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Rick, I've heard that said as well. And I would go so far as to say, anyone in the business of selling pianos should be paying attention to this forum.

So, to cygnusdei's comment, if the piano salesman is here, then he can take this thread as a chance to learn something!

We all have our opinions and tastes that lead us towards certain piano brands. Bad mouthing other brands will only insult people who really do have common interests and ultimately hurt the entire piano industry. That's the way I view it.

As distasteful as we all find the FUD approach to selling, I have to wonder if it "works" more often than not. Otherwise, salespeople would quit doing it. Wouldn't they? Or is it more an act of desperation?

I'm sure there are a lot of dealer lurkers out there. In fact, I've heard that some work the PM's pretty aggressively when a shopper from their area starts posting. I guess there's nothing technically wrong with that, but it's clear that some only take from the community instead of giving to it by participating publicly (like some of our better dealer members do).

At first I was thinking that there isn't a dealer of a Japanese brand in the metro** area who's active here, but then I realized that there is. At the same, that dealer is also a Baldwin dealer, so it wouldn't make much sense for them to trash the brand.

**I live on the western edge of the DC metro area. I seldom cross over into Maryland, and tend to forget that the metro area really extends almost to Baltimore. Heck, some people even consider the whole states of West Virginia and Delaware, along with Maryland and Virginia to be the "Capital Region."

With as sleezy as he sounds I'm surprised he can sell a piano to anyone! Who does that?

I'd be inclined to thank the buyer with a nice card and a bottle of something expensive.

I wouldn't waste my time or money on the other salesman (no matter how satisfying the irony of a "commission" might feel).

I think a lot of you are taking Keith's question seriously, when it was obviously a joke 🤣

Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly,
Piano salesmen just gotta lie.....

I know it's a joke. I just wasn't sure if he wanted to run with it!

With a bit more extended definition of the DC metro area, like you said, there are actually a few dealers of new Japanese brands that do not carry Baldwin.

I somehow have a bias of thinking of a particular dealer in this area that may have staff behaving that way. But I should keep that to myself, since I haven't been there for quite some time, I don't know every salesperson in that shop (and they come and go anyways), and my experience with them has not been 100% negative either.

Yeah, definitely multiple dealers of Japanese brands. I was just thinking of those who sometimes participate here.

I've visited the regional Yamaha shops multiple times (once as a consumer and several to attend PTG meetings -- pre-Covid I'd go if the technical session looked interesting). The sales folks have always been pleasant. There's also a multi-location Kawai dealer, but I have never been there.

Something similar happened to me recently when someone badmouthed another piano that I know is perfectly equal with one I was looking at but that they didn't sell. Totally turned me off. So even though I preferred the piano model they had, I ordered it from someone else. I'm in the tri-state area with plenty of options. Salespeople should be interested in finding the piano suited for each person, it builds trust in the relationship. Badmouthing another brand that they don't offer just makes it seem like they only care about the sale not at all about the customer. It also assumes the customer knows nothing, which is often not the case. Haven't they watched Miracle on 34th Street? lol

Yeah!

A Christmas classic. Unfortunately, we didn't watch it this year. Is it too far past Christmas to watch it "seasonally"?

FUD absolutely works. Have you ever seen this exact approach with our political candidates who have the most experienced and most highly paid experts guiding them every step of the way and creating their advertising? Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent promoting FUD style marketing. It for sure works even on people who hate and resent it.

Even though the outcome of this particular example was fun because FUD backfired, it also wasn't well executed FUD so it is more a comment on both the approach and skill of the salesperson in question. Other sales people might get deals over me regularly with this approach only the do a better job at it and likely I don't ever even find out what happened.

Never too late! Or too early for next year!

Yea, it is a lot easier to do business with someone you like, or at least have a good first impression. As I've followed this thread, I was thinking that perhaps Keith's customer may have had a good enough first impression with the other salesperson in question, since she initially looked at the Japanese made piano at the other dealer (at least this is what I assume).

The problem that steered the customer back to Keith for a second time, was the salesperson's rant about what a mistake the customer had made buying the other piano, and not giving her a chance to tell him why she called in the first place, and telling them the full story that she actually wanted to buy the Japanese brand from them.

It seems like the salesperson snapped and became hostile and vindictive toward the customer and the Chinese made piano brand she mentioned she had purchased.

However, we know not all salespeople, piano and otherwise, are cut from the same mold. I will say, and this is just my opinion, it is difficult to embrace a salesperson as a friend. They are looking to make a sale, and, hence, a commission/profit, from the sale. On the other hand, it is nice when a salesperson actually does seek to make the customer happy, before and after the sale.

I remember reading the biography of H. Ross Perot. He said that from a very young age, and throughout his entire working career, he never made a dime unless he sold something. I'm thinking if a salesperson wishes to have a long career in commission sales, they need to have good people skills, likeability and be somewhat charismatic and honest, especially if they want repeat customers.

Rick

Sad to say, you are totally correct.

Thinking of the tech who recently cast doubts on a Shigeru Kawai, and it turns out he was the person I thought it was and has a partnership with the Yamaha dealer! So sleazy.