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I tend to check out new OGR Forum Sponsors when they come on board. Many of my most valuable vendor relationships came about because I found them on OGR Forum. Recently, I started to notice whether or not the sponsors ever linked back to the Forum or did anything to promote OGR Forum. Sadly, this is not always the case. I got bold and suggested to Mike Brooks at Crocodile that he put some sort of link line on his home page that says something like "Proud Sponsor of OGR Forum". The idea is to keep new blood and fresh ideas coming into the forum. And all that kind of thing!

I dunno, maybe it's not useful. But I'd like to see all the sponsors link back to the Forum and make sure their customers and people browsing their site know that there is this amazing resource out here that they are proud to be a part of. There's a mutual trust reinforcement--I trust them because I trust you--that can start at either end--the Forum OR the Vendor.

Anyhow, Forum Sponsors, if you can find ways to spread the word, I think that is a good thing. And a link back to OGR Forum on your home page seems like a win for everyone.

I'm just sayin'....

Don Merz

 

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You  mean train hobbyists don't know how to use Google? Google will get any customer to any competitor in a big hurry. What is left to lose by linking to OGR Forum? A niche like model railroading has to be a community in order to prosper. The tide of a growing community can lift all the boats. Then too, look at the diversity on the list of sponsors. How many of them are direct competitors? 

I retired from a very successful wedding photography business 4 years ago. We did in fact link to our competitors. We made a point of knowing all of them and having relationships with them. We participated in trade groups and sponsored many an event that included our competition. The business never suffered from any "community building" we did. In fact, it was the opposite--we routinely got business referred to us by our competitors when they couldn't serve a particular customer. And we reciprocated. 

So my answer to your question is that there is a lot of complexity under the covers. If we were talking about a Subaru dealer linking to the local Mazda dealerships then I would agree with you. Maybe. But a tight niche market has a very different dynamic than Coke versus Pepsi. I think the benefits of being in "the community" far outweigh the losses to direct competitors. You think Gunrunnerjohn has LOST business for Hennings by participating in OGR Forum? 

Don Merz

 

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800-980-OGRR (6477)
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