NONE: Re: Ad questions
Re: Ad questions
John Lancaster (trapper_at_rnet.com)
Wed, 26 Jun 1996 09:52:08 -0500
Hi,
I'm John Lancaster, a freelance writer who writes for corporate clients,
and I've been lurking for a couple of weeks. Thought I might be able to
contribute something here...
At 04:43 PM 06/25/96 -0400, Alan Richmond <WDVL_at_Stars.com> wrote:
[snip]
> An earlier poster advertised something that was almost certainly
>their own site with the words "I found this interesting.." as if it came
>from a 3rd party. I've noticed people posting to usenet about products
>or services as if they had 'discovered' them and were just passing the
>info along - and I knew, independently, that the product was their own
>(e.g. 'I just came across this incredible camera for only $199' - from
>an advertiser on my own site).
>
> Why are people resorting to lies to sell their stuff?
On NetMarket-L we've discussed the subjects of junk email and spamming.
Basically, a lot of would-be spammers try to circumvent the necessity of
actually taking part in a list and contributing something worth while by
using the approach you describe above. It is, nevertheless, spamming.
>From the angle of marketing, as compared to advertising, a good signature on
the email and thoughtful contribution to lists is an excellent tool. One of
my websites has software in place which documents activity. The total access
graph on that site pretty well parallels the volume of my email
contributions, simply because I haven't been doing any advertising.
Most of the lists I follow, however, will quickly announce the scene you
describe above and make it obvious that it's a spam.
>
[snip]
>
> My first advertiser paid us on time, at first, and then got
>later and later. Eventually I pulled their ad, and their last payment to
>us was about $400 short for the amount of time it had been up. Most of
>our advertisers since have been reasonably timely, but now we are
>waiting on a cheque from an agency, for $2,860. It's 3 months late.
>We've called them many times, and each time there was an excuse like
>"our client hasn't paid us yet", "we're being audited and can't cut any
>cheques at the moment", "they cut the wrong cheque", "the person who
>signs the cheques is away", or "our New York office's computers have a
>virus", etc. We're getting the run-around. As a mom & pop operation,
>this amount of money is critical - our mortgage payment is overdue, we
>can't afford various living expenses, our children can't have any new
>toys or clothes, etc. [I meant checks, of course.. :*]
>
> I've left actual names out of this story. I would have preferred
>not to, but I'm not sure if that would have created problems. Would it?
First, a lot of companies today try for free financing by floating on
vendors' money for an extra 30 or 60 days. When I have accounts doing that,
I bump their price (on new work) by 10%, then offer a 1 1/2% ten days, net
20 discount. Net profit for handling their particular insanity, 8 1/2% - and
most of them take the discount. I'm not a bank and don't play the 30 day
float game. If they need financing for their operation they should go to a
bank to get it - I make it a point to be more expensive.
Second, bypass the agency and talk to the client firm. Not permissible?
Based on whose opinion? The agency's? Hah! I'd want to know whether the
client has paid the agency or the agency is telling the truth. Or ask the
agency to arrange a teleconference including all three of you so you can
hash it out.
90 days late is not an account you want to keep. Get answers, get them fast,
and pull the ad so you can put a paying company on the site.
After you've established the facts, then it may be appropriate to post
notices to this and similar lists so that others are not caught up in the
same situation.
>
> What are the experiences of others on this list? Is there a
>general decline in honesty and integrity? What can you do about
>late/non-payers?
>
>--
> Alan Richmond (Technical) & Lucy Richmond (Business) 1 301 552 0272
> http://WWW.Stars.com/ The Web Developer's Virtual Library
> PC Mag's Top 100, Starting Point Choice, Point's Top 5%, Magellan,..
>
trapper
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Personal Home Page: http://www.rnet.com/hp/trapper/trapper.htm
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