The Online World resources handbook

Getting an edge over your competitors http://home.eunet.no/~presno/bok/11.html
Go to the Google Groups website. Under the search box, a list of the top newsgroup
hierarchy with a short description. Click at any of these group names to receive a list of
newsgroups. Use your browser's search feature to locate groups that might be interesting.
An option is to search for a term of interest to your organization. Above your list of hits,
there will be a list of "Related groups." These may be interesting, and worthy of further
checks. Hit "Advanced Groups Search," and limit your search to any given newsgroup (like
biz.ecommerce). If you do this without entering any other terms, you will get a list of recent
posts, and an idea about the group's focus.
In some businesses, contacts result in meetings of some sort, and some oral presentation
supported by multi media. The more expensive the products or services being offered,
the more will such presentations be tailored to the audiences' needs. If you regularly
address audiences face to face, consider subscribing to the free GREAT SPEAKING
newsletter. Backissues at http://www.antion.com/ezinebackissues.htm.
Strategic considerations
The Americans have a gift for marketing and sales by modem. You meet them in online
forums all over the world, in person or through agents, and especially in computer
oriented conferences and clubs.
Their main strategy is reference selling. Make key customers happy, and make sure
they tell others.
In Chapter 5, I told you what happened when a member wrote about his upgrade to
a 425 megabytes hard disk in CompuServe's Toshiba forum. It made me place my order
with his preferred seller.
One common sales strategy is to be constantly present in relevant conferences, and
spend a generous amount of time helping others. This takes time. By proving
competence and willingness to help, you build a positive personal profile. This profile is
the key to business, information about competitors and other benefits.
Another approach is to ask for information or suggestions. It's a more benign way of
publicizing yourself than a blatant sales approach.
To drop quickly into a conference to post an "advertisement," is a waste of time.
The message may be read by some, but chances are that you will be criticized (in public)
for having "polluted their environment" with a commercial message. On the Internet, it
is considered inappropriate to send out unsolicited information.
A North American business person tried this approach. He posted a long sales letter
to all conferences and newsgroups that he could find. The text started like this:
Subject: Court Ordered Liquidation Computer Memory
CPU's & DSK Drives
Choice Trading Company, Court Appointed Liquidators, have been
assigned to liquidate the following Multi Million Dollar inventory
of computer Memory Chips, CPU's and Hard Disk Drives. All items are
new and come with applicable manufactures warranty. Prices quoted
include all state and local taxes plus shipping and handling.
Order Cost
Number Mfg. Description (EACH)
Memory
1524 Toshiba 30 Pin Simms 1x3 70ns 1 meg $ 25.00
1525 Toshiba 30 Pin Simms 1x9 70ns 1 meg 25.00
etc.
Three days later, his mailbox was closed. Furious users had bombarded it with
everything from hate mail to megabytes of rubbish. His access provider had to close
down the account to avoid serious operational problems.
Another reason for not using the "advertisement" strategy is that the volume of
information in the best conferences for your marketing effort probably is too high to
make traditional advertisements worthwhile.
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