Building a new RAID and archiving the old drives

[Alex Gerulaitis]

I honestly thought that answering questions here on the forum was a better way (ethically and in terms of potential sales) than handing out virtual business cards while providing little actual information.

Was I wrong? (This isn’t a jab at anyone personally – I am just trying to figure out what is the more effective way to earn people’s business. Possibly trying to help and answering questions isn’t it.)

In this specific thread, I tried to answer all the questions; Ron then stepped in and basically said, “call or email me”, and Andrew went along and did just that. (Against, please don’t take it personally. It’s not.)

Is something missing in my approach of answering questions without sales pitches?

(Granted, Ron is a CC sponsor; DV411 is not; Ron’s company is probably given more leniency in terms of sales pitches on CC.)

Alex (DV411)

[Bob Zelin]

Hi Alex –
many companies, sponsors and not sponsors, say “hey call me, and I can answer your questions” – just look at the SAN Network Forums – everyone from Studio Network Solutions, Rorke, Small Tree, Maxx Digital, ProMax, Apace, etc. all say “call me and I can answer your questions”. Many people do this because they don’t want to get into a “pissing” contest – as you know, I enjoy the aggressive banter on open forums.
DV411 is a fine dealership, and caries many prestigeous lines, like EditShare, Dulce, ATTO, Cache-A, Tolis Group, as well as Blackmagic, Sony, and Convergent Design. But when you recommend “garbage” (lower priced products) it opens the door for other to either say “you should call me for the right answer” – or dopes like me that say “are you crazy -that’s a piece of junk”. DV411 carries lots of wonderful lines, and they carry some “low end” lines, and guys like me will “attack” the low end stuff, because I want to see people do the right thing, and buy profesional products – and you should be happy, because then DV411 gets to sell more expensive produts, and ultimately, the client is happy because he got the RIGHT equipment, that does the job properly without exuses.
Anyone with any brains can see that you know what you are talking about, and can easily search your company, to buy gear from you. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this. But at the same time, this is a competitive market, and people can say “call me” if they don’t want a debate online. Some companies, like Sonnet and EditShare won’t even directly respond on these forums (but I do !).

Bob Zelin

I honestly thought that answering questions here on the forum was a better way (ethically and in terms of potential sales) than handing out virtual business cards while providing little actual information.

Was I wrong? (This isn’t a jab at anyone personally – I am just trying to figure out what is the more effective way to earn people’s business. Possibly trying to help and answering questions isn’t it.)

In this specific thread, I tried to answer all the questions; Ron then stepped in and basically said, “call or email me”, and Andrew went along and did just that. (Against, please don’t take it personally. It’s not.)

Is something missing in my approach of answering questions without sales pitches?

(Granted, Ron is a CC sponsor; DV411 is not; Ron’s company is probably given more leniency in terms of sales pitches on CC.)

[Alex Gerulaitis]

[Bob Zelin] “But when you recommend “garbage””

Which part? (Do consider OP’s specific request for an archiving-class storage solution – not (collaborative) editing – along with his request “non sales weaselness”.)

[Bob Zelin] ” I enjoy the aggressive banter on open forums”

Yes, I can see that. 🙂 If anyone else wants to avoid a pissing contest – it’s not you. 🙂

Speaking of “sales weaselness”. To me, a bare-knuckled plain vanilla sales pitch in the middle of someone else answering technical questions is not the most ethical thing to do – and disrespectful to both the OP and to the techie answering questions. Am I wrong? Or is it OK to do just because “everyone else does it”?

The really interesting part to me is that the OP (Andrew) responded to Ron’s sales pitch despite his asking for “retailers who have a history of non sales weaselness”. I can only guess he didn’t view Ron’s approach as “sales weaselness” – and with that, I may have to change my own approach however much I’d hate to.

Alex (DV411)

[Bob Zelin]

Hi Alex –
I am sure that Cow management will ultimately pull down this thread, but I just can resist –

On the SAN Networks forum, you recently said this –
https://forums.creativecow.net/readpost/197/858353

“Overnight it from Amazon? (decent price.)

Alex (DV411)”

Yet on the DV411 website, it shows that you sell ATTO –
https://dv411.com/storage.html
https://dv411.com/atto.html

and sure enough, there on your website is the ATTO R680 card.
So why not say “you can contact me to get the ATTO R680” – after all, the guy posting wanted to know where to get one.

