Cool Things My Friends Do: Bill Singer Saxophone Repairman - 30 Years In New York City

Each Friday on this blog I enjoy highlighting some of the cool things my friends do in their personal and professional lives.

The song says "If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere" in regards to succeeding in New York City.  To be on top of your game in the Big Apple for thirty years is quite an accomplishment for anyone, and this month marks three decades that my brother has been the premier Saxophone Repairman in New York City.

Bill Singer moved to New York City to play music, surround himself with the best musicians in the world, and to repair instruments.  He has always loved the saxophone, and over the years his hands have saved many thousands of horns from disrepair.

Bill is 12 years older than me, and his constant practicing and playing music (and his love of Jazz) echoes in my childhood memories.  I can recall being unable to hear the television even though he was playing in his own room.  Not being able to hear The Flintstones meant complaints to the parents (maybe whining and tears?), and Bill was often sent out to the garage to practice.  I can still see the image in my head of him in exile down the driveway on rainy nights belting out tunes. 

To earn a living he began repairing horns.  The saxophone is a delicate instrument, and Bill's commitment to each repair is evident in the artistic manner in which he applies his craft.  I have watched him work, and he treats each horn repair as a work of art.  The passion of that kid learning to play that saxophone in the garage is evident today in the way he runs his business.  All jobs get the same level of attention, no matter how big or how small.  He enjoys working with the new aspiring musicians as much as he does the celebrities (He has repaired the horns of many of the most renowned saxophone players of our time, some referring to him as "the Music Doctor").

All of his clients find him through word-of-mouth, and he is known far beyond boroughs of New York City.  It is not uncommon for those coming the area to bring their saxophones with them for an appointment.... but an appointment is always needed, as his calendar is booked months in advance.  He is a great example of how "Word-of-Mouth Marketing" can book you solid.  Do great work in a niche business and the customers will find you!  While he is not the only repairman, his dedication to the craft of saxophone repair has made him "the" repairman of choice.

Bill has seen a lot of changes in New York City and in the music industry.  He has survived the good times and the bad with a strong focus on overcoming all odds. Quitting has never been an option. 

Passion, plus hard work, has transformed his love of the saxophone into his career. While Bill Singer works hard, I do not think he considers what he does to be "work".  He always seems to be having fun!  

Doing something you love and being your own boss can be pretty cool...thus he is today's entry into "Cool Things My Friends Do".

Congrats to my big brother on 30 years in New York City!!!

Check out the attached video created by one of Bill's clients.... it has over 18,000 views on YouTube and shows a great personal side of Bill in action!!

Have A Great Day

thom singer

(Note the below photos of a repair)

Getting The Word Out

Small businesses all struggle with how to get the word out about their products and services. There is no magic marketing formula that produces results, and every entrepreneur has to create their own unique path to success.

Many solo entrepreneurs are hopeful that they will find instant fame that will help propel them to the top. While this could happen, it is rare.  In my line of work I see new speakers who are waiting for someone to "discover" them and get them onto a fictional "Speaking Circuit".  There is not "circuit" that is a guaranteed route to success.  For each success in the speaking industry there has been a different set of circumstances that have led to victory.

Everyday you need to wake up and do the hard work to get the word out about why your business is spectacular.

Like Sisyphus (Greek Mythology) who has to roll an immense boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll back down, and to repeat this throughout eternity, marketing your business never ends.  I know more than one small business owner who has stopped promoting the company after finding a comfortable level of success, only to find the competitor take over the mind-share of the clients and prospects.

Getting the word out is a never-ending activity.

What do you think? How do you get the word out about your business? What should I be doing differently to promote my career?

Have A Great Day.

thom singer

You Cannot Force Viral

The more I participate in online social media, the more I learn about the off-line world at the same time. You cannot force people to take action. Never assume that others are motivated by the same things. You cannot force viral.

My participation in the HomeAway Vacation Giveaway was a wonderful experience. I did not enter with the plan of winning (although that would be very cool) - but instead I try to be an active student of how things take shape in social media (the medium is new and ever changing.... so everyone is still a student of social media!!!).

I very much enjoyed telling the story of my childhood vacation memory (yes, it really happened just as I wrote it... that is the reality of being the youngest of four boys).

My lesson comes from how few votes I have received. Nearly 1000 people have viewed my blog post asking for people to vote and I have over 700 followers on Twitter who have heard my plea. Yet as of now only 25 people voted for my entry.

1038 people have voted in the contest over the past 4 days for the 32 entries, with the leader having less than 200 votes. Voting closes on January 15th, and at his point I think that the trend is clear, that my peeps ain't voting.

This is not a gripe. It is actually totally cool, as you cannot force viral. Nobody can expect others to take actions for an event that is really all about me. The motto "Hey, win ME a free trip!" does not launch ships. It does not play into any body's self interest....other than mine.

Take this example off line and into our business lives. How often do we pepper our clients, prospects and referral sources with messages that are self serving? We forget that our self interest of making sales does not really matter to our audience. Sure we have people who like and respect our products and services, and they love us as human beings, but this is not enough to motivate them to take the actions we desire.

