CLOSING CALL (today 3-6-08) 6:30PM EST Infrared Marketing Webinar

[Steven S. Ramos]

Making Money with Infrared

Join us for a Webinar on March 6

EARN 2 CEU'S FOR ASHI, InterNACHI, CREIA

SPECIAL PRICE: ONLY $99.00 (LIMITED TIME OFFER)

Home Inspection Infrared Webinar Presented by, Steve Ramos, HGTV’s The House Detective

Learn the secrets to infrared success from Steve Ramos , Certified Home Inspector for Envirovue Home Inspection based in Petaluma, Ca. and nationally recognized expert & spokesperson for HGTV’s “The House Detective”, the value of infrared inspection.

Featured Topics:

* Diversify for Maximum Profitability
* Using Technology to reduce liability
* Writing Up the Exceptions
* Real Case Studies Presented
* Pricing Your Services for Profit
* 3 Keys to Marketing Success

APPROVED FOR 2 CEU (ASHI, InterNACHI, CREIA)

Title:

Making Money with Infrared



Date:

Thursday, March 6, 2008



Time:

3:30 PM - 6:30 PM PST


System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, 2003 Server, Vista

Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.3.9 (Panther®) or newer


Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/110799047

[David A. Andersen]

Steve,

I think you have made your point!

Are you a Home Inspector or a VENDOR?

I have seen little that you have contributed for less than $99 around here.

Not that I think that you have to give stuff away. But, there are a lot of folks that don't try to make a buck on every improvement we come across.

This has been bugging me for some time, and I was about to post something this morning and dumped it, thinking I was having my Period!

Well, I come in for lunch and you are reminding me of what I read 3 hours ago!

This is on the verge of SPAM, in my opinion. You have some good pointers on your web site, and I may have missed something, but I don't see you helping anyone besides your own agenda around here.

I don't know how others feel about this, and I am more than willing to just shut up if I am out of line.

There are a lot of us that are working behind the scenes on stuff and keep it in-house, but we are not selling every idea we have. Personally I am reserved about providing information to anyone that will turn around and sell it. This perception will hurt all all NACHI members.

I spent an entire day writing a program to determine the apparent R-Factor of an insulated wall/ceiling using an IR camera. I was about to release it to NACHI members, but I don't want it showing up on HGTV or having to pay $99 for using my own program! So, I will keep it to those members I know that have unselfishly given of themselves.

I am on a steroid-dose-pac which I have be told causes people to get crazy. I hope I'm not out of line. If so, I will apologize in a few days.

[Steven S. Ramos]

Hi David-

No offense taken by your post, everyone is entitled to their opinion. I am an inspector in Northern California. I am also a vendor in that I do sell information and will be adding a line of tools to my store as well. I have been a dues paying InterNachi member since 2004 ( a full time HI since 2004 as well) and have advertised this on my website since then. My website is linked to HGTV's and does get a lot of hits from consumers all over the country. I am often asked by consumers were to go for inspectors and I always tell them to go to www.nachi.org. Every chance I get I try to get the InterNACHI name out there....

As you can see I do not have anything against making money. If there is information that I have that other inspectors want to pay for, well that is up to them. If inspectors don't want the training then the program will just go away. The InterNACHI board is a great way to get information out to active inspectors so they can take advantage of these offers. I, for one, review almost every new offer that is posted in the "what's new" section and have made several good vendor contacts, purchased their products/services, and my business has benefitted from the transaction.

You don't need to apologize for your comments, no offense was taken.

All the best,


Steve Ramos

[David A. Andersen]

Steve,

I can see for one thing, you are a diplomatic person.
I can appreciate that.

Seeing you have been around for a considerable time, you know how things have been here. We all know how some Inspectors around here think. This is how I perceive and think.

I have no problem receiving new and interesting things from vendors. I look forward to them and learn a lot from them. I may have been a bit sensitive the past week and I refrained from posting. However, I feel I am being bombarded with your marketing material. As I looked into your offerings, it seemed apparent that you had but one purpose on this BB. I have asked other members to share their perception to better gauge my own perception. You have apparently helped a lot of Inspectors, but you have also not helped some Inspectors.


This is a place where a lot of us just hang out.
We have created special interest areas on the BB to do that.
There is a specific place for vendors.
I think you need to differentiate between being a Home Inspector and/or a vendor.

Your not alone.
John McKenna & Will Decker have received a lot of flack for their training endeavor, I guess it's just your turn to be tested by fire.

I support anyone that helps the Org.

Sincerely,

David A. Andersen

[Nick Gromicko]

I've been encouraging Steve to post.

Imagine our industry without vendors. No software, no infrared cameras, no schools, no tools, no insurance, no laboratories, no books. I don't even want to close my eyes and try to imagine such a world. It would be horrible.

Anyway, in a free market, we all benefit by having Steve Ramos, John McKenna, Jim Seffrin, Infraspection, Flir, NACHI.TV etc.

Q. Who benefits by the price of cameras falling, in large part due to higher demand which in some part is due to Steve's course?

A. We all do.

Steve will be doing a www.NACHI.TV episode in a couple weeks and I want all to watch it. John is doing an episode in April. Jim Seffrin already did http://www.nachi.tv/episode22

[David A. Andersen]

I follow up on every one of your introductory offers and watch every NACHI TV episode.

I am not looking forward to commercials, but you have to do what you have to do to make it happen.

[Nick Gromicko]

I hear what you are saying.

Chris and I have been arguing back and forth on this for a month. My argument is that if you watch Jay Leno, everyone who comes on his show is selling something, directly or indirectly. Almost every actor is promoting a new movie, no?

It's tough, we want information from the vendors, but we don't want them to bombard us with sales pitches. I think Jay Leno, NACHI.TV, John McKenna, Jim Seffrin, and Steven Ramos all do a very good job at creating a proportional mix. Yes?

[David A. Andersen]

Well....,

Yes.

I think in this case it may be going overboard a bit.
I have received several emails that other HI's feel the same.
So it's not just me. But I have to carry the ball now. I started it.

When the show promotes, that is fine. If I don't like the show, I change the channel.

When Jay over does the commercials, I channel surf. My wife and I wear out the mute button on the TV remote on commercials.

I don't hang out at NACHI to be spammed.
I do check out the vendors almost daily.
I trash every unsubscribed email I receive from a vendor through an apparent NACH SPAM attempt.

Let this be a message to all vendors. There are others that do the same.

Listen to Chris and consider the point of view.
It may result in the success or failure of a marketing approach.