porcia83

My Feedback: (8)

If so, how long did it take to get the 3 people signed up? Any tips or suggestions on how to be successful at this?

Thanks

rgburrill

Amway?

porcia83

My Feedback: (8)

Cute. Guess that's a no.

rcmiket

Now that's funny!

Mike

porcia83

My Feedback: (8)

Oh it's a total knee slapper...and a tad ironic coming from the guy who complained once about thread drift.

"...I am getting so sick of the nonsense subject diversions going on..."

But it reminds me, you work in a hobby shop, certainly you've been able to get some folks signed up for the AMA right? Any?

astrohog

My Feedback: (1)

Not a direct answer to your question, but I do know that It would be a much easier sell if the perceived value was greater.

This should be an easy task for someone of your stature and you should be able to obtain salesperson of the month status with all the perceived value that you continue to espouse on these threads.

Astro

porcia83

My Feedback: (8)

Talk about petty antics. I ask a serious question and look for some info from other members, and you post stalk and troll this thread for no other reason than to kick up more drama. I'm sure there will be an excuse or an ends justifies the means argument coming, but really, dig deep and try and act civil for a change. It's not that hard to do.

astrohog

My Feedback: (1)

As I said above, not a direct answer to your question, but based on my experience and perspective, a pretty darned good response. Can you refute any of it? I didn't think so!

What is it you like to say?,,,,,,,Astro

porcia83

My Feedback: (8)

I really don't understand why AMA threads are so divisive and get so ugly.


Are you still wondering this? If so, look no father than your own first post here, The first point is fair enough, perhaps they do need to explain the value. I would think that a free annual membership is self explanatory but fine, they can do better I suppose.

Not sure how this part cuts down on the divisive nature of the AMA threads;

This should be an easy task for someone of your stature and you should be able to obtain salesperson of the month status with all the perceived value that you continue to espouse on these threads.

Not helpful, not on point, nothing short of a personal shot, no doubt expecting a response in kind and then we're off to the races, as is customary I guess. If that's the intent, sorry to disappoint. I'd just ask nicely to try to have this thread not go down that path. For my part i'm not going to do the back and forth thing, hoping to get some real actual and maybe helpful feedback. Mike does have a unique position in a hobby shop I presume he can have a leg up on others, hence the question. A friend I know has the same job, and hasn't paid dues for two years.

Have a good night.

astrohog

My Feedback: (1)

I think you may have misunderstood. The AMA is not in the business of, nor can they stay solvent by giving away free memberships. The give one free for selling three may end up being a break-even or maybe even a cash positive situation (especially if those memberships renew year after year) , but what I was referring to was this: If there were more perceived value to being a member of the AMA, we wouldn't have to use our members as a tool to go out and "sell" memberships. Some may call this recruiting, rather than selling, but it is my belief that it is every members' duty to advocate for the hobby all the time, reaching out and sharing our passion, in turn, attracting new members who will be as passionate about the hobby as we are, WITHOUT rewarding them with a free membership.

In other words, right out of your playbook? Did you REALLY just say that? Classic pot calling the kettle black.

That is what I have been asking for you to do all along. I truly hope it sticks for the benefit of all here!

Regards,

Astro

astrohog

My Feedback: (1)

For the sake of keeping these threads on track in the future, I'd like to post a few things that will help us all when posting in the future.

No need for any thanks, just doing my part to help!

The Ten (Eleven) Commandments of Posting:

1. Thou shall not attack the person’s character instead of the argument. (AdHominem)
2. Thou shall not misrepresent or exaggerate an argument in order to make iteasier to attack. (Straw man fallacy)
3. Thou shall not use small numbers to represent the whole. (Hastygeneralization)
4. Thou shall not argue thy position by assuming one of its premises is true.(Begging the question)
5. Thou shall not claim that because an event occurred before another it mustthe cause. (Post Hoc/False cause)
6. Thou shall not reduce the argument to two possibilities. (False dichotomy)
7. Thou shall not argue that because of your ignorance a claim must be true orfalse. (Ad ignorantum)
8. Thou shall not assume that this follows that when there is no logicalconnection. (Non sequitur)
9. Thou shall not claim because a premise is popular it must be true.(Bandwagon fallacy)
10. Thou shall not use a false, untenable, or absurd result to argue that aclaim is false. (Reductio ad absurdum)
11. Thou shall not lay the burden of proof upon he who is questioning theclaim. (Burden of proof reversal)

Regards,

Astro

rcmiket

I could get a FREE membership yearly if I choose to or a discounted membership ( I'm also a CD ) . I get more than 3 people to sign up yearly just in club membership ( I'm the club secretary) along with the VERY part time I spend at the hobby shop ( mostly helping modelers and promoting the hobby ) since retiring. I don't for one and only one reason I don't believe in FREE anything it's just that simple FREE does not pay the bills nor is it good for the organization.
People should join or remain members because they want to and see value in membership.

Mike

porcia83

My Feedback: (8)

Didn't realize you spent very limited time at the hobby shop. I won't presume to tell people why they should join or remain members, it's their choice, but for me it's a good one. As I've always said, we all have choices to make. As for the "free" memberships I'll disagree it's not good for the AMA. I would hardly say that the free memberships offered to children are a bad thing, although I believe you have indicated otherwise at some point. The sign 3 fly for free is just another program benefit the AMA offers, an yes it is actually FREE to the person who signs 3 people up. Think of it as an incentive, a reward if you will. Don't see how that could be seen as a negative. If you're speaking in a more broad sense about it "costing" something, perhaps you mean the AMA, but even so it's a penny on the dollar.

astrohog

My Feedback: (1)

Shall we do some math?

