Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!cs.utexas.edu!solo.csci.unt.edu!vaxb.acs.unt.edu!vaxb.acs.unt.edu!news From: wright@etsuv2.etsu.edu (BRIAN WRIGHT) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.graphics Subject: Re: Animation Journeyman: Wayne Knapp's Reply Message-ID: <1991Jun2.220627.47237@vaxb.acs.unt.edu> Date: 3 Jun 91 02:30:43 GMT References: <15005@encore.Encore.COM> <1991May31.170819.14600@techbook.com> <193b58af.ARN1010@cbmami.UUCP> Reply-To: wright@etsuv2.etsu.edu Distribution: usa Organization: East Texas State University Lines: 86 Nntp-Posting-Host: etsuv2.etsu.edu In article <1991Jun2.221830.1635@techbook.com>, waynekn@techbook.com (Wayne Knapp) writes... >jason@cbmami.UUCP (Jason Goldberg) writes: >It isn't so much dealers, as it is Amiga stores. A person that is selling >the product is one thing. Paying for shelf space is another. All I can really say about the above is that this is just a lame excuse to stop the piracy on a product that will probably never see the light of day. Sorry be so blunt about it, but without dealer help this product will probably NEVER get off the ground. The Amiga is a small market anyway, and to sell this product exclusively through mail order is really a sure way to keep this product out of the hands you hold so dear. Let me put it another way, let's say Joe User just walks in your Amiga store and asks, "What 3D and animation packages do you have?", JMan will NEVER come up in the conversation. Why? It's NOT on the shelves and a dealer isn't going to endorse a product that they don't have. They also aren't going to lose a sale by saying, "Oh, perhaps you should mail or call HASH enterprises and ask about JMan". Surely NOT. If I owned an Amiga store, I certainly would NEVER do that. No matter HOW good the product claims to be. No hands on = no sale (in my book). Even a freely redistributable demo MIGHT help you to that end, but still can't cut the mustard for dealer support. >>Now guess where my profit is there? Not with your software, but your >>software makes the sale, thats why I need it in the store. > >If the software makes the sale, you should be reasonalbe about selling it. And who is being unreasonable with software? Yes, there always tends to be a mark-up on software in your local retail establishment, but they have to pay bills too. Especially considering the difference between a mail-order ONLY outlet and a commercial retail venture with store space. >>are mute since I called Hash and tried to order 3 JMans COD, before I was >>told your upgrade policy and pricing structure. > >This is the problem. We are going to sell blank, (non-protected) JMans. >You would have to collect the money and call in the orders with the >customers name, address and phone. Every copy of JourneyMan get personalised. >This is our only protection. Yes and as I have said above, it is a futile attempt at piracy prevention. Once the pirates get ahold of it, it's not going to stop them just because of a little personalization. The only thing this marketing strategy will do is hinder the sale of your product. It may be a great package, but without hands on (which people usually get from their dealer), your product will never get the support which it needs. I do not condone piracy, but personalization isn't going to stop them. The only thing that your marketing for this product will do is keep your sales on this product to word-of-mouth. Joe Next-Door-Neighbor might have accidentally found out about JMan and bought one on a whim. Then shows it to HIS next door neighbor who has an IBM. That's as far as it goes. Of course, I can NEVER afford to plop down $350-$400 without hands on. That's TOO expensive of a risk. You're probably saying, "But it's a great product". That may be, but to ME it's still a risk that I can't afford. >> I wish you and your customers all the luck in the world with JMan. >>I hope you make $$ and are always able to support your customers. >>I can't help but to keep thinking, there was a time when EA could have taken >>the same marketing stratagy with DeluxePaint that you are taking with JMan, >>and they would have been able to make all the same arguments, Newtek surely >>could have done what you are doing... > >What about IBM, HP, DEC, SUN, and many, many, many, more companies. If you >want to sell our product, you need to sell on our terms. DPaint is a very >different product in a very different market. Newtek is a very different >company. We don't want to be either of them. They are NOT role models to >us. No, it's not a good idea to emulate any other company, but dealer support IS necessary to make your product really take off. If you MUST personalize the product, why not give the stores instructions on how to do this? But then I guess you don't trust dealers. Nevermind that trust was what the country was founded on. > Wayne Knapp >-- >waynekn@techbook.COM ...!{tektronix!nosun,uunet}techbook!waynekn >Public Access UNIX at (503) 644-8135 (1200/2400) Voice: +1 503 646-8257 >Public Access User --- Not affiliated with TECHbooks Just some thoughts... -------------------------------------------------------------- Brian Wright wright%etsuvax2@ricevm1.rice.edu or wright@etsuvax2.bitnet -------------------------------------------------------------- Standard Disclaimer... not my words and all that jazz.