[Rhodes22-list] Re: fresh marketing input needed

[Julia Guzman]

I personally think very highly of GB, and Stan in
particular. We drove to NC and visited the plant. I
have always said that when life gets easier on our
budget we will move up there and buy a brand new R22
all at the same time.

I agree with the concept of a % to GB due to an
influenced sale. We found the board after buying our
R22 from a neighbor. But I would certainly consider
the finders fee a fair trade for a live buyer if we
ever sell it. Not that it would be much for our little
old project boat.

All of us Rhodies have a stake in keeping GB going
strong. I am a Public Relations person by profession.
It is amazing to me how much free advertising a few
well placed articles can provide. In many ways, that's
a better form of advertising the kind you pay for.
Stan, I would always be happy to offer GB off the
board professional PR and graphics help and advice. 

That's my 2.5 cents.

Julia Guzman

--- stan <stan at rhodes22.com> wrote:

>            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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