Post
by WearyOne » Sat Jun 05, 2010 12:10 pm
Don't know if Strapparatus is still reading any of this, but I do have some helpful suggestions. Now, he may not see them that way, but that's honestly what they are. I've run my own business for over 14 years. I transcribe audio and video files, including marketing focus groups.
Professionalism is very important, no matter what you're selling.
Video. You may have been trying to be more personable by sitting on your couch and having your dog join you, but you seemed very awkward, especially when you were trying to balance things in your lap. You needed a table. You needed your dog out of the video (and I LOVE dogs). You needed to practice your script beforehand. Your product may be wonderful, but this video does not portray that. To have confidence in a product (or service) the potential customer needs to have confidence in the person selling it.
Marketing. Companies often hire marketing companies to hold focus groups to get others' honest opinions on what they are planning to do. The marketing person always tells the group that they want honest opinions, whether negative or positive, so they can give the client helpful information on the best way to sell the product, service, or whatever. You have to take the positive and the negative, even if it means changing something about your product or service that you thought was fantastic. I went into my business 14 years ago heading in one direction, but I changed that direction completely when I realized the client need out there was different than I thought.
Companies pay thousands and thousands of dollars to get the opinions of others--in focus groups, for example, not only is the company holding the focus groups paid, but the participants are paid, too. Putting out a product here and asking for opinions is free. Some folks here have a rather blunt (and sometimes rude) way of voicing their opinions sometimes, but that's life, I've learned. Making enemies of, or at least extremely aggravating, people in your market niche by some of the things said and done here is not smart, no matter who is right or wrong. (You've heard the saying: #1 The customer is always right. #2 If the customer is wrong, see #1.) Take the good, the bad, the positive, and the negative and learn from it all.
