Alan Arnold - A great Salesman

Yes, OGR Ad Man is doing a great job! Almost takes up the whole forum start page. I was going to post about this myself, suggesting he slow down a bit so there is still some room in the OGR magazine for some train articles. Or at least a few pictures. Either that or they will have to start making it about 50 pages longer each month!  Just hope he never goes to work for MTH, they are already killing me with each new catalog!

Yes...Alan is certainly keeping me busy making new banner ads and scheduling more ads in the magazine! If he keeps this up, I'm gonna need a vacation!  

 

On a more serious note, his work is insuring the on-going success of this forum and OGR magazine. You see, with the advertising sales we have had in the magazine over the last few years, I SHOULD have reduced the size of the magazine down to 84 pages...or even less, as Classic Toy Trains did. However, I absolutely refused to go below 100 pages because I did not want to diminish the value of the magazine to YOU FOLKS...our readers and subscribers! We would also have had to give up the perfect binding if we went smaller than 100 pages. I didn't want to do that, either.

 

Was holding at 100 pages through this slow-down a smart business decision? The numbers guys would say, "No!" but I'm not a numbers guy. I'm a "Big Picture" kind of guy and I wanted to continue to give all of our readers the full measure of enjoyment they had come to expect from OGR magazine. So we stayed at 100 pages through the economic slow-down of these last several years. It has been tough because our printing costs have been out of line with the accepted norms for ad revenue vs page count. The magazine should be 50-55% ads, but for the last couple of years it has been below 40%.

 

The overall economy is still pretty bad and shows no signs of changing any time soon. But our little corner of it is improving nicely, thanks in large part to Alan "The Adman" Arnold's efforts. If he ends up selling more ads than will fit nicely within 100 pages, I will be happy to add more pages to the magazine and go up another signature to 116 pages! That would be a "wonderful" problem to solve! 

If Alan keeps up this pace, it may just be easier to list all the hobby players who are NOT sponsors.   And you may not even have to do that, as that number just keeps shrinking and shrinking and shrinking...

 

Andy

Alan is doing a super job.  It seem that every day there is another new forum sponsor or magazine advertiser listed for comments.  Well done Alan, sounds like you need a vacation also.  Maybe you and Rich can take a vacation together and find more clients.

 

Steve, Lady and Tex

Alan is doing an amazing job !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Alex

Alan really is doing an amazing job and its great seeing all the new ads supporting a great organization. A great LITTLE organization, without the "corporate" structure of the main competitor. Sort of like entrepreneurship instead of corporate bureaucracy.

 

On the binding and size, I wonder how many are digital only subscribers at this point. That may be the future. Or perhaps this is a hobby with an older demographic that is resistant to change.

 

Gerry

Alan has such a great passion for our hobby and is doing an outstanding job. 

 

As I've stated before. The Advertiser Directory in OGR Magazine and the list of Forum Sponsors reads like a listing of, "Who's Who" in the toy train industry .

 

Alan. I'm sure that you realize just what your labors mean to each to each and every OGR Forum member. Also, earlier you stated that you were around before the days of the internet? Okie-Dokie..............Sure??

From almost the first day it has been clear than Alan is having a profound effect on OGR. The volume of advertisers has gone up steadily since he joined.  I am both impressed and thankful: Nothing is quite as much the vitamin for success for an organization as lots of advertisers.  Beyond the ad revenue, which is critical, advertisers' involvement with an organization is in a small but meaningful way an endorsement of and participation with you.

 

Of course, there is always a downside.  Having both an Alan, and an Allan, as kingpins of this forum creates a problem for those of us who are keyboar- challenged.

Alan is doing a great job. Every time he adds a new sponsor I make sure to visit their site, not all are part of my hobby level, but you never know what you might find. I read the ads in the print copy but clicking on the banner makes it easy to search their inventory. And I always go to their web sites from the banner page since someone is always keeping track of the "clicks".

Alan is also very helpful to us novices, he doesn't know me but was willing to answer a personal email asking for help a few months ago.

 

 

I agree, thanks to Alan and all the sponsors here and in the magazine.   BTW is "Adman" a play on the Seinfeld episode where Kramer puts the proctologist's license plates on his car? 

I agree, thanks to Alan and all the sponsors here and in the magazine.   BTW is "Adman" a play on the Seinfeld episode where Kramer puts the proctologist's license plates on his car? 

 

Lets hope not!

I believe Alan could sell ice to an Eskimo.

No...that Seinfeld episode never entered my mind when I coined the phrase "The Adman" for Alan.

 

I'm not a big fan of Seinfeld...

Having spent a good deal of my career in sales and sales management, Alan is a dream to any sales organization. There are three ingredients to being successful in sales:

 

1. a good communicator

2. an excellent work ethic

3. you have to believe in the product/services you are selling.

 

The reason Alan is so successful, he exceeds all three criteria.

No question that Alan has and will continue to do an exemplary and valuable contribution to the forum and OGR magazine.

 

However, his contribution to the hobby extends much further than that.

 

From his knowledge of trains, model trains and his willingness to share his passion with others, to organizing meetings and related activities that promote the hobby, Alan is a true ambassador of model trains. Alan’s enthusiasm is contagious, and I have learned a lot from him. Thank you, Alan!

 

Alex

Dear Rich,

 

Having read more about the naysayers who think this hobby is aging out (balderdash!!!)

 

I would like to thank and congratulate Alan "the Adman" for giving us hope and the right attitude that our shared hobby continues to thrive (as I had suspected) all along!

 

Alan proves the CAN-DO philosophy with his work ethic.( Keep it up Alan!)

 

Additionally,Kudos to you, Rich for making Alan part of our team! And thank you to the advertisers for going with OGR, may we continue to prosper together!

