Just a thought, Business cards

[thealien]

I am sure many like me go to car shows and cruise ins to only see people scratching their cars and trucks with california dusters and inferior microfibers and cotton towels. I think it would be a good idea if we could be given a choice to have some business cards (I am sure Adams already has someone making them for them) thrown in our orders. Generic (we could write our usernames on them ourselves). Might be a great way to promote the forum and the products. The new members/customers could write our usernames in the order notes area to see if it is working/worth it?

 

Business cards are fairly inexpensive. I know I could hand out quite a few at the shows I go to. What do you guys think?

[Maxcustody]

Sounds like a great idea. I have some from motorcycle items I have purchased,  I keep in my bike. When people ask me about the product I give them one of their business cards................

[Feets31]

What about the novice that hasn't quite figured it out yet? Does Adams what him/her with cards to pass out?   

 

Or the person who uses 80% Adams, but a major part of their detail is from another company?

 

Sounds like a good idea on the surface, but I bet they want to protect their name a little more. 

[Redbeard]

I've thought about this too, as I walk past some nice cars at work everyday that look like they're washed by kids at a fundraiser. As with Jim's concerns, I wouldn't be leaving a card to offer my cleaning services or even include any of my contact info, but rather just to raise awareness of Adam's products. I get a DVD with almost every order because I give them to friends, would it be spammy to leave one on a random windshield?

Edited May 31, 2013 by Redbeard

[thealien]

What about the novice that hasn't quite figured it out yet? Does Adams what him/her with cards to pass out?

 

I think many of Adams customers started out as Novices. The Adams product line is somewhat oriented at the novice/non professional? I heard about Adams on a few forums I frequent. I read some posts learned and made a purchase. I now want to share and was looking for an easy way to tell people so they can remember when they get home?  

 

Or the person who uses 80% Adams, but a major part of their detail is from another company?

 

I assume this person is maybe doing this professionally and would be handing out his own cards, not Adams? If 80% of their product is Adams how can a MAJOR part be someone elses? Must be new math?

 

Sounds like a good idea on the surface, but I bet they want to protect their name a little more. 

 

 

Protect their name? Sounds like you don't want anyone to know about a great product with a company that stands 110% behind their product. I don't see how even a novice handing out a few business cards at a show would tarnish their business? I am just trying to find a way to share what I have discovered but if its a secret I can keep it too?

 

I wouldn't be leaving cards under windshields but I have shown the microfiber towels, detail spray, and waterless wash to quite a few people and told them about Adams products. I wonder if any of them remember the name when they get home. Acard with the forum address on it could help?

 

I'm not saying give everyone cards. Just make some available to those that might want to promote a USA made product that they are proud of?

Edited May 31, 2013 by thealien

[Team Adam's]

Best thing to do is already available - DVD's

 

Gives them all the product info and you probably already have a few lying around if you've placed a few orders in the past. 

 

A catalog is coming soon as well that will be a great thing to hand to those who need 'guidance' 

 

Keep in mind that for many ignorance is bliss and simply pointing out their paint flaws/process flaws can easily offend some people who don't know any better. 

 

While we appreciate the willingness to promote the company/brand word of mouth often times suffices... if they truly want to know they'll write down a web address or phone number when its given to them. 

[Feets31]

There is good and bad with it and getting them into the hands of some of the top people here would likely be a good move.  

 

But hey, Mark gets cards, why not me?  I use the products too?   Would they alienate some users by not giving them cards.  

 

I live and bleed Adams products but my car is DD and it does not always look sharp.  I haven't fully detailed the paint yet, but it still shines.  I am forthright with my skills and knowledge, but would everyone be?  I tell people all the time about Adams and point out they have some super products but that I haven't yet completely detailed my car.  Some people might infer that the products are hard to use because I haven't mastered them all yet if I handed them an official Adams card.  

 

Giving me company cards would be a risk.  Maybe I don't like a product because I haven't been using it right and I am not getting good results.  So I tell people most of them are good, but stay away from this one.  If i am handing them a card while I am saying that it is almost like that is coming straight from Adams and not from me only.   A card would give me added authority to some people.  My heart might be in the right place, but would my words and actions always follow the company line?  I doubt it.  They can't fire me, they could just hope I hurried up and got rid of cards.  

 

The DVD is a good but expensive idea I would think.  Maybe a card with only the web address on it would work in most occasions.    But that is a company decision, not a customer decision. 

[thealien]

I'm done with this! Delete this thread please. I promise not to tell anyone about Adams products!

[Team Adam's]

Whoa whoa whoa! 

