[Rhodes22-list] Re: fesh marketing input needed

[stan]

Wally,

thanks for input - brokers fees are normally 10% -

ss

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Wally Buck" <tnrhodey at hotmail.com>
To: <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Sent: Thursday, August 18, 2005 8:01 AM
Subject: RE: [Rhodes22-list] Re: fesh marketing input needed


>I have been employed in sales and marketing most all of my adult life. I 
>have worked dozens of trade shows in the last 22 years. If anyone stood 
>outside my paid booth space offering information to my prospects about used 
>sources for my product I would ask them to shut up and get the hell out of 
>dodge. I might ask nicely the first time but I doubt it.
>
> Regarding the 5% to GB .......this is a sticky issue. First what % does a 
> broker "earn" when he sells and what service(s) do they perform? I have 
> never dealt with a broker but I know they have thier place in the 
> industry. How does this 5% compare to a broker fee? This site really 
> belongs to Michael so he can pretty much do as he pleases. If he wants to 
> forbid "for sale" posts I wouldn't have a problem and if I did who cares. 
> Like I said it is MJM's site.
>
> If I find a buyer for my boat and the sale did not involve direct contact 
> with GB, or this site in anyway, well I don't think I would be cutting a 
> check to GB. If Stan steered a prospect towards this site and I wound up 
> selling my boat to this person I would be open to writing a check. It 
> would really depend on the circumstances.
>
> Stan needs to consider if this site provides a net gain in his business. 
> If this site hurts sales because of the used boat posts than perhaps it is 
> not a good idea to link to it. For the most part people on this board seem 
> to strongly push prospects towards GB siting thier own postive 
> experiences. My guess is this site does more good than harm but I don't 
> know how many sales have been lost.
>
> For the record i did not purchase my boat from GB ( 4 years ago). When 
> shopping I did contact Stan early in the process and we spoke for less 
> than 5 mintues. It was clear GBs prices were out of my budget. I found a 
> used boat that was never listed on this site or the sailnet site. I have 
> spent close to a grand purchasing a few R22 specific parts from GB. I 
> recently contacted Stan via email about ordering replacement cabin 
> cushions. I haven't ordered yet but he will get my money.
>
> Stan have you ever experimented with any magazine ads? Marketing dollars 
> spent wisely pay off with dividends. I don't know enough about your 
> industry to really offer any advice. It will be interesting to read 
> other's comments on the subject.
>
> Wally
>
>
>
>
>
>
>>From: "stan" <stan at rhodes22.com>
>>Reply-To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>>To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>>Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Re: fesh marketing input needed
>>Date: Wed, 17 Aug 2005 15:24:03 -0400
>>
>>            Dear Rhodies
>>
>>
>>       General Boats has an issue we would like to bring up with List 
>> members.
>>
>>       It is an issue that a few of you have brought up on your own 
>> initiative off List.
>>
>>
>>
>>       Some of you have been concerned as to GBI's physical ending; a few 
>> have shown some interest in GBI's financial well being.   We have no 
>> plans at the moment for a physical end to the company and if management 
>> does disappear the business can probably be handled better by others. 
>> However, with GB's 50th anniversary coming up, we want to start turning 
>> this into the profit making organization it was originally planned to be. 
>> One of those needed steps is the subject of this collective e-mailing.
>>
>>
>>
>>       The recycling program was born during a recession when new boat 
>> sales ceased almost completely and all the companies that started when we 
>> did, were closed - some sold their names but none of the original 
>> companies were left.  Boats are made of oil.  Now, not only has the cost 
>> of the software (chemicals and fabrics) that gos into building a boat 
>> skyrocketed but, with a lower value for the dollar, the cost of boat 
>> hardware has gone up.  While we still have a backlog for new boat orders, 
>> it is the recycling boats that are the tail wagging the dog.  That tail 
>> is beginning to have its wagging dampened by the free meal offered 
>> through the List.
>>
>>
>>
>>       While GBI does not advertise directly, or have fancy literature, a 
>> tremendous investment is made in attracting sailboat buyers to choose a 
>> Rhodes: Boat Shows, demonstration sails, an indecent amount of money 
>> spent on a mailing package (like no other company does) for those showing 
>> a continued interest, visits to the plant (even the plant guest room and 
>> maid service is free) and endless investments in time to convince anyone 
>> considering a small sailboat, to make the Rhodes choice.
>>
>>
>>
>>       Many of you who have real jobs are innocent of understanding what 
>> the total actual real time cost is to GBI every time anyone manages to 
>> sell a Rhodes.  Elton almost committed his first murder one boat show day 
>> when one of you innocently stood in front of the display boat telling 
>> prospects he knows where they could buy Rhodes direct from owners wanting 
>> to sell their Rhodes.  Those of you who may have had some 
>> being-in-business experience have an inkling of the endless untold costs 
>> that accrue in making your product survive amongst aggressive 
>> competition.
>>
>>
>>
>>       Recently a Rhodie sold his boat - and sent us what was about a 5 % 
>> broker compensation, saying he realized how much investment we had made 
>> in making that sale possible.  We thought that, a la Practical Sailor, 
>> maybe the List should have its own "Where Credit Is Due" boxed feature 
>> and post his name.  While we spent considerably more than that, making 
>> that sale happen, we are very appreciative for the seller's thoughtful 
>> and empathetic contribution.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>       We do not own the List.   It is the members' domain.  Of course the 
>> List members do not spend any money on advertising the List location, or 
>> even that it exists.  We do feel the List has been an asset for GBI as 
>> well as a great therapeutic asset in allowing other subjects beyond 
>> boats.   But we wonder how many List members realize that almost the 
>> entire rest of the world is only aware of the existence of such a List 
>> because General Boats publishes the List's address in its own web site 
>> and in its literature and that General Boat's staff directs an endless 
>> stream of potential Rhodes buyers to the List's address; potential buyers 
>> who have become hot buyers as the result of GB efforts at boat shows and 
>> demonstration sails or tours through the plant or responses to e-mails 
>> and phone calls (both to the plant and to the house at night)..
>>
>>
>>
>>       We would like to propose something completely unconventional - 
>> something that many of you, at first blush will be against - but may, on 
>> second or third thought, come to agree with.  After all, the marketing 
>> times are a changing.
>>
>>
>>
>>       When you go to any "free or otherwise" internet program you push a 
>> button that says you agree to conditions.  Why can't the List have such a 
>> button that must be clicked for entry where the fine print says that, in 
>> recognition of the ongoing effort in time and labor and dollars that go 
>> into making resale of the Rhodes easier and higher priced than the 
>> competition, Rhodes owners agree to a modified 5% brokers fee to be paid 
>> when and if they sell their Rhodes.  It probably is not enforceable and 
>> the non-Rhodes type crowd will mostly ignore it.  But, like their 
>> politics or not, most Rhodies just automatically seem to be in a high 
>> class of their own and will opt for the right thing.
>>
>>
>>
>>       We are open to members input: everything from your saying, "Stop 
>> sending pre-sold prospects to the List and take the mention of the List 
>> existence off  the GB web site and mailings and go away and don't bother 
>> us ever again." to your suggesting that you, " have a better way to stop 
>> GB's growing pro bono bleeding".
>>
>>
>>
>>       If you got this far,  thanks
>>
>>
>>
>>       stan/gbi/ec
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>__________________________________________________
>>Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>
>
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>
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