Re: Online and/or Printed for HARDWARE docs (was Printed vs. Onl

[Steve Pope <spope -at- vnet -dot- net>]

Richard Foley writes [I've reformatted it a bit]:

>In my case people/potential clients (?) are viewing my web site, _they_
>then contact _me_, with a view to discussing illustration work.  Fine so
>far.  Then we get into some email exchange and, after perhaps a week or
>two, the prospect fizzles.
>:-(
>Remember, THEY contacted ME, & THEN changed their minds.

>Now then, why is this? Perhaps they:
>a. Find my "email-party-talk" not quite what they expected?
>b. Don't like the ".uk" at the end of my email address?
>c. Decide not to use the Internet after all?
>d. Any other suggestions? (polite please)  :-)

I suspect that while people find Web-surfing and the idea of Internet commerce
exciting, they're much more reluctant when it comes to doing any actual
buying, particularly of professional services from someone "remote." If they
needed some follow-up or had a dispute, they would want to be able to meet
with you in person. They would also want to be able to seek recourse through
local police and courts, the Better Business Bureau, state Attorney General,
and so forth. These options are not very practical if they're in, say, the
U.S. and you're in the U.K.

So, I'd recommend that you be prepared for a lot of not-very-serious inquiries
and attempts to get free advice and samples, and that you protect your own
interests by being polite to all inquiries but being sure you get paid at
least something before giving professional advice or other services.

- Chuck Murray (speaking just for myself, not for my employer)

***************************************************************
Chuck Murray                     Oracle Corporation
E-mail: cjmurray -at- us -dot- oracle -dot- com   110 Spit Brook Road, ZKO2-2/R88
Phone: (603) 881-2648            Nashua, NH 03062
***************************************************************