[Typo3-marketing] Affiliated Consultants

[Sander Vogels ( Netcreators )]

Hi Brian,

Can you please also respond to Daniel's, Michelles' and my latest
contributions and weave yours into it? Otherwise we keep up opening the same
discussion again and again..

Ciao,

Sander
sander at netcreators.nl


----- Original Message -----
From: "Brian Kunau" <brian at kunaucompanies.com>
To: <typo3-marketing at lists.netfielders.de>
Sent: dinsdag 3 juni 2003 19:26
Subject: [Typo3-marketing] Affiliated Consultants


Hello All,

I must say that it seems the pace of the Affiliation/Certification is
being quickened.  This, in my opinion, is good.  I would like to revisit
and stress an item I brought up in 2 prior posts:

Does it even matter if I say I will try to keep it short?

<my version of brevity>
Before any "criteria" or "prerequisites" can be established, we (I use
"we" for purposes of solidarity not to assume any personal importance)
first MUST decide on what is being "affiliated" or "certified".

Will it be "Firms" or "Individuals"?????

Firms provide the stable framework for exposing and delivering products
and services to the business community.  Included in this are facilities
(office space, phone, computers, clerical, etc.) marketing (leads,
contacts, referrals, money and time), most importantly reputation.

Firms also employ or contract with individuals to fulfill commitments to
clients.  In reality they also fire employees or no longer hire the
services of certain contractors.

In my humble opinion, firms are going to be somewhat hesitant to expose
clients, let alone recommend to clients, a solution framework where
their firm may be forced to continue an employee/contractor
relationship, one which is harmful to their reputation and that they
otherwise would terminate, due to a technicality which temporarily would
not be met.

I have been thinking about this subject at length recently because it is
a current business concern of mine.  Very current.  I wish I had an
answer, more so, I wish I had "the" answer.  I have several good
sources, and several bad sources, of info regarding "criteria based
inclusion groups".  I am proceeding in an "exclude" first manner,
meaning make a list of all the things I have seen not work, and the
reasons I feel they did not.  This may not yield a list of things that
will work, my current knowledge does not give me the basis for making
that decision, but hopefully it will be useful as a reference item or
time saver for those qualified to decide.  I will forward it to Daniel
H. when I have completed.

Further:

On Tue, 03 Jun 2003 Daniel H wrote:
<snip>
I would really like to go down this path a little further and would like
to find out why TYPO3 is so much less known in the US.
....
So I would believe we need to communicate through the business
associations and get some exposure in the more popular press in the US
and UK.
</snip>

OPINION- Business assoc's are run by member firms (see above)!  I can
speak at great length and with great certainty about what gets promoted
or exposed through these frameworks.  I am a member of the Better
Business Bureau (it is the largest business membership org in the USA
dedicated to ethics and fair business practices), have my offices in
their local headquarters, and get 95% of my business from members.
Minimum cost (small firm) is about US$400 per year.  Then you can start
paying to promote your services to local members.  Mention as a
newsletter sponsor=$100 per month (I don't), FREE services to officers
and board members to garner their support=$50-$100 per month (I do),
sponsor a booth or table at a gathering $100-$200 per (I don't), sponsor
a hole at the golf tournament=$200-$500 (I do), donate prizes for
events=$200-? (I do).  That's what it takes to get information in front
of just the 1700 businesses in my bureau, more exposure, more money.

Without certainty that a firm's affiliation is not based on his current
employee roster nobody I know (sorry but myself included as of this
writing) would even bring it up to a large group.  At this time I have
only shown it to 3 clients, and those only because I know that they will
always be my clients and they understand that this is something that I
feel could work out well for them but also may not.

Simple example:
A business man, Mr. A notices that there is no Mercedes dealer in Big
Town.  He has experience in the auto sector as he currently owns a
Toyota store in Big Town.  He is excited about bringing a quality
product to his market, Mercedes is excited to have a presence in Big
Town.  Mr. A builds a building, floats the overhead and inventory, and
starts targeting some of his Toyota (existing) customers to switch over
to his new line.  His main competition is Dealer X, and Dealer X does
not want Mr.. A to do well and make money, as that money would be used
to steal market share, employees, etc. from him.  Well Dealer X finds
out that the Mercedes franchise agreement requires that at least 1 star
level tech be employed at each dealership.  Mr. A's store is small, only
three techs total, one star level (hired from out of town, relocation
fees paid), and two very bright techs with many years experience in
European auto repair, but they had never worked anywhere that Mercedes
certification was sponsored and paid for.  One day Dealer X calls Mr.
A's star tech at home, says I will triple your salary and give you a 5
year employment guarantee but you must start tomorrow.  Huh?

**ASSUMING MERCEDES AUTHORIZED INDIVIDUALS AND NOT BUSINESSES TO PROVIDE
SERVICE** (obviously this is not the case)
  Next morning Mr. A gets 3 calls, the first is his star tech just quit,
the second comes from Mercedes and tells him to immediately take down
their signage and close the doors as they have just learned (wonder from
who) that, at this exact second, he does not employ a star tech.  As
such his former franchise rights are to be given to Dealer X (newly in
possession of a star tech) immediately.  Third call is from Dealer X, he
wants to buy your, now, useless building and inventory at .08 cents on
the dollar.

Obviously this is not how such things are done, or they would never be
done.

**HOW IT REALLY WORKS**
Nobody could stay in business paying employees at such a staggering
rate.  Never happened, all a bad dream.
Or
First call from star tech quitting.  Mr. A begins search for permanent
replacement.  Mr. A contacts Dealer Y, Mercedes dealer in Town B, tells
him what's up, asks if needed could he subcontract one of his techs
until a permanent replacement is found.  Dealer Y says sure, knowing he
will be in the same position at some time.

Feel free to switch Mercedes to Typo3 (or Novell, Ricoh, Briggs and
Stratton, etc.) and to switch Mr. A to, you guessed it, Brian Kunau.
</my version of brevity>



Regards,


Brian L. Kunau
President
The Kunau Companies, Inc. (TKCI)



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