MBCA "coffee table" book update

[john.mancini]

Now I am getting emails from MBCA regarding a "second notice" for their data book.  Beware!!!

[Jonny B]

Me too, it was in email this morning. Already duly deleted.

[douglas dees]

If you don't want  the book or to give your information, just delete it. I was not interested as I am in the Pagoda book. This is not an issue of security just personal preference.
Doug Dees

[mdsalemi]

True to form, I did receive a second postcard in the mail yesterday, and have also received at least one email about this...

[71Beige280SL]

I fell for the trap. I believe MBCA is being a bit sneaky here. If you want the book (or DVD), it is $100. Frankly, I'm a bit annoyed. With the mailing campaign and the call center charges, they are spending a fair chunk of change. I hope they make their money back.

[mdsalemi]

To be fair, the project is costing the MBCA nothing.  It does have the possibility of a $10,000 revenue check to the MBCA upon conclusion, provided the contractor (Harris Connect) can sell enough copies.  All costs of the program are borne by Harris, not the MBCA. An added "benefit" to the club is that our database gets cleaned up; meaning addresses and related are corrected.

Now, my address and data are already correct--and I do my part when I see errors, and report them to the national business office.

That being said, I didn't make up any of Harris' issues which are well known, and discoverable by due diligence.

I don't believe the MBCA made a good product launch here.  Almost nothing was told to even club officers, let alone the general membership, and people were then left to their own devices to make decisions.

[ja17]

It sorta reminds me of the MBCA History Book Project they did a few years ago. It could have been a good book and had great possibilities. Instead it was incomplete and not very interesting. Local sections who did not send in information on their own were simply left out. I suspect they did not sell many copies.

[ghenne]

Personally, I'm not comfortable with the idea of the National selling my information to outside companies. I can see how a list of Mercedes owners would be of value, and how it could be abused.

[douglas dees]

The list was not sold and there is a confidentiality agreement. Not to defend Harris but any outsource company that does telemarketing or direct mail is going to get complaints. I have been in that business at my bank and you do get complaints that end up on the internet. The project was not adequately explained but on the other hand nobody was listening either when it was expalined. I understand that the positive response has been very successful beyonen the " normal contact and conversion rates" for these types of programs
Doug Dees

[71Beige280SL]

Michael, thanks for the clarification. Since I bought the book, I'll let you all know how it is!

[mdsalemi]

The list was not sold and there is a confidentiality agreement. Not to defend Harris but any outsource company that does telemarketing or direct mail is going to get complaints. I have been in that business at my bank and you do get complaints that end up on the internet. The project was not adequately explained but on the other hand nobody was listening either when it was expalined. I understand that the positive response has been very successful beyonen the " normal contact and conversion rates" for these types of programs
Doug Dees

I was listening, but the whole project was not explained properly, and contracted for in advance of any announcement.  Plenty of questions were asked; few answers were given.  Later, when people called Harris, the information was conflicting with the contract, only explained with a letter from our new MBCA president.  This kind of thing absolutely, positively should have been brought to the Board of Directors first.  Then, it should have had an article about it in the Star, with a sample page.  That's a bit of pre-sales and pre-announcement marketing.  Get everyone on board first, then proceed.  Unfortunately here, the ship has left the harbor, and the club wants people to swim aboard?

If that aforementioned proper approach had been taken, building awareness, seeking approval, "getting buzz", there would be little to no upset.  Remember, it isn't the act of impropriety that is bad, it is the appearance of impropriety.  Ask any politician caught with the appearance of something "in flagrante delicto".

Impropriety you ask?  Yes.  If the whole project has to be explained and justified as correct to the people (MBCA members) by use of lawyers, it is wrong, plain and simple.  That's no way to run a club or a project.

I am reminded that many years ago, a CEO of Ford Motor Company, one Jac Nassar, was darn near running the company into the ground.  All the employees knew it, and most of the automotive press knew it, and finally Wall Street figured it out as well.  When everyone figured out what this guy was doing, running the company, the daily press buzz was unbelievable.  Yet, Nassar still had the support of the board of directors--and they even went as far as making a public announcement of their support to attempt to counter all the bad press...one week before he was fired.  Boy, did they look like fools.

Bottom line?  Admit your mistakes, don't try and gloss over details, don't try and cover anything up, and if you bring lawyers into an innocuous explanation, your credibility is down the tubes.  "The people" are far more appreciative of 100% honesty, and are a lot smarter than most give credit for.

In reality, I'm sure it will be a nice book; the $10,000 a well needed cash influx.  The book will not be for everyone, but for those that want it, it will be fine.  It could have been done a lot better!

[peterm]

The official notices from MBCA are the most unnerving.  The perception that this is a product sponsored by the club, almost a club activity is the scam here.  Unrelenting calls about alumni directories and for my business yellow page directories have soured me on all these projects.  Its seems a form of telemarketing or emarketing getting a foot in the door by presenting it as MBCA sanctioned and FULLY supported.  Anyone who bellieves this is a bonafide valuable project I can include you into 50 million dollars that are in a Nigerian bank account that i need some help in obtaining.

[john.mancini]

It's sort of like the "Who's Who" scam. Spend money to get your name in a book. I would avoid it. Most likely this project will never get finished.
John

[wwheeler]

I totally agree with Michael. If there were multiple announcements in advance in all of the lanes of communication that the MBCA has, I would have been more receptive. Instead, I received a little yellow card asking me to CALL some number and give away information. In this day of identification theft, that is not something I would ever do.

This project was doomed from the begining because of the lack of communication.   

[douglas dees]

I don't disagree with anything that has been said. My point is that it was mentioned although poorly at the Spring board meeting, approved at the Executive committee and again mentioed at the meeting in Detroit. Was everyone on the Board asleep?
For the record i was not a part of any part of this initiative. I didn't order the book nor contribute to it. Given our experience with the Directors Liability insurance issue, with the  subject being beaten to death and people still disagreeing, we can never get real consensus to try anything.
Let's wait and see what the results are before we get out the rope.
My thoughts
Doug Dees

[wwheeler]

Because I am not on a MBCA board, I was speaking entirely as an average MBCA member. So anything that was proposed or accepted at a meeting, I would have never known about. When I mentioned communication, I am strictly speaking about the decision makers of the club to the members themselves.

After receiving the yellow card, I did receive an email from the MBCA office several days later. At that point, I was already highly suspicious. After all, how many times have you received an email from someone who has closely copied a reputable bank's logo and ask that you send them information. If communication is done after the fact, it always seems not quite legit.

Hopefully in the future, communication to the club members will be better orchestrated. It does sound like a good idea.