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Thread: Midseason Guide

  1. #1
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    Default Midseason Guide

    I didn't hear a lot of feedback for this one. So the product was good?

    Anyway, I wanted to explain the decision to cut the cost of the Midseason Guide by $3 Friday. For the members who are loyal and great and picked up the guide at 9.99 last week. Let me explain what I'm trying to do here. The Midseason Guide is really on relevant for the first five to seven days after it is released. After that, it's half the value. It's fantasy hockey. You wouldn't read the ramblings in my site if I talked about what happened five days ago, right? So what I'm trying to do, before this becomes completely useless, is try to eke out a few more sales. I lost a lot of customers this year. Income is hurting - the lockout really did some damage. So I'm trying to win people back. And I tried to set a discount at a number that would not bother regulars. So if you bought this early, you had a six day advantage over the competition who waited until today

    I wanted to be up front with you guys, my loyal readers and explain, in case this was eating at you guys. I need to add new potential customers for next year. So I need to show them why this Guide is a must. So I needed to discount it and push it out the door this weekend. Because I don't think there are many more sales left to grab, but next week. (and next week I'll probably knock another $1 off and push more of these, again)

    This is part of my recover from that damn lockout! Thanks for understanding.

    Dobber
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  2. #2
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    Default Re: Midseason Guide

    Thanks Dobber for the explanation. Much appreciated!

    The Mid-Season guide is gold as usual, loaded with info.

    As a small business owner myself I have totally get your struggles this past year. Bad timing with the site/forum problems. I have really noticed a drop in the forum usage and I feel your pain but I know you'll bounce back. Your site and products are too well respected not too.
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  3. #3
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    Dobber Sports Blue-Chipper

    Default Re: Midseason Guide

    A few problems I have with this.....

    1. if you were looking at the future and adding customers for next year, why not just do a lower price for everyone? Use this year as a rebuilding year due to damage from the lockout and focus solely on number of sales instead of sales profit. Why charge your loyal customers full price and turn around a week later and offer a discount. Kinda a slap in the face for people like me who have bought your stuff (both the season and mid season guide) for 4 years now. Like the NHL (and because of the NHL lockout) you unfortunately need to accept that you need to rebuild interest in your business and this will take time, it wont happen overnight. Cutting corners to fastrack this process just risks pissing the loyal customers off. The NHL has spent the entire year trying to win back its fans and will continue to for awhile, but they knew this coming out of the lockout.

    2. The excuse that we now had a week head start seems like a weak excuse for poor planning IMO.

    3. In business you generally reward return/regular clients, By doing what you did, it simply tells me to wait next year until you cut the price. Rewarding people who didnt buy your guide a week later while not offering ANY kind of discount to the loyal buyers is just stupidity and risks losing loyal customers IMO.

    4. At the very least you could have offered a 40% discount to anyone pre buying the guide a week before its release, then set the price to normal for a week or so, THEN offered another discount for the reason you mentioned above (The Midseason Guide is really on relevant for the first five to seven days after it is released)

    Anyway, just my opinion on the matter. As a business owner myself I was a little surprised to be honest.

    Its not about the money, its the principle. The guide is awesome (as usual) and although I dont agree with your decision and feel it was not thought through, I will be buying all future guides as I always have (either pre buy or buy the day of release)



  4. #4
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    Default Re: Midseason Guide

    I don't think you need to explain anything here. This is a business at the end of the day.

    As consumers, you always pay top dollar to be the first kid on the block with the shiny new toy whether it's a new 80 inch tv, the next generation 3 series or even the latest video game. As products age and demand dies down, they go on sale. It is natural.

    Considering that the nature of your product is time sensitive, I think the price reduction makes even MORE sense, and those who would rather wait a week or two to save a measly 3 bucks - go ahead, but something tells me you'll be kicking yourself when you see competing GMs in your league snatching up the low hanging fruit before you've even had a sniff

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    Default Re: Midseason Guide

    Agree with CJ, I understand it's nothing but a business but it would be nice if older loyal customers weren't always taken for granted. One would think that retaining existing customers is just as important as attracting new customers and it cost less money and energy for customer retention. After all these years some form of loyalty program would've been nice.
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  6. #6
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    Default Re: Midseason Guide

    I've been here since basically the beginning... I don't feel taken for granted at all. While I do not post a lot, I am here everyday. The help to my team has been invaluable. I know of no other mid season guides and the ones here are not just some random talking heads spouting crap. Three bucks is totally worth it to me to keep this site and guides going... Although I do miss the angus gut feeling on players... Heck, I'd buy each guide if the price was double... Fantasy hockey is my hobby, and this site is the place to get ahead.

  7. #7
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    Default Re: Midseason Guide

    The guide was great and it's silly that others are complaining about the discount for reasons too numerous to mention. I am an excel nerd though and I would love it if future midseason guides also included the excel list for easy integration into my various pool spreadsheets. Just an idea that would surely please many and I doubt would be much extra effort for you. Thanks for helping me win my damn league!
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