Yet you suggested “overnight it from Amazon”. I just don’t get it.
You are a fine dealer, and are knowlegeable about installing this card, and as a value added reseller, you can assist this customer, as opposed to a “box house” from Amazon, where he will ultimately say “now what do I do with this ATTO R680 card”. Why are you recommending the CHEAPEST POSSIBLE WAY when the customer will ultimately suffer (because he wont’ know what to do) – instead of recommending DV411, where YOU can sell him the card, and upcharge for the installation, because YOU know what you are doing. When you suggest to people the CHEAPEST POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS – it is only YOU (and other knowlegeable dealers) that can put these things together from little parts – this is what DV411 does (I assume). So I just don’t get why you don’t promote this, instead of pointing people to cheap junk. It is YOU that can make things work, and not super low end discount companies, which for most users, will turn into a pile of junk.

Bob Zelin

[Alex Gerulaitis]

Are you serious Bob? You call that recommendation “garbage” and “cheap junk”?

(You really think you or I can compete with Amazon, NewEgg and the likes on price and delivery?)

Alex (DV411)

[Alex Gerulaitis]

[Bob Zelin] “I am sure that Cow management will ultimately pull down this thread”

I hope they don’t. I hope they see the value of techies hanging out helping people vs. “sponsors” doing sales pitches.

Alex (DV411)

[Bob Zelin]

Alex,
just like you, I participate on Cow in hopes of promoting my name, and hopes of people wanting to use me. I am not a dealer, but you are, and lots of other people that say “just contact us” are trying to get business. And so should you.

As you well know, most of the sponsors of Creative Cow get “bits and pieces” of computer components and create products out of them. They make money, the dealers make money, and Creative Cow makes money. YOU are a dealer, and I assume that YOU want to make money, and that you too are participating on Creative Cow to promote your business. I am only questioning why you point to the exact location of where to buy the cheapest “bits and pieces”, instead of saying “go to DV411, we can put together a great system for you”. Doesn’t DV411 want to make a living ? Aren’t you 100 times more qualified than most of the people on these forums ? Don’t you want all these people to rely on you ?

I often bash Newegg, and Other World Computing, but I have certainly purchased from these companies (because of thier low prices) – but I am well aware that products like these (and others that we have discussed in the past) are the “lowest possible prices” and make do the job in certain situations, but are not like higher end products (as you see advertised on Creative Cow), where not only do you get better products (as seen on your website), but someone that can assist you (just like you) to make things work properly.

I can’t believe that I am having an “argument” to simply state that YOU are the qualified one, and that YOU should be saying “come to DV411, because we know exactly what we are doing, and we can provide you with a professional solution” – (instead of saying – oh yea, forget us, just go to Amazon, you can get it much cheaper there).

Bob Zelin

[Ron Lindeboom]

[Alex Gerulaitis] “(Granted, Ron is a CC sponsor; DV411 is not; Ron’s company is probably given more leniency in terms of sales pitches on CC.)”

Alex,

This is, well, to use a bovine aphorism, pure bull.

When have we EVER stopped you from doing anything in this site, Alex???

Your comments are purely speculative and downright FALSE.

There is post after post on this very forum where you not only tell people what they should buy, but you offer to sell it to them and ask them directly, “would you like to order one?” We haven’t stopped you.

So you can either apologize or you can now go into permanent moderation to insure that you do not stretch the bounds of propriety here ever again…your call.

Best regards,

Ronald Lindeboom
CEO, Creative COW LLC
Publisher, Creative COW Magazine
A 2011 FOLIO: 40 honoree as one of the 40 most influential publishers in America
http://www.creativecow.net

Creativity is a process wherein the student and the teacher are located in the same individual.

“Incompetence has never prevented me from plunging in with enthusiasm.” – Woody Allen

Activity

[Andrew Macrae]

Wow this thread went downhill fast. I’d just like to chime in and say that one of my requests in the OP was for a knowledgeable retailer, so I certainly didn’t take offense or consider it weaselish for someone to suggest a company, even if it’s there own.

Secondly Alex, I didn’t realize that you are also a reseller. I don’t spend a ton of time around here and I’m not really familiar with the “usual suspects”. I thought you were just a friendly knowledgeable chap who gave some very helpful responses. Once I had your information I was quite happy to move on to someone who could provide me with a quote for product, not knowing you were one of these types of people. I’d be happy to speak with you privately as well and get a quote for our needs.

Cheers

Andrew MacRae
Audio Engineer, Outreach Productions

[Alex Gerulaitis]

[Andrew MacRae] “Wow this thread went downhill fast.”

I do apologize for that. Regardless of my intent I did spoil the thread and it became a “pissing contest”. Not good.

Also, like I said, it wasn’t and isn’t personal. My question was about the ethical aspect of a direct sales pitch in the middle of someone else answering tech questions. I do see your point that you essentially asked for sales pitches and thus, they were justified. Case closed, I stand corrected.

Alex (DV411)