Never underestimate a person's age

[DoubleBlade]

As some of might have read my advertisement , i'm thinking of doing some freelance piano dealing....

I just want an opinion from you softies out there....

Suppose if one day you wanna sell your piano and here comes this middleman you've met on soft.com who promises to source for potential buyers for you but when you get to meet him in person , he turns out to be a 17 year old kid who does not look like a businessmen...

I'm sure 90% of you guys would think that "hey he looks way too young to be doing this kinda business , this business is meant for the older boys!!!!" or "Are you kidding me? I think you're trying to cheat me!!!! You're way too young to be doing this kinda business!!!!"

I know that sooner or later , i will encounter this kinda problem whereby the mainstream minded people generalise people who deal in this business to be above 25 years or so (i bet they won't even trust a 25 year old guy)

I dare say that what I'm doing now is one of a kind.I mean how often do you come across 17 year olds dealing in Pianos right ???? Not very often right????

So basically I would like to clearify something here and that is Business and Age DO NOT MIX... (a simple transaction between a 12 year old kid and a 35 year old adult for a Computer Game is still business)

I feel that when an interested party approaches me to either buy or sell a piano , the moment i mention that I'm 17 years old (and i have to be frank) , they would just ignore me and regard me as incompetent because of MY AGE once again....

What you guys feel about it????

I really need it

 

[stillwater]

Well... all i can say is that, welcome to this superficial business world, young man.

Why does even an insurance agent bother to dress up (at least to some formality) to explain his/her policies to you?

Appearance matters...kid...
go wear a fake mustache or something...

 

[dric]

yea man, i really agree with you. i myself am still 17, turning 18 this year lah but thats not the point. there was a few times when people asked me to help them cut a new pickguard for them and they said they'd pay me to do it. cos they saw my guitar on one of the forum galleries and it has a clear pickguard on it which i cut myself. and they seemed to like it. so i agreed, but said i may only be able to do it during the june holidays or end of the year hols as im still studying. then they ask how old i am, after i reply they say stuff like "oh...nvm then, do you know any professionals who can do the job?" or "i'll just go down to a shop and have it done then." or the worst one was "u sure you cut that urself man? i think i'll just go get it done by professionals" then i'm like thinkin to myself, ok i may not be a proffesional but at least i get the job done well. i mean, they've seen a sample from my guitar pic, if they dint like it they wldnt haf asked in the first place. who cares who did the job or what type of person did it as long as its done well and to satisfaction. i've still got those msgs in my hp.....lolx

 

[Praetorian]

+1

hey dric, how much do you charge for a custom pickguard?

And what sort of material do you have available? 3 ply? Pearloid? Clear? Mirror? I might want a custom pickguard.

At least I trust you =D

 

[soft]

hi DoubleBlade

i feel age is not the problem. it is your capability and capacity that is important. what you are planning to offer are pretty high value goods. do you have the exit ready if something would to happen and you need cashflow?

take for example, you close a $2000 deal. after which the buyer discover that the piano is not what is expected. he wants a refund, if not threaten to sue you. on the other hand, the seller had left the country and you have no way to contact him.

1. you need to fork out $2000 to 'buy' back the piano.
2. you get sued.

scary huh?

 

[DoubleBlade]

What you said really has some meaning in it...WELCOME TO REAL WORLD

But i do not belong to any company nor am I an independent person who has to support his lifestyle entirely.I don't need to take up huge amount of commissions for a successful deal as I'm just a kid.In fact 50 bucks is a hell lot for me!!!!

Basically I don't mind if people think "Oh I didn't know you are 17" BUT what should really piss me the most is when people think "Oh I didn't know that you are 17? GO AWAY YOU IMCOMPETENT BRAT!!!!"

As for the dressing up part , It's basic human nature i guess for people to act this way and I'm not really bothered much about it though...

 

[dhalif]

lol dude...

25 year old : hey i wanna learn guitar
me : yeah i could teach you
25 year old : you sure? how long have you been playing?
me : 6 years
25 year old : really? how old are you?
me : im 17..
25 year old : hmmm it's okay then..
me : *uh.......?*

 

[DoubleBlade]

what you are planning to offer are pretty high value goods. do you have the exit ready if something would to happen and you need cashflow?

That's right James , That's why I DO NOT evaluate the seller's Piano as a precautionary reason....

Suppose If i evalute a seller's Piano to maybe about 3.5k? If the deal is closed and both parties are satisfied with each other and suddenly one fine day the initial buyer so happens to take a peek at Yamaha or just about any other Piano showroom and discovers that the exact same model piano cost slight more than 3.5k , maybe around 4k or worst still , the 1st hand model cost less than the 2nd hand model....I promise you I will be dead meat...

What I would want to do is just ask the seller his asking price and do my part sourcing out for buyers and at the same time give him some advice and info on the piano model like what year was the piano produced or "hey the wood is a little bit corroded , i think you should lower your asking price"

So if any problems should arise concerning the buyer asking for a refund because he/she saw the exact 1st hand model at a lower price , It's not really my problem because i did not set the price....

