letting prospective customer get to know you

[BJ Freeman <bj...@free-man.net>]

My grandfather taught me that word to mouth is the best advertising.
I have found that to be true through my life.
It s a lot slower than mass media but more stable.

In this environment, I found the best is to let people get to know me by
answering questions freely.

I also believe in putting links where appropriate.
as you note I have a tag that search engines pick up and I track where
my hits from come from, that and the clients I get, have supported this
method for years.

I use two tracker both free.
http://awstats.sourceforge.net/
which reads the website logs and gives charts and data
http://www.xav.com/scripts/axs/
which creates it own log and give by page data.

=========================
BJ Freeman
http://bjfreeman.elance.com
Strategic Power Office with Supplier Automation <http://www.businessesnetwork.com/automation/viewforum.php?f=93>
Specialtymarket.com <http://www.specialtymarket.com/>

Systems Integrator-- Glad to Assist

Chat  Y! messenger: bjfr33man
Linkedin
<http://www.linkedin.com/profile?viewProfile=&key=1237480&locale=en_US&trk=tab_pro>


ScottA sent the following on 4/30/2010 8:45 AM:
> If I were the guy who asked the question, I’d be gone by now. I’d be thinking
> that I’d like to find an alternate to OFBiz and who’s that going to help? It
> won’t help sell more e-books, it won’t result in my company getting a new
> client, it’ll just be a lost opportunity to add a potential user or
> committer and in that case everyone loses.
> 
> I’d love to see the civility return to this list. Answer questions, have a
> tagline to more info on your sites. Write and post topics about how to use
> OFBiz and include your company name as a reference. But more than anything
> else, have respect for a differing opinion or give advice as an old sage but
> to continue this type of thing will not encourage anyone to participate.
> 
> Sorry to poke my nose in but these pissing contests only make the project
> look bad and that’s a real shame.
> 

Re: letting prospective customer get to know you

[Ruth Hoffman <rh...@aesolves.com>]

David E Jones wrote:
> On Apr 30, 2010, at 12:41 PM, Ruth Hoffman wrote:
>
>   
>> In my world, "free" is the same as saying something has "no value".
>>     
>
> What a sad world that must be.
>   
Actually, David, my world isn't the least bit sad. Its really a pretty 
nice place to be. I wouldn't have it any other way. Each and every day 
it just gets better. I am so grateful for all that I have including the 
ability to choose the work I do and to place my own value on those 
efforts. I never work for "free". I may not always be paid with money, 
but that doesn't mean I work for "free".
> Personally I've found that the most productive, innovative, and pleasant efforts I've been involved with have been unpaid. Along with that: I like working, I just hate working for money because those offering the money can (and often do) make the work a living hell in all manner of ways that not only make the work unpleasant, but also unproductive and in many cases altogether unsuccessful.
>   
But that has nothing to do with working for "free". It has everything to 
do with managing your expectations.
> Thank goodness I can create things of value to myself and others for free, if not I'd probably go crazy. Also thank goodness for good clients, those few and far between (especially with current economic pressures), may we all find more such opportunities and maybe we would all be more civil here as well.
>   
Maybe. Tomorrow is another day. Can't wait to see what surprises it brings!
Regards,
Ruth
> -David
>
>
>   

Re: letting prospective customer get to know you

[David E Jones <de...@me.com>]

On Apr 30, 2010, at 12:41 PM, Ruth Hoffman wrote:

> In my world, "free" is the same as saying something has "no value".

What a sad world that must be.

Personally I've found that the most productive, innovative, and pleasant efforts I've been involved with have been unpaid. Along with that: I like working, I just hate working for money because those offering the money can (and often do) make the work a living hell in all manner of ways that not only make the work unpleasant, but also unproductive and in many cases altogether unsuccessful.

Thank goodness I can create things of value to myself and others for free, if not I'd probably go crazy. Also thank goodness for good clients, those few and far between (especially with current economic pressures), may we all find more such opportunities and maybe we would all be more civil here as well.

-David

Re: letting prospective customer get to know you

[Scott Gray <sc...@hotwaxmedia.com>]

On 1/05/2010, at 6:41 AM, Ruth Hoffman wrote:

> I have taken to heart what the 3 or 4 project committers on this user oriented mailing list have opined about, and will tone down my delivery. That doesn't lessen my commitment to the end-user OFBiz community or my need to get the word out about what I have to offer.

Thank you Ruth and please don't think for a second that I don't appreciate your contributions to the community.

Regards
Scott

Re: letting prospective customer get to know you

[Ruth Hoffman <rh...@aesolves.com>]

Hi BJ:
Thanks for sharing.

BTW - and this is not an advertisement for anything at all - I often 
share by answering questions here. I also have lots of "free" stuff on 
my website that represents may hours of work on my part. The site itself 
is powered only by OFBiz. (OK, a little advertisement for OFBiz) and so 
is an example of what one person can do given the information and 
knowledge that I have to offer.

In my world, "free" is the same as saying something has "no value". Like 
everyone else on this list, what I have to say has value.

I have taken to heart what the 3 or 4 project committers on this user 
oriented mailing list have opined about, and will tone down my delivery. 
That doesn't lessen my commitment to the end-user OFBiz community or my 
need to get the word out about what I have to offer.

Regards,
Ruth

BJ Freeman wrote:
> My grandfather taught me that word to mouth is the best advertising.
> I have found that to be true through my life.
> It s a lot slower than mass media but more stable.
>
> In this environment, I found the best is to let people get to know me by
> answering questions freely.
>
> I also believe in putting links where appropriate.
> as you note I have a tag that search engines pick up and I track where
> my hits from come from, that and the clients I get, have supported this
> method for years.
>
> I use two tracker both free.
> http://awstats.sourceforge.net/
> which reads the website logs and gives charts and data
> http://www.xav.com/scripts/axs/
> which creates it own log and give by page data.
>
> =========================
> BJ Freeman
> http://bjfreeman.elance.com
> Strategic Power Office with Supplier Automation <http://www.businessesnetwork.com/automation/viewforum.php?f=93>
> Specialtymarket.com <http://www.specialtymarket.com/>
>
> Systems Integrator-- Glad to Assist
>
> Chat  Y! messenger: bjfr33man
> Linkedin
> <http://www.linkedin.com/profile?viewProfile=&key=1237480&locale=en_US&trk=tab_pro>
>
>
> ScottA sent the following on 4/30/2010 8:45 AM:
>   
>> If I were the guy who asked the question, I’d be gone by now. I’d be thinking
>> that I’d like to find an alternate to OFBiz and who’s that going to help? It
>> won’t help sell more e-books, it won’t result in my company getting a new
>> client, it’ll just be a lost opportunity to add a potential user or
>> committer and in that case everyone loses.
>>
>> I’d love to see the civility return to this list. Answer questions, have a
>> tagline to more info on your sites. Write and post topics about how to use
>> OFBiz and include your company name as a reference. But more than anything
>> else, have respect for a differing opinion or give advice as an old sage but
>> to continue this type of thing will not encourage anyone to participate.
>>
>> Sorry to poke my nose in but these pissing contests only make the project
>> look bad and that’s a real shame.
>>
>>     
>
>
>
>