 

Theres really no need to get so heated over a discussion thread. I don't believe ANYONE told you to keep it a secret, or that you shouldn't recommend the products to people. If someone did please point it out to me as that last post and the PM I just got seem to be pretty extreme reactions to suggestions in place of your business card idea. 

[ForceofWill]

I actually agree that having something to hand out would be nice. Nobody has a pen and paper at car meets and new detailers don't remember everything when they get home. I get complements all the time on the car and being able to give them some info would work wonders for them and Adam's. I think the catalogs will be good if I get one free with every order. Then I could just save them up and bring them with.

 

People like visuals for products. I think I could convert a lot of people with a nice color catalog.

[THE Mook]

"Hey, you have a smartphone, right?"

 

"It's 2013, everyone does!"

 

"Check out this website real quick...www.adamspolishes.com.  Should take less than 20 seconds."

[ForceofWill]

Last show I went to was muscle/classic cars.  Pretty much all 60+ men with no shortage of money but I didn't meet one with a smart phone.

[THE Mook]

Did you ask?  

 

Last show I went to was muscle/classic cars.  Pretty much all 60+ men with no shortage of money but I didn't meet one with a smart phone.

[ForceofWill]

C'mon Mook.  We don't work for you guys but we love the stuff and just want a nice way to promote the product.  No need to be a smart ***.  I think the catalogs are a good idea and I'll be keeping any I receive for situations like I described.

 

Obviously I didn't check everyone there at the gate but the main guy interested in getting his car cleaner was a 70+ yr old guy with an 08 GT500.  He didn't even have a cell phone.

 

 

- There's still a fair amount of people who don't order things on the internet, they like to call and talk to a real person.  Those types of people won't visit a website because I told them to.  Yet another reason I like the catalog idea, it should grab that demographic.

Edited May 31, 2013 by ForceofWill

[GerryC]

If there is an Adam's dealer nearby, you can always stop in and ask for a handful of cards to pass out at shows, as I'm sure those businesses have cards. This way you help promote Adam's and your local dealer.

 

Or

 

Many times at a show I will bring my various 4oz bottles for the sole purpose of letting others borrow them. If they don't bring them back, so what, it's just a small bottle... but most of them will come back and say "where can I buy more of this stuff??"

[THE Mook]

Sorry Will, I thought you were being one, so I was giving it right back brother!

 

Catalog coming soon!  (Probably before Quick Sealant LOL!)

[Team Adam's]

I'm just going to wrap this up and close it since (strangely) the topic of handing out business cards is far too intense a topic for some. 

 

We appreciate the suggestion, we also appreciate the willingness you guys have to promote the brand thru word of mouth, but please consider this from our perspective:

1) Printing business cards costs money, we wouldn't/couldn't  sell them to you, and we couldn't control how they were used so how do we manage something like that without it becoming a black hole of cost? A downloadable document you can print is another option, but what guarantee do we have that the printed cards are delivered in a manner consistent to our standards? A wadded up, mustard stained, black and white sheet of paper doesn't exactly scream "premium". Not saying you guys would do this, but its an option if we open it up. 

 

2) We already produce DVD's that are free with your orders as well as a catalog thats coming soon. These materials provide APPROVED company information on all the products, processes, etc. as well as contact information for the company, website, etc. Since these are marketing and instructional materials we already produce and provide that have a consistent method of delivery it makes the most sense to use these rather than add a card. 

 

3) While our customers are our best advocates they are not our spokespeople. The vast majority of our customers would do an excellent job of representing us, I have no doubt, but there is a contingent (as mentioned by others above) that might not understand the products as well as they think they do or even misrepresent the products. A scenario like this can do more harm than good and we want our products to be represented officially - thus the reason a catalog or DVD makes so much sense as it contains the info and the contact / ordering stuff. 

 

In the end we appreciate the willingness to 'market' for us, but you do have to understand that from a business perspective control of our brand image is a very important thing as is not flushing money down a hole we cannot control or measure. 

Word of mouth marketing is called WORD OF MOUTH for a reason... not word of card. I'm sure we could sit here all day and come up with 1,000 specific scenarios and types of shows where it would or wouldn't work. The fact remains that we are an online company. A person will have to be fairly comfortable with the idea of shopping online (or at least browsing online) to do business with us. 

 

A simple "I use Adam's Polishes, heres a DVD" will suffice. If you don't have the DVD thats fine... just telling them gets us an endorsement that money can't buy. If the guy remembers GREAT! If he doesn't then thats our fault for not making him aware we exist. 

 

How this became such a source of hurt feelings I will never understand, but topic closed. Enjoy your weekends and try not to take the internet so seriously.