You may loose out a little in the short term, but I think the kind of people you want to teach will see the difference.

The other option is to have 12pack call your mayor using the secret mayoral red phone and have their building permits yanked. If that doesn't work, Mo and I can burn that bitch to the ground. We can even frame Watt for the crime.
 
You're not really focused on the retail end right?

I suppose I would look at trying to get the message out about the consistent dedicated superior instruction that you provide versus a constantly changing roster of instructors working their way through the "walmart" of music lessons. I think that angle plays nicely these days.
 
k4df4l said:
You're not really focused on the retail end right?

I suppose I would look at trying to get the message out about the consistent dedicated superior instruction that you provide versus a constantly changing roster of instructors working their way through the "walmart" of music lessons. I think that angle plays nicely these days.
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Absolutely. We've actually dropped retail altogether except for what is still in the store and maybe restocking strings and stuff. The idea is that we are 100% focused on instruction.
 
Tiltsta said:
The other option is to have 12pack call your mayor using the secret mayoral red phone and have their building permits yanked. If that doesn't work, Mo and I can burn that bitch to the ground. We can even frame Watt for the crime.
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:idea:
 
Word of mouth, and referral are still the best types of marketing for service industries. This makes things harder for sure, because it takes away from those "first timers" that don't know any better. But hopefully, you can capitalize not only on your being local, but on your results. I think you need a local campaign featuring the success of your students, both more advanced, and the more "family" types. Is there a local "resort TV" type station that airs features on businesses? Some good vid showing kids having fun (which is really what parents want) and some other successful students learning and playing would hopefully make a big difference, and convince enough parents to sign their kids up with you, rather than play the craps table at GC in getting their kids some lessons.
 
The Block is on the other side of town from your shop. I think the impact on your business will be minimal, but it can't hurt to beef up your marketing.

It's funny, but the last time I went to GC I didn't stay very long, and there was no GAS moment for me. I guess I have all the gear I want. BTW I wouldn't look to GC for music lessons, there are much better options out there.
 
Damn, sorry to hear it man.

For whatever this is worth, most of my major purchases are still from local stores vs. GC. I know you're leaning away from retail, but even if you decide to keep that end of it, a LOT of people will go to GC to look, but not buy. The guitars arent well taken care of, the environment kinda sucks, and the prices are actually HIGH compared to either of my large local shops.

That says nothing about instruction, I really cant see GC competing with you in that area so long as people know you're an option, you'll be the first choice 90% of the time. I could be wrong, of course, but I do think that so long as you do what you can to keep your name out there, you'll see minimal impact from the big bad GC.
 
TomcatMF said:
The Block is on the other side of town from your shop. I think the impact on your business will be minimal, but it can't hurt to beef up your marketing.

It's funny, but the last time I went to GC I didn't stay very long, and there was no GAS moment for me. I guess I have all the gear I want. BTW I wouldn't look to GC for music lessons, there are much better options out there.
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I think that the hassle of even just parking at the Block will kill it for a lot of people. Also, as you head west in OC the per capital household income goes down and we are closer (and more convenient) to the neighborhoods that can still afford lessons. I just need to be proactive.
 
I'm really tempted to run an ad saying "bring your guitar center receipt for a free lesson at Premier Music" for first time customers :embarrassed:
 
Mark Wein said:
I'm really tempted to run an ad saying "bring your guitar center receipt for a free lesson at Premier Music" for first time customers :embarrassed:
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Cool, better break out a real amp and a real guitar, so that they can learn to sweep pick and two hand tap on their first lesson... But first, you will need to impress them, not only by your amazing shred and dropped A tuning skills, and not only by your 27 fret Jackson mega-humbcker crunch monster and your 280 watt quadrupedal rectumfier, but because you look like a rocker, act like a rocker, and smell like one, too...
 
Maybe offering some sort of full starter package deal would help you bring in the "First Guitar" type learners. People (Like me) who want to start to learn to play guitar have no idea what guitar to buy with which to start. Offering a guitar/lesson package may belay a newbies reservations knowing that "someone in the know" helped them get started with the right gear. -- Just a thought.
 
grover said:
Maybe offering some sort of full starter package deal would help you bring in the "First Guitar" type learners. People (Like me) who want to start to learn to play guitar have no idea what guitar to buy with which to start. Offering a guitar/lesson package may belay a newbies reservations knowing that "someone in the know" helped them get started with the right gear. -- Just a thought.
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My guess is that is EXACTLY what GC will be doing during the holidays. It's just not cost-effective for smaller shops, especially when you're not set up as a retail space.
 
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