Yesterday I sent out emails to get customers to purchase a Gold Card.
What is a Gold Card? To start it is $50 and it is good for one year, this year, 2010.
The idea is simple in theory but a lot of bookwork in execution (fortunately my new software does a decent job in keeping track of things). I want my good customers to be easily noticed by me so that I can send them special offers at bigger than usual savings.
For example, GM Danny King has a series of 12 powerplay DVDs which touch upon many aspects of the game (pawns, structure, mating attacks, etc.) They are $40 each but until this Sunday they are $28.95. The savings of $11.05 each is pretty much the best deal on the planet.
But, it's also a wake up call that this program exists and did all last year. As such it targets those who buy a lot of chess things and would like to get rewarded for doing so. Now it enters a new phase, international buyers. Lots of sales can be made to buyers overseas and if the price is attractive enough, it goes a long way to paying for the hefty postage rates which hit all of us, including eBay-ers, a few years back.
Right away I heard from a Swiss customer of long standing with me in the 'ole Chessco days. Thank you!
The best way for a seller to profit from a Gold Card is to produce your "own stuff." The reason for this is that there are many resellers out there who sell similar things to what I have (standard books, dvds, etc.). It's hard to become a standout and not always easy to get attention. Therefore, very soon I will be releasing a new set of DVDs called White Shockers, seven items from the mind of IM Andrew Martin designed to blow the hinges off the doors of your opponents... one is even called the Old Speckled Hen... you'll learn why when you see it. One of the seven shockers will most likely be uploaded to YouTube, or at least a portion of it (videos longer than 7 minutes on a computer often try the patience of the viewer unless it is very good music [which you only have to hear].)
People are starting to send me "book ideas" again. If I may make a request, tell me why your MS is compelling and why someone might want to buy it. The problem often is, "Why should someone spend money on a collection of popular blog articles if they got them originally for free?" Why make ME do all the work of selling it? The big question to answer is: "what's in it for them?"
I laud those who read this Blog but I have no intention of putting it into book form for chess fans (maybe business people though). People are in a hurry, unfortunately, and some of them take short cuts by reading blogs at work they wouldn't spend two minutes worth of time reading at home.
One other point. The Gold Card will be good for all this year but it will only be sold between now and March 31, 2010. Because of birthday anniversaries, special events, and the holidays coming up throughout 2010 I would recommend getting one. They will not be sold AFTER March 31, 2010. Most of us have NO idea what will be available in the coming months to save money on. As "cards" go, this exclusive "membership" is inexpensive (cheap). Complaining later always falls on deaf ears. I do take "cards" to pay for this card: Visa, MasterCard, and Discover (PayPal also).
You can always get in touch with me at: bob@thinkerspressinc.com
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