Any way you slice it, a FREE membership costs the AMA $$. PERIOD

Just for starters, the AMA still has to pay for each members' insurance. That is more than a penny to a dollar.

I thought we were going to stick to the facts?

Regards

Astro

tro

rcmiket

Nothing is FREE it's just that simple. Some just don't see it.

Mike

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

It's a way to reward someone that takes the time to spread the word.

Depending on your contact with new members you could do it on a weekend, I know I could easily do it once a month if I chose to pursue having folks use my ama number on their application.

porcia83

My Feedback: (8)

I thought we were going to skip the pedantry too....yet another conversation down the drain. Carry on

porcia83

My Feedback: (8)

Some see everything as bad, negative, nefarious too.....others not so much.

astrohog

My Feedback: (1)

Well, I guess we just uncovered the reason we have difficulty communicating then. I post relevant facts, you call it pedantry and claim the conversation went down the drain.

Astro

porcia83

My Feedback: (8)

Since it's AMA related, and involves a reward, or discount, or benefit, or something even remotely positive, it's a point of contention. Not a shocker there. I guess if someone really puts effort into it they could get the 3 people to use their number and get the reward. It would certainly take care of the dues increase that some folks complained about when it was instituted.

Eventually someone will come along who has done it

porcia83

My Feedback: (8)

I guess that's what "we" have done. lol.

init4fun

We really don't get all that many new flyers year to year in my area , except for maybe the folks who already fly and have their AMA membership , and are new to the neighborhood looking for the closest club . As to actual numbers of new people I've gotten into the hobby over the years by showing them my planes ? maybe around 5 to 7 folks who actually became lifelong RC flyers and 10 or 15 more who took it up for a bit , got bored or whatever else makes the hobby a passing thing for some and a lifelong for others , and went on to different hobbies . To be honest , While I think this program is an absolutely great way of the AMA rewarding members for spreading the word about us and I wouldn't blame anyone who signed 3 to take the year free , I wouldn't personally take the free membership because like my occasional donations , I feel my dues is well spent and would rather give them the $75 to feel like I contributed something to the cause for the year (The model airplane Tithe is one good way of looking at it) . It's the same reason I keep a regular adult open membership rather than a senior one , the discount being again something I'd rather they keep , since I personally really can't do things like give out aviation based scholarships and such with it like they can . Sounds corny , but is the God's honest truth . Who knows , maybe it could be seen as a self serving view so that no one can accuse me of not "pulling my weight" , but I really do deep down feel the hobby , and thus the AMA , can use all the help they can get to compete with the likes of X box , so called "hoverboards" (that don't really hover) and the like ...

franklin_m

Nope. Folk here are going more and more the park flyer route. Sites don't require membership for flying.

init4fun

Hi Franklin ,

It is interesting to hear of the differences in model aircraft flying populations from place to place across the US . Here , sure plenty of parkflyers are flown , but by the likes of those of us who are already flying everything else anyway and I know of no fields I drive by (and I get out quite a bit for an old guy) where I ever see folks flying parkflyers in any kinds of numbers that would indicate a thriving parkflyer population . Sure the occasional grandpa taking the youngster out to fly an air hogz plane or one of those little mini drones , and that's about it . It is that reason I think the PPP wasn't the success it was hoped to be , with the huge numbers of parkies being sold a membership subcategory catering specifically to them sounded like it would be a great thing and in the beginning of the PPP I had hopes that it would turn into a big subgroup of the AMA in the same way folks hope the drone thing does as well . But with my belief that most of the parkies were actually being bought by us who already are open members the numbers never did meet expectations of how many new members we got VS numbers of parkies sold .

Now with that said , at the model aircraft fields I do fly at , among the guys who fly everything , I see WAY more electric being flown than engine powered and quite a bit more small stuff being flown VS big stuff likely in a nod toward the "grab it and go" convenience of the smaller electrics . For a couple or few quick hours of flying VS the most of the day commitment of bringing the big gasser to the field , with all it's support equipment , assembling the wings & tail and going through all the proper steps to get something big in the air , nothing beats having something you can preflight at home , take to the field fully assembled , do a quick radio check and then fly . Now that's in no way any kinds of slap at all to the all day flying outing with the big plane , they're great to see and it's nice to see them when I or other folks have the free hours to do that , it's just that more and more due to other life's responsibilities the quick couple hour outing is what wins out over the all day flying session . And I wont even mention the exhaust mess to be cleaned up afterward . I guess the bottom line is that most days it seems , for most of the flyers I see including myself , convenience wins out over excursion when wanting to spend an hour or two tearing the skies a new one ....

franklin_m

It is interesting to see the difference in the "AMA experience" depending upon where you live. Here, $75 for AMA plus $100 more for a club membership gets you a rough grass field that's either super small foamies and belly landers or 20cc plus. I've flown .40-.60 size and it's frustrating to have to straighten landing gear every flight. Ironically, the local school fields are smoother. That plus the 3D types dominating the runway area (hovering runway center right in front of flight line), clobbering the RW for anyone else - meant little time flying and a lot of time watching. Have been part of three clubs in two different states, and just didn't feel it was worth the $100 a year.

I started flying smaller stuff at school and park near my house. Saved myself the $100 club fee, and the $75 AMA isn't really needed either.