 

Mike Maurice

Alan is a great addition to the OGR staff.  He has scored some unbelievable accounts.  I am very proud to be an OGR supporter and have the privilege to know such great people.  I have always looked forward to pictures of the beautiful layout Alan has built for himself.  Well done Alan and well done to all the great people at OGR.

Guys....

 

This thread was called to my attention this afternoon so please accept my apology for not posting sooner.  I am really at a loss of what to say other than I am humbled and very touched by all of your words....

 

First I want to say that my role in the events here on the forum when it comes to the growth of the sponsorships pales in comparison to what you all have done to make this the place that the membership and sponsors want to be.  If it were not for all of you, there would be no forum and no magazine.  The support that all of you give to OGR makes our forum and magazine the destination for those involved in the hobby and the businesses that offer the product.  So....the real reason why I am here is because of all of you.  I owe the membership and the clients that support OGR my gratitude and thanks.  I am especially grateful to Rich, Jim, and Ed along with Linda, Allan, Don, Cari and George for allowing me the opportunity to have what I consider the job of a lifetime!  In the 25 plus years of my marketing and advertising career, I have never had a more supportive group of professionals with which to work.  Honestly, I wake up each morning with a thankful prayer.  I feel much the same way to my forum family of friends....you all have made this place a pleasure.  In my mind, the forum is a melting pot, much like our country, with all kinds of folks with their special contributions that collectively make this place the best of the best...number one!!  AND...our advertisers are the individuals responsible for keeping the doors open so that all of us can enjoy coming here anytime we want....price of admission is...FREE!!  We are indebted to them...and are proud to have each and every one of them supporting our hobby, forum, and magazine!

 

Again....thanks to all of you, I have a place here!!!

 

Alan

Alan......you have been amazing!

 

Peter

Great to see the great job being done by Alan "the Adman". A fine addition to the greatest O Gauge Railroading Magazine and Forum anywhere.  You know when you read the magazine or forum you're getting information from the greatest railroading minds both from ORG and Forum Members that you can get. Thanks to everyone!

Dear Alan,

 

Thanks for your reply, yes, it is true, we all do contribute each in our own way to our OGR magazine but thanks again for adding value by making advertisers, writers and hobbyists get together so successfully. It's appreciated more than you know. Special thanks to our advertisers for keeping it free.

 

Mike Maurice

Alan has preformed amazingly in his short time here on the forum.  I'm still waiting for him to post a picture of his "Ad Man" licence plate since I asked him back on July 27, 2013 when he was first introduced.

 

Jack 

Thanks again guys!

 

Jack:  about that license plate....someone in my state already has it!!

 

Alan

We still have some options:

  1) Since you are in our eyes, try " #1 Ad Man " or Ad Man 1.

  2) Move to your World Headquarters in Ohio, can't be an Ad Man in Ohio.

 

Keep up the good work and good luck in the quest for the elusive plate.

 

Jack

  

 

Yes, Alan is to be Congratulated for his Outstanding Contribution to OGR MAGAZINE, and his Love For Toy (Scale) Trains. Pictures of his Layout are Outstanding, just as his Ability to land all of these Great Toy Train Retailers....Selling is not an easy Profession, it takes Smart Thinking, Perserverance, Long Hours, and lots of No's Before You get a Yes. 

Rich Melvin, has lead OGR MAGAZINE through some really rough times, but, his choice of Folks to Partner with, are THE BEST. His Staff is the best in the industry, some of the most knowledgable Toy Train Folks ever born..Their attention to detail is second to none.

OGR adds spice to our Love of Toy Trains. OGR MAGAZINE, OGR FORUM, OGR THE VIDEO, 

IT Just Does not get better than THIS...THANK YOU ALL AT OGR HEADQUARTERS...

Your a Friends in TENNESSEE, KENTUCKY, INDIANA, ILLINOIS, GEORGIA, to say a few.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for your kind words, Larry. You have hit the nail right on the head. I am priveleged to work with some of the best people in the world here at the OGR International World Headquarters and Raw Nerve Center. 

 

GeeBee (George Brown) and his lovely wife Kitty staff our southern office in Texas. Jim Barrett holds down the southern Ohio office in Cincinnati and Alan Arnold is our western guy in Arkansas. Those folks, along with everyone on the staff here at HQ (Ed, Allan, Don, Cari, Linda and me) truly appreciate your kind words and the support of all you folks here on the forum.

Rich,

 

I didn't know the far reaching multi-office staff was so vast-----my oh my! Please give everybody a thank you for me! It must be a daunting task to juggle interoffice parties! Please give everyone a wink and a nod as well.

 

Fine job everybody!

 

Keep your interesting articles and pictures coming! No wonder we are #1 in the business! Rich must be a GREAT boss!

 

Mike Maurice

 

I guess that makes the office in Arkansas a "Field Office"? Way to go Alan!! Now Alan has a new problem he must consider. Which "legal" crop should he grow. ROTFLMAO!!             .

Pappy....you can tell that Rich hasn't visited my location yet by his description of me being the "western guy"....  I would say that we could be called the "Mid South Marketing Division"...

 

AND...being a "Field Office"...we have several different kinds of "crops" being grown in the Ozarks...

 

Alan

Alan,

I could not resist . I'm from eastern Oklahoma originally. To describe Arkansas as "western" is well.........laughable .

i agree. it makes me wonder what the guy who had the  ad  job before alan was doing. i ve never seen so many sponsors before.-jim

I honestly think that there was no one doing Alan's job full-time. If things keep looking up, who knows? Getting the sponsors is one thing, keeping them is another. That's where you and I as forum readers and subscribers enter the equation. If our sponsors do not see an increase in revenue, we will no longer view them as being sponsors. Most of our sponsors are brick and mortar business'. Let's not see them go the way of the LHS.