vendor spotlight

[I.M.O.G.]

I'd like to run a series of articles, essentially written by small vendors - tankguys, jab-tech, crazypc, etc...

I'd like to model this after the folding team member spotlights, keeping it personal, interesting, and insightful into the vendors we love with great customer service and tight margins. Articles will be targetted for weekends, or filler for slow content days.

Best way to start this is to build a template we can provide, inviting vendors to fill it out and return it. if anyone is interested, please suggest what should be included, potential questions, or go ahead and start by posting a template/questionaire and I'll get all the input compiled into this first post.

Search the mainpage for "spotlight" for examples of what I have in mind!

[cobra342_]

I like the idea let the smaller groups have more exposer.
Let them post their about the company.
how big they are.
What they offer that others don't.

[deadlysyn]

I'd like to run a series of articles, essentially written by small vendors - tankguys, jab-tech, crazypc, etc...

I'd like to model this after the folding team member spotlights, keeping it personal, interesting, and insightful into the vendors we love with great customer service and tight margins. Articles will be targetted for weekends, or filler for slow content days.

Best way to start this is to build a template we can provide, inviting vendors to fill it out and return it. if anyone is interested, please suggest what should be included, potential questions, or go ahead and start by posting a template/questionaire and I'll get all the input compiled into this first post.

Search the mainpage for "spotlight" for examples of what I have in mind!

http://www.overclockers.com/overclockers-foldinghome-team-spotlight-87/
http://www.overclockers.com/overclockers-foldinghome-team-spotlight-86/
http://www.overclockers.com/overclockers-foldinghome-team-spotlight-85/
http://www.overclockers.com/overclockers-folding-home-team-spotlight-84/

Here's a few. I love the work dfonda has been doing with these.:D

Sounds like a good idea, IMOG. I will brainstorm it a bit, since I have worked with dfonda on the Folding Team Spotlights quite a bit, so I should have some idea's somewhere in my mind.:p

[I.M.O.G.]

I love the work he's been doing also. Do you want to check with him and see if he'd like to help with making the vendor spotlight template?

[kayson]

I like this idea. The guys at these small companies are always very friendly and they definitely deserve some spotlight.

[deadlysyn]

I love the work he's been doing also. Do you want to check with him and see if he'd like to help with making the vendor spotlight template?

PM has been sent. I told him that he can either contact you or myself if he has any questions. Hoping to hear back from him soon.:thup:

[dfonda]

I will get something going ASAP on this.

Do you have a certain number of questions you have in mind?

[I.M.O.G.]

Nope, nothing specific in mind. Something to start from would be great, and we can decide from there!

[dfonda]

OK...Here is what we have so far...Comments and additional questions welcomed!

We have about 2 weeks before this is copied by another forum lol.:p

Welcome to the 1rst Overclockers.Com "Vendor" Spotlight” Interview!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
These will be ongoing interviews from Vendors who provide us Overclockers with the shiny parts we need for building our cutting edge Computers!


“Vendor URL”
“Vendor order phone #”
“Vendor support #”
“Vendor support email”
“Vendor Facebook”
“Vendor Twitter”




First off thank you ”Vendor Name” for doing this Interview.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
OC: Can you give us a description of your company?
Vendor:

OC: How did your company get started?
Vendor:

OC: How large is your Company(Employees)?
Vendor:

OC: Can you give us number of products you sell each month if you wouldn't mind sharing?
Vendor:

OC: Do you have any specialties we should know about?
Vendor:

OC: Is there something that separates your Co. from others?
Vendor:

OC: Do you also have a “Brick and Mortar store? If so can you mention some locations?
Vendor

OC: We have a lot of Overseas members...do you ship Overseas?
Vendor:

OC: Do you provide support on the Overclockers.com website forums?
Vendor:

OC: If so which sections in the OC forums may we find you and your user name?
Vendor:

OC: Can you discuss any new tech that you are looking forward to selling in the upcoming month's?
Vendor:

OC: How about some personal stuff? Are you yourself a builder?
Vendor

OC: Any hobbies related to the tech field?
Vendor:
continued....

[kayson]

^^1st and 3rd questions: "Vender" should be "Vendor"

I like the questions though

[cobra342_]

Good questions.

[I.M.O.G.]

Lol... With the news team forum being public, people are always welcome to copy from us. If they want to copy, they are welcome to. But it will be a copy. They can't change the fact that our approach to publishing content and community involvement, while still bolstering quality, is unique compared to any other site out there and we are beating them to the punch. Sites with paid writers and reviewers, writing 12 or 15 page detailed reviews are a dime a dozen - they don't have the grassroots feel we do though.

The key to what we are doing is in the community we have, and the unique framework we've built to get our people involved. Leaving our news team forum public is a testament to the fact that I think other people can try to steal our ideas or mirror our approach... But I think we as a community can do it better than anyone else and stay a step ahead. :D Good luck to anyone trying to keep up. :thup:

As for the outline, we've talked a little in PM and what you've started with is great.

I think we can make a couple small improvements:
1. The facebook/twitter question is repetitive, it's covered at the top, lets drop that - our questions should require answers that at least consist of a sentence. Anything that can be answered with a single word or a link should exist in the opening information at the top.
2. For the support in oc forums question, I think that's excellent - when we see these answers, I'll be following up with the vendors. If they don't check in regularly, I'll try to arrange a tighter relationship.
3. We should ask them about the size of their company - how many people make up their organization? One man show?
4. What sort of volume do they transfer each month if they wouldn't mind sharing? (number of products out the door each month)

[dfonda]

Thanks for the feedback.....edited. It will be easier for the spell checking and grammar correction once its in wordpress.

How bout those hobby questions....are they sorta lame?

[I.M.O.G.]

I liked the hobby question, makes for a soft, touchy-feely ending. :) We'll see what anyone else might think.

[KonaKona]

On the off chance we do newegg, I call dibs on taking a tour of the shipping house. :D

[dfonda]

On the off chance we do newegg, I call dibs on taking a tour of the shipping house. :D
They give free Soda's, I7's and T-shirts to everyone on the tour.:) You get to carry the goodies home in a velvet Corsair bag!

[I.M.O.G.]

Any additions? If not, I'll begin distributing this to vendors shortly.

[dfonda]

I was wondering where we were with this. I think its good to go... we could always change some if vendors are remiss to answer any.

[I.M.O.G.]

Cool, I'll let her rip soon, and tie you in once I get any positive feedback. If you don't hear anything soon, just ask for an update in a few days.

[deadlysyn]

Have we heard back from any of the vendors on this? I see this as a benefit to both our forums and these companies. The forums could benefit by people seeing that the companies do give our members support, which can help increase membership. I think it also shows that these online shops aren't just large corporations that only care about that paycheck. In a way, I think that is the best kind of advertisement any company could have.

[I.M.O.G.]

Exactly my thoughts.

Unfortunately, this has fallen by the wayside and I need to followup on it. I'll have an update for this thread at the beginning of next week.

[deadlysyn]

It sounds like you have been busy lately, but figured I would ask just because I see so many benefits that help both the forums and the vendors. I'm off to try to enjoy the rest of my day off, and to keep going over some details for the contest that I am trying to get going for the Folding Team.:thup:

[I.M.O.G.]

Beginning of next week? I meant to say the end of next month!

Got a survey response in, forwarding response to dfonda so he can get it in wordpress!