Re: Training events policy ... first test case

Joshua D. Drake wrote:
> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> Hash: SHA1
>
> On Sun, 04 Nov 2007 12:53:00 -0500
> Chander Ganesan <chander(at)otg-nc(dot)com> wrote:
>
>
>>> Perhaps as 50.00 donation should be required for each training
>>> listing.
>>>
>
>
>> Me, puts of community supporter hat....we donate either way ;-)
>> However, I think that $50 isn't much of a deterrent. I think if you
>>
>
> 50 * 1 isn't much of a deterrent.
> 50 * 12 could be.
>
I disagree. Consider that if they sell a class for $2200 apiece, 600 is
a pittance...it's less than the profit of 1 student, and if you consider
that listing a class 12 times brings them, say 2 students (probably
more, but I'm being ultra-conservative here), it's still worth the cost.

Consider that we post a limited number of classes and make regular
donations that are much larger than $600 (note: we offer air, hotel, and
training for that price...so our margins are considerably smaller).
> Especially since it would be non refundable and the listing time is
> short, but it isn't so much the dollar amount (I left it low on
> purpose). It is the fact they must donate.
>
> Most unsavory companies I know are also cheap bastards and won't spend
> a nickel if they don't have to. I strongly doubt that we are generating
> enough leads for certfirst for them to go through the requisition
> process for the donations.
>
I think you'd be surprised...companies do something similar with Novell,
and have to pay Novell something like $1000/year/location listed (they
can then list an unlimited number of classes at the location) but still
find it worthwhile, IMHO Novell's training locater is virtually useless,
the number of courses listed is an order of magnitude greater than the
number that actually run... A single lead that turned into an on-site
course would more than pay for a good 100+ listings...

Besides, if a company is running that many courses, then they can
definitely afford to pony up a bit more change...especially here in the
US. I would propose some kind of sliding scale based on the country
perhaps...we don't want to price Dextra out of a market....or any other
company that does business in a weaker currency (though the way things
are going there might not be that many...).
> Sincerely,
>
> Joshua D. Drake
>
>
>
>
>
> - --
>
> === The PostgreSQL Company: Command Prompt, Inc. ===
> Sales/Support: +1.503.667.4564 24x7/Emergency: +1.800.492.2240
> PostgreSQL solutions since 1997 http://www.commandprompt.com/
> UNIQUE NOT NULL
> Donate to the PostgreSQL Project: http://www.postgresql.org/about/donate
> PostgreSQL Replication: http://www.commandprompt.com/products/
>
> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
> Version: GnuPG v1.4.6 (GNU/Linux)
>
> iD8DBQFHLgi6ATb/zqfZUUQRAr5NAJ90DsTVKDf6FAAQ5Os3H8FXqeaJMACeL6WQ
> dpd0WyEc93CC6nYSwd/nCaE=
> =CZ/m
> -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
>

--
Chander Ganesan
Open Technology Group, Inc.
One Copley Parkway, Suite 210
Morrisville, NC 27560
Phone: 877-258-8987/919-463-0999
http://www.otg-nc.com