John,
You "gifted" me a 1 month membership on your site, which was touted as a resource center. I certainly would not consider this venue to be a place to sell my products and services, nor do I pitch my services in external venues. Yes, my site is salesy, but it's my site and it works for me.
What I like to concentrate on in external venues is to educate security dealers on how to market their security businesses. As Undefined 3 mentioned, your membership site is a "purely informational and fiercely anti-promotional site as IPVM." So I'm not here to pitch my products and services. But I am happy to answer marketing and business building questions and that's what I thought your venue (with over 3,000+ articles, 300+ test results and 5,000+ discussions) was all about. Not a slug fest.
Sorry, but I am going to hold firm to my answer above. I'm not for everybody and folks that don't like my style should certainly look elsewhere.
John, I also wanted to point out one other thing - you mentioned aggressive sales techniques two posts above...
"very aggressive sales technique, like getting 'private one-on-one calls' without mentioning the fine print of it being just once every 6 months. If your collateral is like your that and your web copy, many not want to use it."
I'm not sure what you meant about fine print, but if you go to the description/order page for the club you're talking about, here is what is clearly stated for what's included in the club prior to ordering. You'll see this listed below the 3rd paragraph on the page.
**Please note the 4th bullet down. No fine print about it.**
My Smokin’ Newsletter™ Coaching Club Membership Includes:
- A subscription to my monthly Smokin’ Security Newsletter™ that’s packed to the gills with relationship-building, security marketing strategies designed to supply you with a steady stream of security clients that Pay, Stay and Refer! (Priceless!)
- Bi-Monthly audio success CDs, including interviews with world-famous entrepreneurs and marketing and security experts, where you’ll discover their valuable insider secrets to success! ($197 value each)
- A coaching program with 60 minute, bi-monthly group calls, where we discuss the security marketing strategies and techniques, included in the Smokin’ Security Newsletter™, and how to successfully implement them in your security business to make maximum profits. You will also learn what selling tactics other security installers are successfully using to increase sales and installations in their security businesses. ($375 value each)
- Twice per year, you will get a 15 minute one-on-one, personal coaching call where we will discuss business-building marketing techniques personalized for your specific needs. ($125 value each)
- A Done-for-you quarterly client newsletter, called Service That Soars™. This newsletter is the most powerful prospecting, stay-in-contact, business-building, referral-producing tool on the planet! ($150 value each)
- Live, monthly direct response security marketing pieces, included in the Smokin’ Security Newsletter™, that you can use in your security business to generate lots more clients and close more installations, each and every month. (worth thousands of dollars each…just call your local marketing design firm and see how much they’d charge!)
- Full membership to my exclusive Smokin’ Security Marketing Membership Site where you’ll have complete access to all of our videos, audios and special marketing reports. Full access is granted in your second month of membership. (Priceless!)
John, I have yet to get a taste of IPVM. I'm a constant student of learning. With your free month gift, I thought I could come in and learn some cool stuff on video surveillance - and certainly not to pitch or sell my wares. But, so far, all I'm able to do is answer mostly condescending questions. It seems like that is the aura on this site. As Ryan put it, "The condescending attitudes on this website make it hard to be a contributing member regularly."
If anyone has a security marketing or business-building question, fire away. If not, and you're all still into continuing along with a slug fest, John, please delete the free month membership you gifted me. It's not worth it.
Thanks,
Bob