Sep
23
Steinway Pianos, Releasing Perfection and You
By KarinLast night, I watched the PBS showing of Note by Note: The Making of Steinway L0137.
One of the most moving segments of this inspiring documentary was discovering that each and every Steinway has its own distinctive personality. (Who knew!?)
The tone, the feel, the look.…
Some have a quieter voice and others have a big booming sound fit for Carnegie Hall.
There are the Grand Concert Pianos that world-renown pianists choose (they start at $100,000).
And there are the smaller, family living room pianos that start at $25,000, with entire family units investing in for their child prodigy.
Each one highly valued by their respective buyer.
Yet even among the same type of pianos, each one has its own individual feel and plays slightly different.
It was fascinating to see famous artists – jazz, classical, big band - selecting their pianos for their performances.
They jumped from piano to piano, and when they found “their” piano, they exclaimed, “Ah, this is THE ONE!”
(They looked and sounded the same to me!)
Steinway attributes the different personalities in each piano to their unique, hand-made building process.
It takes one year to build a single Steinway.
And it takes an entire team of craftspeople to do it.
Each individual adds their expertise through a unique blend of technique and intuitive sense of what needs to be “tweaked.”
Steinway explains that each piano is impossible to build “perfectly,” because they are all different and that difference is what makes them special to each individual buyer.
This is where this show reminded me of you, the wellness professional.
While there may be hundreds, even thousands, of professionals offering a similar service to yours, there is only one you.
There is only one you that can deliver your service in your way, in your style, in your personality, and in your authentic voice.
And there are people in the world who are a perfect match to your “voice.”
The key to matching up with your perfect target market is to let your voice be heard.
Your voice will be “a perfect fit” for a specific group of people. And that means, your “voice” is not for everyone.
When you try to please everyone, you can’t really be unique yourself. And it dilutes your brilliance.
Instead, think of yourself and your work as a Steinway.
Absolutely perfect for a specific tribe of people (aka: “target market”).
Remembering that your programs, services and products will never be perfect is critical to making progress in your wellness business.
When you try to make things perfect, it takes years to get your website up, develop and market a program or to present your signature talk.
For some of you, it may take a little time to “find your voice.” (It takes a year to build a Steinway!)
For others, it’s about allowing yourself to express your voice. (There’s a deeply appreciative market for every kind of Steinway!)
I’ve been in both camps.
Forget about perfection.
Think progress.
Think completion.
Think be yourself.
Think Steinway and let your unique voice be heard.
That’s the only way you’ll match up with your ideal clients.
Here’s to your continued success,
Karin
Free Upcoming Tele-class — The Call for Healers to Become Leaders: http://www.WellProNetPreview.com
3 Comments
September 23rd, 2009 at 8:41 am
We are so glad you had the opportunity to watch this documentary on the making of a Steinway piano. It truly is amazing and the director, Ben Niles did an excellent job. There is a new DVD version of Note by Note that was just released that contains 80 minutes of unseen footage. You can see more information about this dvd at http://www.notebynotethemovie.com .
September 23rd, 2009 at 8:50 am
Thanks for the direct link to the movie Dan. You and your colleagues at the Steinway company must be very proud. I'll be sure to share with others.
September 23rd, 2009 at 9:25 am
Hello Karin -
As an employee of Steinway for just under 29 years, it truly gives me joy to read your notes above - and to see how our pianos continue to impact people in a positive way. Thanks so much for your thoughtful post.
Bob Snyder
Senior District Manager
Steinway & Sons