CompuServe Thread

Thank God, I was beginning to wonder where they (3-D Studio dealers) were. I've talked to a couple of the "Local" AutoCAD Dealers about their impression of 3-D Studio, ( they lack imagination & 3D skills ) One I actually worked with for one year after my partnership broke up. Computech Inc. (my former AutoCAD Dealership) was a partnership between myself and a very well known A&E Firm. The problem there was, my partner had zero time to devote to the business. I can't really blame him, his 40 man 42 Million Doller A&E firm should take up the bulk of his time as compared to an AutoCAD Dealership that never broke $750,000.00 per year. However I was the entire company for the first 18 months of business and the only Sales person for the entire 4 years. Get the picture, (spelled" TAX WRITE-OFF") The only exception to that was up until the last 8 months when my partner deceided to get me some "sales" help. It was too late. I was getting pretty crispy and felt that as long as I was doing it all myself I should start a consulting company. Which I did. I'm Located in Green Bay Wisconsin, ( Home of the Unbelievable Green Bay Packers ) This is the best year they've had since 1966. I oughta know I watched em' tear down the Goal posts just before I was introduced to Uncle Sam and his Fun and Games. But I seem to be drifting. The point is I've always been ahead of my time. The technologies I get involved in always seem just a little too expensive for me to get involved with on my own and therefore I get involved with money-people that have interest in a quick buck. I'm in this for the long haul and love the business. I've been involved with electronics since 1967. I was responsible for Bringing Satellite Television to the State of Wisconsin that company still exists without me, you guessed it, Big Money squeezed me out. So Can an under Capitalized 3-D Studio Dealer REEEAAALY make it in this market or am I waisting my time? JM

Thank you Gregory Pyros, Just the kind of answer I was hopeing for. I am concerned about the "Sold a lot of 3ds packages real cheap" type of dealers. We have one of those in my area already. Actually they have their authorization location nearly 300 miles away from Green Bay but they have "outlet" stores with absolutly no support just 20 miles away and 100 miles away. My original approach would be to NOT discount the Software at all but to make sure they were trained well at a reasonable fee as well as received top notch support. The Human Nature problem I fought as an AutoCAD dealer and know I will be fighting as a 3DS2 Dealer is to remain in business long enough to be recognized as being "For Real" Usually what happens is a client will purchase cheap elsewhere and upon finding little or no support from their original long distance supplier get around to asking me if I will come in and clean up the mess. Yet they expect that I will assume responsibility for the poor dealers mistakes and feel so bad about their situation I'll Just be a good guy and bend over on the Billing. WRONG! Thats when I hear words like " Taking advantage " ETC. I guess What I need is a smoother way to prove my value up front without causing these type of clients to expect to much for too little. Then again as an old friend in the busness once said " I don't need those type of Clients. " So what do you think. JM

Thanks Kevin, I'll Give Mr. Pike a ring, I've just Fedral Expressed the contracts back today so I should have the multimedia Dealer Number in the Next Day or so.