RichRap 30 September 2012 10:52
Hello Bre,
Firstly I'm really pleased to see you are talking an interest in this.
I visited the Makerbot stand 5 times during the day, (as I did with almost all other stands) each time I listened to what was being said carefully.
I could have said a lot more in this post, but my intention was to highlight some changing times in the community that's really why the 3D systems conversation with Cathy and listening to the conversation with Makerbot and Todd Grimm stood out.
Ask you sales guy if he remembers telling one customer that the tolerance on the Filament was 10 microns. He had a short pause and looked confused, realised he was wrong and corrected the mistake telling the customer is was actually +/- 100microns.
This was quite early on in the day, and at my first visit I was very impressed he recognised the mistake and didn't just cover it up or let it go.
If he can't remember that, then he has a poor recollection of what he is talking to people about.
The conversation about being a distributor was again listening on my second visit to the stand, it was not a private conversation, and I found the subject and way it was being discussed interesting.
As I said I was there to listen, I didn't get a chance to engage with the Makerbot team, and to them I was just another random consumer standing for quite a long time on their stand. That was the whole point.
When anyone is representing a company it's very important to be mindful of what is being discussed, every 'consumer' has the power to tweet, or write-up their interactions with individuals or the experience they get.
Sales people should listen to the customer, much more than they talk.
The very reason I decided to stand back and take a photo of Todd Grimm on the Makerbot stand was because of what I was hearing, and I was just standing there listening to the conversation, I actually walked off before the end, as I didn't want to hear any more. I was just disappointed in the general tone.
I do hope you work through this period and come out stronger.
I like Makerbot, and I really Love Thingiverse, I have lots of projects on it. But with the changes at Makerbot you have made people ask questions about what alternatives are out there?
I have not changed the way I work. And I do not wish to be involved in any 'Makerbot bashing', but listening to these conversations at the show I now have my own feelings for Makerbot along with lots of other companies, both positive and negative.
I have a very long experience in Engineering Sales & Marketing and I would be very happy to talk to you more if you so wish.
Best Regards,
Rich.