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On Friday 02 December 2005 4:00 pm, Rob Beard wrote: > Now I was thinking about a unique selling point. In the best tradition of loyalty-building loss leaders, giving away things that help people see what you are describing is the most obvious choice. Ubuntu, Knoppix, OOo. Also, cater for those who are interested but don't want a sales-pitch right now - order in some boxed sets from http://www.linuxemporium.co.uk/ and sell them on with a margin. Some people like to have the manuals and a shrink-wrapped box and may not want to wait for delivery or may not have a usable internet connection / be wary of online commerce. Stock some GNU Press books too. Maybe even T-shirts and mugs. You may not have your own premises but tuck a sales-sheet of this stuff into your publicity materials, quotes and invoices. Probably the best advert though is to let people SEE GNU/Linux on your systems. Have a demo machine running Ubuntu or Debian or FC4. Use GNU/Linux for your till systems or ordering - the front-shop stuff so that people can catch a glimpse of it in action. Or take along a laptop running GNU/Linux - I've had good results with Fedora on older laptops. Make a BIG play about the key benefits to your likely audience: 1. Install GNU/Linux on as many boxes as you like with no restrictions and no fees. 2. Security. 3. Freedom to tinker and improve. 4. Information on resources, support and contacts. Put a Tux on your notepaper alongside any Windows or Mac logos. (Remember to acknowledge the trademark on 'Linux' held by Linus Torvalds on your commercial stationery as well as corresponding notices for the terms RedHat, Mandrake/Mandriva etc.). > Most of the local > people offering computer repairs seem to cover the usual - virus > removal, upgrades, repairs etc on Windows. I haven't however seen any > (yet) offering any sort of Open Source offerings. Information is probably your most valuable offering. Describe GNU/Linux, outline the benefits in choice and flexibility, stability and freedom. > On the past couple of jobs I've done, I've been telling my customers a > bit about Linux & Open Source. Leave something with them, let them make their own minds up. > What I'm wondering is, are there any sites out there which can give me > help in promoting OpenSource (and hopefully my business too!). > Microsoft have something for small system builders to push > Windows/Office/Exchange etc, but to be honest, it's hard to be > competitive when I've got to stick £60 on the price of a PC for Windows > (competing with Dell is hard enough as it is!). Neil (S)? -- Neil Williams ============= http://www.data-freedom.org/ http://www.nosoftwarepatents.com/ http://www.linux.codehelp.co.uk/
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