So what did you thank of the Michael Stone chat? - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

Mike Finley · 08-31-2006, 11:40 PM

First before anything, thanks Nathan for bringing Stone here, it was a great effort on your part and appreciated.

For me personally I'm not sure how effective a medium the chat is for somebody like him. His subject is so complex and an hour chat and being bombarded by a dozen people makes it pretty hard for the guy to really effect too many people positively. I kind of felt sorry for the guy.

**Double-A** · 09-01-2006, 01:16 AM

I think he did fine, considering the medium. It was challenging, to say the least.

Can you imagine if all those contractors in the chat room were in a hotel ballroom somewhere and you had to get up and tell them what you thought they were doing right or wrong? Eeep. I bet that will chill your whisky. I've always respected folks that are willing to stand among their peers and be judged like that. Takes courage.

PipeGuy · 09-01-2006, 06:08 AM

it reminded me of a presidential press conference at which the press wants to talk about something other than what the president had in mind.

donb1959 · 09-01-2006, 06:49 AM

I think it was too busy. My suggestion would be that on the next guest chat that it's a moderated discussion. Someone types in "?" in the chat room, they are instructed upon entering to have their question ready. When the "?" is entered they are added to a que. When there time comes the question is posted. This gives the discussion a more orderly feel and the guest is not over whelmed with a dozen questions at once.

But kudos to ya Nate for having guest come onto the forum, once again you have set this forum apart from the many others out there.

Grumpy · 09-01-2006, 07:02 AM

I've no interest in chatting with the self help gurus.

maj · 09-01-2006, 07:21 AM

I'm with grumpy. I went into the chatroom, not remembering MC was going to be there. Forgot about the big seminar! I thought I would stick around for awhile just to see what he has to say. Needless to say, I left early since nothing being said pertained to me & my business. I know it is great for some people in some markets, and some business owners prolly need someone like him to tell them how to be successful. For me, it just would not help in my market and this point in my carreer.

maj · 09-01-2006, 07:23 AM

And who locked fordhipo in there??????

Did he dose off and nobody woke him up or what?

**Nathan** · 09-01-2006, 08:24 AM

Thanks guys. I hope to be able to do more and more of this type of thing. I will try to work through the problems and learn as we go. Nothing is perfect the first go around.
I started off telling everyone to hold their questions but when things got to slow/quite it was hard to enforce. Overall I think once we got going it flowed well though.

What would you guys think of an audio interview of someone?
So, we would open a thread up for users to post questions and then someone would interview the person and ask the questions. Then the audio would be posted and anyone who wants to could listen in.

It wouldn't be as interactive but might be a good option.

**Double-A** · 09-01-2006, 08:48 AM

Or possibly it could be as interactive...

If the interviewer were to use the forum's chat to receive the questions from the listeners and for follow-up questions, they could ask those questions in a streaming audio, like Ventrilo.

Something to think about.

Humble Abode · 09-01-2006, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nathan

What would you guys think of an audio interview of someone?
So, we would open a thread up for users to post questions and then someone would interview the person and ask the questions. Then the audio would be posted and anyone who wants to could listen in.

It wouldn't be as interactive but might be a good option.

ContactorTalk.com Radio? That's an awesome idea!!

**Nathan** · 09-01-2006, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Double-A

Or possibly it could be as interactive...

If the interviewer were to use the forum's chat to receive the questions from the listeners and for follow-up questions, they could ask those questions in a streaming audio, like Ventrilo.

Something to think about.

Great idea

Mike Finley · 09-01-2006, 09:44 AM

Whatever you do Nathan, you better be doing a press release about contractortalk.com doing it's first online chat with Michael Stone. You should milk that one for all it's worth. It's definitely a big stepping stone and shows contractortalk.com is somebody. Cudos again.

You might also think of getting yourself a 'press' or 'news' section on your own site to promote yourself. I think you said before you had some issues with getting the big players to advertise with you, I would think more and more things like these would go a long way toward them taking more notice.

**Nathan** · 09-01-2006, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Finley

Whatever you do Nathan, you better be doing a press release about contractortalk.com doing it's first online chat with Michael Stone. You should milk that one for all it's worth. It's definitely a big stepping stone and shows contractortalk.com is somebody. Cudos again.

You might also think of getting yourself a 'press' or 'news' section on your own site to promote yourself. I think you said before you had some issues with getting the big players to advertise with you, I would think more and more things like these would go a long way toward them taking more notice.

That's a great idea Mike... Can you hire people to write press releases or do you know?

**ProWallGuy** · 09-01-2006, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Finley

Whatever you do Nathan, you better be doing a press release about contractortalk.com doing it's first online chat with Michael Stone. You should milk that one for all it's worth. It's definitely a big stepping stone and shows contractortalk.com is somebody. Cudos again.

You might also think of getting yourself a 'press' or 'news' section on your own site to promote yourself. I think you said before you had some issues with getting the big players to advertise with you, I would think more and more things like these would go a long way toward them taking more notice.

Yessir!

Mike Finley · 09-01-2006, 09:47 AM

I'm not a chat junky, but a few I have seen that worked well for them were moderated chats where the moderator solicited the questions from the forum members ahead of time and asked them one at a time to the guest and after each question the moderator would ask other questions that came to mind in regard to that question, after they had covered it pretty well, the moderator would go onto the next pre selected question. At the end they would open it up for open discussion.

Mike Finley · 09-01-2006, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nathan

That's a great idea Mike... Can you hire people to write press releases or do you know?

Any marketing company will write as many press releases as you want, not so much an advertising agency, but a marketing agency.

**Nathan** · 09-01-2006, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Finley

I'm not a chat junky, but a few I have seen that worked well for them were moderated chats where the moderator solicited the questions from the forum members ahead of time and asked them one at a time to the guest and after each question the moderator would ask other questions that came to mind in regard to that question, after they had covered it pretty well, the moderator would go onto the next pre selected question. At the end they would open it up for open discussion.

That was the goal but in the very beginning things were too quite and slow which cause people to start talking.

I guess I should have stepped in more once the ball got rolling. Good suggestion.

Humble Abode · 09-01-2006, 09:52 AM

FootBridge Media does press releases....

**ProWallGuy** · 09-01-2006, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nathan

That was the goal but in the very beginning things were too quite and slow which cause people to start talking.

Yeah, I was thinking we should have hit the 'shut up' function on everybody in there. Then possibly enable members one at a time to ask a question.

Mike's idea (which is exactly like Purty suggested) sounds like it would work best.

hjm · 09-01-2006, 01:41 PM

I appreciate you bringing him in. I am completlely new to forums, and chat rooms. I think this is an awesome website, found it by accident. And now I know I have Nathan to thank. Thanks Nathan.
Mike