But i will go around piano showrooms asking for the retail price of the seller's piano at 1st hand and compare it with his asking price....

 

[stillwater]

Dhalif, juz tell that 25 year old u r a 30 year old wif baby face. At least, do it to boost his morale

 

[soft]

dhalif, remember to consider taking the exams that i told you about. :wink:

 

[dhalif]

yup yup...
by the way this thing also happens when i tried to join or form bands.. like what i told azacamis on msn.. i usually get turned away by bands because im not 20 or something.. i depend on the older people to play in a band with coz MORE of them is into what i like mainly hard rock.. and i feel that my peers ah. alot doing emo.. metal... punk... ska music.. so like very hard right? i go to the older people.. tell them im 18 they say no.. den like.. be forced to play in bands that i dont even prefer? cruel cruel world....

 

[duskalways]

dear dric, could it be that the customer couldn't wait till your june holiday or end of the year? personally, i would be impressed with a job well done by a young "kid", that would normally be otherwise handled by adults. don't worry, just be good at what you do, age doesn't matter. if i would one day have a load of pickguards to be cut, i would seek you out! :wink:

 

[mikemann]

Hi doubleblade,

I believe I have given some pointers in your previous tread of the same topic.

Age do plays a part in a transaction becoming sucess. Also in education business, as the common trend follows that wisdom is tied to age, and this tradition holds true in majority of case. Except in case of progidy, or when the course is very specialised.

When I started doing freelance computer service back when I was in poly about age 18-19, I was content to make $25-30 per full service. As my reality was that that was plenty for a guy my age then. When I do a job with profit of $50-70, I feel an enormous sence of achievement.

These days making $30-40 per deal, I wouldn't bat an eyelid. I am more comfortable with abt $50-70 per deal. A good deal I'd consider making $100-150. This is because with my progress in my business, so is my cost also increases. To maintain my business, I need to close at least 2 to 3 deals per day on average.

Of course business which makes me $0.30 or $2 or $5, I will still treat with same importance too. As you may make $0.30 cents from this customer and give him good service. The next day he might return to make you a profit of $100.

Thus what I'm putting at is that you should do what is possible for you at your current level. Do not try to swallow a deal too big to handle (eg. work on credit terms). You must learn to crawl before you start walking and then to running.

I wish you good luck in your endeavors, and an advise, listen to elders word, there is more value than you can put in it.

Best regards.

 

[DoubleBlade]

As you all know now , the SG govt is placing much emphasis on entrepeneurship especially towards the youth...

Southeast CDC values entrepeneurship among their youth volunteers (i juz attended a "get rich the easy way" workshop last nite at the CDC).

Anyways usually we youngsters have more time as compared to those working adults....they have to worry about their careers , family , stress etc.They spend half of the day at work and when they come back home , they are just too tired....

More time is in our hands means more time to cultivate the craft in which we are promoting such as cutting pickguards and gaining knowledge on Pianos.more time spent in cultivating your craft means that you get the hang of it and subsequently get better and better at it....

Sometimes facts seem weirder than fiction.A youngster cutting pickguards whether of standard or fancy designs can be 10 times better than a so called professional adult given the amount of time and effort spent in perfecting the craft...

 

[DoubleBlade]

Thus what I'm putting at is that you should do what is possible for you at your current level..

yup yup Mikeman , like i said , I do not work for any company nor do i have to support my lifestyle and so I don't mind playing it small

 

[gordonzz]

. there was a few times when people asked me to help them cut a new pickguard for them and they said they'd pay me to do it..

hey dude.. that i oso got ask u.. interested to ask u cut for me.. just to say not ur age k? i got broke since then... so i kinda put the idea off... im 17 too

 

[mikemann]

Hey, I have an idea. since you are good with the keys. Why not start at one of the big retail shop like carrefour, as a demonstrator.

Your customer today buying a $199 casio keyboard might 3yrs later find you again to buy an upright.

It's also a means of achieveing your goal.

 

[soft]

Southeast CDC values entrepeneurship among their youth volunteers (i juz attended a "get rich the easy way" workshop last nite at the CDC)...

by all means, entrepeneurship, go. do it.

just let us know when you have done it.

 

[HeartRockSingapore]

hey hey, age is not the problem. It is the pesentation that is the problem. If a 17 year old talks as though he has gone through 30 years of life... that is a problem. I am not talking about product knowledge. Customers are not looking for how clever or how old a salesman or businessman is, the value for which he is paying for a certain goods or services.

My experience, I helped my neighbour to sell two cars when I was in Sec Two. Age is definitely not a problem.

 

[DoubleBlade]

You helped your neighbour sell 2 cars when you were just 14 years old?!?!?!?!?!

Cars are like 20 times more expensive than Pianos


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