Of those who voted for me in the contest - one third of them were my family and close friends who live near Santa Cruz. These folks had a personal interest in my victory (as they would get to come to the beach house and party it up!). The same is true in business, our handful of evangelists sing our praises and we wonder why others do not follow suit. Those who buy or refer your company usually have personal motivation involved. It makes them look good.

Companies often make this mistake in their marketing when they lead with the history of the firm, their unique product, or all the victories they have had for other clients. "Look at Me" marketing makes the firm feel good, but does the buyer care? Will it drive them to action? Nope.

Those who will buy (or refer others) are interested in how they benefit. When they will win, they go viral and tell the world. Helping the other guy win for the greater good is a wonderful theory, but it does not motivate the masses. Sure, there are exceptions. We should cherish those who just like to help for the sake of helping others (these folks do exist!!!), but do not count on them being the majority.

While you cannot force viral, you cannot just sit on your butt if you want results. "Word of Mouth Marketing" or "Going Viral" are mysterious creatures. You cannot manipulate society into adopting and idea. But that does not mean we should not be trying. Much spaghetti will hit the floor.... but when it sticks to the wall.... Watch out. That is the holy grail of which all dreams are made.

Have A Great Day.

thom

Do Not Assume Your Friends Know How To Help You

Assumption is the killer of so many great things. We assume someone doesn't want to talk to us, so we do not approach them. We assume a prospect is happy with our competitor so we do not go after their business. We assume that those around us fully understand and support our goals, dreams and aspirations, thus we never tell them how they could be of assistance. On and on and on and on.

I love the old line from the classic 1970s movie "The Bad News Bears". Anyone who is now around forty-years-old fondly remembers the original Walter Matheau / Tatum O'Neal classic baseball flick where the coach tells the team of misfit ballplayers "never to assume anything" as he writes the word assume on the chalk board. Then while circling the parts of the word he tells his little leaguers that "when you 'assume', you make and 'ass' out of 'u' and 'me'".

Make sure that you communicate with those around you and take the time to be sure they know what motivates you. I am find that those who comprehend what I do in my job are quick to make referrals to the company where I work. Those who know I speak professionally will often hire me to come into their company or recommend me for a keynote at a conference. If these friends did not know details about me, my company, my books, my speaking, etc.... they would never have the ability make such a big difference in my life.

Look around at the people in your life -- do they know what you need to reach for greater successes? Are you sure? Or do you assume that they understand all they must to know to make a life changing introduction for you to a client, prospect, referral source or other partner who could have an impact on your future?

If you do not tell people about yourself, who will. I am not suggesting you brag, but you need to promote yourself or you will suffer by being "the best kept secret in your industry".

Many times people think that if they just do good work that others will praise them to all they meet. Most likely not. Doing good work is just cost of doing business. Look around, your competition does good work too (I know, you hate to hear that, but they most likely serve their clients quite well or their customers would already be calling you!). Never assume that your prospects know you exist. Just because they have heard of you once a long time ago does not mean that they will remember you when the time comes to buy your products or services.

Take control of making sure that people remember you at those critical times when they can buy or make a referral. You have to take responsibility for cultivating your professional relationships and making sure that people know how they can help you. Trust me, people want to help you succeed, they just need to better understand how help.

Have A Great Day.

thom

Take The Time To Spread The Word

I got the following email from Susan Baughman, who is a professional speaker, entertainer and business development expert in Austin, Texas. She attended the event where Scott Ingram and I spoke for the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday of this week. We spoke about the importance of "Word of Mouth Marketing" in regards to your personal networking and branding.

Here is the email she sent to Scott and myself....and I wanted to share it with the readers of the blog, as it is a good example of how fast you can make an impression:

Thom & Scott,

This is a story that I MUST share with you for a Word of Mouth Marketing example.

Garry & I went to Casa Chapala last night, after being so impressed by the owner's caring of all of us at the GACC breakfast.We had what is truly the best meal we've had at a Mexican restaurant in Austin! It was fabulous!

They started by making the salsa at the table! fresh! - impressive. The menu is extensive, with lots of very interesting and unusual (for Austin) choices - lots of meat stews, lots of cactus dishes (the cactus salad was delicious), and their "house specials" are intriguing. I went with Enchiladas Verde sauce (from the healthy section of the menu) and Garry had the Molcajete (a house special). Both were just perfect! and to top it all off: the margaritas are huge and yummy!Overall, it was truly spectacular, and we now will be heading less to East Austin and our usual El Azteca, El Mason and Los Comales, and way more to the west side of I-35 and heading to Casa Chapala again (and again and again....).

On the way back home, we drove past a walker in the neighborhood - it was Marc Miller, who sat at my table that morning! We stopped the car and filled him in on the greatness of Casa Chapala for dinner, so Word of Mouth Marketing kicked in within MINUTES of our meal!

Susan

The restaurant got a good review, but more importantly, I am reminded as to how treating your customers well (like Casa Chapala did that morning!) can instantly start the word flowing about your business.

Thank you, Susan, for telling us about your experience. This is a great example of someone taking the time to share a great experience...and how it benefits everyone!

Have A Great Day.

thom
thom@thomsinger.com