70 lines
4.1 KiB
Plaintext
70 lines
4.1 KiB
Plaintext
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Making Shareware Pay
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Shareware is an interesting concept. Basically it boils down to an
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interesting paradox. If men were angels, payment is unquestioned,
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unfortunately, angels don't use software. The question then
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becomes, "who actually registeres shareware and why?". I have
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been asking myself that question for a long long time. As a code
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writer, I have heard every postulation. I have even witnessed
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organizations spring into existance with packaged "methods"
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gauranteed to bring results. I have seen frustrated authors
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cripple their code only to stimulate bored hackers into action
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who then engineer "fixes". I have witnessed ego, jealousy and
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outright fighting amoung authors whose very problems should
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dictate close relationships. Some less pragmatic souls are
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crying "Shareware is Dead", yet, "the movement" to convince the
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software using public that Electronic Bulletin Boards (the main
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means of Shareware distribution) are "Virus Ladden Evil's", is
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{the movement} stronger today than ever before. Why such a strong
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barrage of attack if the marketing medium {BBSes} is really
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ineffective? Well, I wont recommend looking under your bed every
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night for an "evil corporate giant" but I will suggest that the
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instinct of self preservation is alive and well in every institution
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just as it is in the individual.
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In conclusion, I am wary of any organizations that promise results
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from membership; and that includes the Association of Shareware
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Professionals. Selling hasent changed since Adam bought the apple.
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Why should you spend money for techniques that are as old as man.
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The rules are basic but often neglected. First, find something that
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fill's a NEED. Second, show that it is AVAILABLE. And, third, ASK for
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the business. It dosent matter how you re-label it, "The Pitch", "The
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Hook" and "The Close" or whatever. The basic elements are always
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there and, it takes ALL three, to be suscessful. If it is not useful,
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even "almost free" wont sell it. If it cant be found, no one will
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ever know about it. And finally, if it dosent have a price tag
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affixed, odds are it will never reach the checkout counter.
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Now, lets elaborate. A big mistake in finding a market nitch is to
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bypass something thats been done before. Original product overkill
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vrs a little creative simplicity can produce a winner. Four years
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ago I wanted to write a terminal program. Everyone advised against
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it. Who could possibly outdo ProCom or Qmodem. The answer was KISS
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and Slick Terminal was born. [(K)eep (I)t (S)hort & (S)imple]. No,
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I don't sell thousands of copies every year; but, my sales versus
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time invested has been five times better than average U.S. wages.
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Get it out into the marketplace. UpLoad, UpLoad, UpLoad. Don't
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depend on other so called "distribution networks" to do your work
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for you. Join TeleNet, get a good timed execution communications
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package with automated script capability and let your computer
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do all the work for you (at night while you sleep). Remember,
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advertising penetration leads to market penetration. Don't just
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hit the biggest BBS in every city. Frequently, smaller is better.
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Finally, INCLUDE an order form file with a request to purchase!
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Its that simple and it works! AVOID using hooks. But, if you
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must, make them reasonable. Like, offering "printed" documentation
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with registration or voice support. No, the odds are you wont get
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rich. But, you can certainly support yourself and meet a lot of new
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and interesting people plus, enjoy life in the process!
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Gary Raymond, Author & SysOp
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SlickBBS (504) 283-9785
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New Orleans, La.
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EOF()
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