How can we help Shopsmith?

[alancooke]

I was looking at the number of members we have, give or take a few the number now is 2600. We are lead to believe that the number of machines are in the millions, that what was it 12,000 exchange hands each year now. We know that wood workers are able to use computers... at least some of us anyway....

So how come after more then a year we still have only 2600 people signed up? Look at all the good information they are missing out on! Even if we add in the numbers from ssug.org and the yahoo shopsmith membership we are still just a drop in the bucket compared to the number of owners.

So what are your thougths

Ed

In my mind, it still comes back to advertising. Sure, there may be millions of machines out there, but how many USERS. SS has been around a lot longer than e-mail. How many machines were sold long before SS started collecting email adresses? My guess is: a lot more than after! Relatively speaking, the internet has only been 'The Rage' for a short while. So, how do you turn owners into USERS. TRAINING! SS has got it right in this aspect. Where I think they are missing it, is INFORMING the woodworking public about the awesome training they have! I read in the Dayton Daily News article from an earlier thread that SS was paying a turnaround company $10,000 a week to straighten things out. Well, I see Nick and Drew working their butts off, but what is this company doing? Have you noticed a change in public awareness of SS? Has the website been brought into the 21st century? If all they're doing is telling SS they need to sell off excess inventory and fire a few folks, heck, I'll do that for $5,000 a week!

I've read several times how people were mesmerized by the 15 minute demo at the fair, home show, etc. Why not videotape that demo and put it on the woodworkingchannel.com. For that matter, make it viewable, at least from Shopsmith.com.

I love the bold new look of HandsOnline, but many people who have grown frustrated, tired, and weary will not be convinced by an email (if they bother to read it). SS needs to get out and let their owners know that they are re-inventing the SS image and are dedicated to helping them become not only owners, but USERS.

IMHO, of course:)

[rkh2]

Alan
I was in my thinking mode getting a response to this thread this evening and you pretty much hit the nail on the head. I agree with everything you mentioned. As a matter of fact, the live demos are what got me interested and then the decision maker to get me to purchase back in 93. It was the TA's that got me to use my SS more and those resulted in me purchasing additional add ons to my shop. Now the online sawdust sessions are pulling at me again. Working at the big orange box store gives me the opportunity to talk up the SS every chance I get. I get more folks that have never heard about it, especially the younger generation. SS needs to get out in the online world more on shows like you mentioned and any other woodworking blogs like maybe the "Wood Whisperer". I still think they need to get back into the fairs and the malls with the live demos. I don't know what ever happened with the demos that were supposed to happen at Home Depot. If they ever come to the store I work at, there are myself and another co worker who have been owners for over 10 years that are primed and ready to talk up the tool.

[reible]

Hi,

In another post here or maybe at the ssug.org site a discussion was started about making some changes to a shopsmith to make it appeal to the younger gereration. Now I'm not saying I'm in favor of this but I wanted to add the idea here to see what other people thought about the idea.

I don't have cable TV but I guess they have several shows like "pimp my ride" and others... maybe I have the wrong name but they take a car and make a bunch of changes to it so you end up with a custom machine. I guess this is like what we use to call a custom car or hot rod. This would be the general format.

Maybe you take the belt cover off and paint it a bright yellow along with the legs and put a jazzed up large shopsmith sticker on the legs. Add some chrome to the speed control and miter gauge and the levers on the rip fence. Maybe the edges of the tables are yellow too....

Don't like that idea? Then how about a special addition in black and chrome? Add maybe a gold crest of the shopsmith logo??

Show up at a few wood working shows like this and see if you can gather some peoples attention. Hey maybe even have a shopsmith show much like they do car shows..... How about a group of people showing up at a fair to show off their machines???

Gee I wonder how a gold plated saw blade would look???

So anyone want to add on to this???

Ed

[reible]

On a more serious note, a couple of posts back people were talking about a video of a 15 minute demo.... Well you might just want to stop in at the shopsmith.com and click on the DVD offer. They use to have a video CD format disk and I have it laying around here so this has been done and in place for a while.

"Shopsmith's ever-popular half-hour TV show, "Sawdust Therapy."" I know I've watch the VCD but I don't recall much of it. I know I've never seen it as the TV show nor do I know where or when that was ever on TV. Maybe some one can tell us about that???

Ed

[reible]

Hey I just got another idea. One that a lot of you can help out with. No, really this is a good idea, keep reading.

A lot of us visit woodworking sites other then just shopsmith ones, well I know at least a few of you do including me. So have any of you ever shared a posting about this site??? I have. Now with the educational materials being added the contents from shopsmith could be of interest to people at the other forums/groups.

I'm sure there are shopsmith users who are members at other woodworking sites and have no idea that shopsmith even has a forum much less some of the videos we have been watching. Some may have visited here in the early days and just never came back for what ever reason... With 12K of these machines exchanging hands each year and of that number craigs list and ebay buyers might not even know that shopsmith is still in business. They may find a woodworking forum and try to find answers there... Maybe we can hook them in here, and get them to part with some $$ for upgrades and cute new gauges.

So what am I getting at? I think we could put together a list of woodworking forums and groups that "we" as a group belong to. Then we can get someone from here to do a posting and get the word out. Maybe even post some news about what the new videos will be about every couple of weeks.

So am I right, this is a good idea hey?? Now anyone want to get started on the project? Or would you rather wine about how shopsmith does this or that... its up to you.

Ed

[charlese]

Darned good idea reible!! No need to go to the list making - just do it yourself! If others do as well, there will be numerous postings about Shopsmith and they don't have to claim credit (or blame). Anything we say will be our opinion solely. There is no reason to involve Shopsmith in this PR campaign. They will remain a non associated benefactor. After all, they always have the right to deny or to straighten out any mis-statements their customers make.

I don't think many other companies would have this type of loyalty!

[8iowa]

Reible:

I have tried two other woodworking forums and gave up. I got tired of all the nastiness. One forum even had to ban several members because their remarks got way out of line - over the subject of dust collectors for Pete's sake. All you have to do is mention a specific tool and the arguments fly. Those forums didn't have any semblance of "family" or common interest. Trying to promote interest in Shopsmith would likely cause an unpleasant experience.

Coming back to the Shopsmith Forum was like coming home to old friends.

[reible]

Reible:

I have tried two other woodworking forums and gave up. I got tired of all the nastiness. One forum even had to ban several members because their remarks got way out of line - over the subject of dust collectors for Pete's sake. All you have to do is mention a specific tool and the arguments fly. Those forums didn't have any semblance of "family" or common interest. Trying to promote interest in Shopsmith would likely cause an unpleasant experience.

Coming back to the Shopsmith Forum was like coming home to old friends.

I like your last line... so how do WE help others find US?

Ed

[Beatle]

I frequently watch the woodworking programs.

You may want to put on a program.
They are infomecials. But done with class and demonstrate how to build a project.

[a1gutterman]

I think that would be worth a go. What does Nick think? Just do a 30 minute show displaying all 5 of the basic tools. Breifly touch on the add on tools and put the WEB address underneath the video. You could even have testimonials:D . Would it be cost effective? It sure beats magazine ads!