March 3, 2010 96 Comments

My Offer on Third Tribe

I just put up an offer on Third Tribe Marketing: ask me almost any business question and I’ll do my best to answer it in the next couple of days.

It costs $47 to join Third Tribes. I charge approximately 466 times that for a day of my time. So, the way I look at it, if you join the Third Tribe, and ask me the question, I’ll save you plenty of loot. Also, when you’re done with that gimmick, you’ll realize that there are over 2000 really smart people there who know more than me, and who can also help you out with Internet marketing questions.

What say you?

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http://www.dogtrainingsandiego.com/ K9 Coach

Seriously. As one who joined the Third Tribe with a bit of Eban Pagen bitterness…. it's awesome. Real. For those who have experience and for those who don't.

In my second month… well beyond the price paid. In this one for once… what comes around goes around.

Wag!
http://www.dogtrainingsandiego.com/ K9 Coach

Go ahead. Unsubscribe.

You are the aggregate of the 5 people you listen to or hang out with most. Perhaps you should go listen to those who don't show people how to interact, give information and build a business model off of it.

Go.
ready2spark

Value is an amazing thing. After all, it's totally 100% subjective. What one person thinks is an insane price for a day of consulting is a great deal for another who feels that the value they receive in exchange outweighs the cost. I would suggest that anyone who is offended by your pricing is probably not your target market.

On another note, I did sign up for your Third Tribe Membership. I was disappointed. Based on other comments, it sounds like I may be in the minority. My issues:
- Content was slow in coming: 1 case per week was much less than anticipated. And the topics were not even remotely interesting to me.
- The most dynamic part of the site is the forum. I didn't join so I could talk to other people 'just like me'. I can do that on Twitter, on Facebook, on a multitude of free forums.
- The audio files required a significant (hour long) time investment to listen to. I found it very difficult to find a full hour to listen to the files (I recognize that transcriptions were also provided, but you really lose the essence in the notes).

My recommendations for improvement:
- Crowdsource with your members to find out what topics are 'hot' for them.
- Tell people, very clearly, what to expect from the community upfront. Yes, I got the whole concept of what 'third tribe' meant, but I didn't clearly understand what was included in my monthly fee – thus my disappointment.
- Break audio files into chapters or smaller byte-sized chunks.

I didn't see the value in my Third Tribe Membership so I cancelled my membership. Perhaps with some changes I might change my mind. Please let me know if you do make updates.
http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

Thanks for your thoughts on Third Tribe.

Interestingly, the content part was the least useful to me. We're doing most of our cool stuff in the forums, so that might be part of it.

As for the content being the main draw, I'll give that some thought. Maybe we can add even more to it.

I'm really grateful for your thoughts on this, and for your feedback.
http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

I'm having a blast there. Glad you are, too.
http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

You most definitely are. : )
http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

Third Tribe is only $47 for a month, so it's about the price of an evening community course, only you get a few thousand people's minds for a full month.

If you're into marketing and figuring out how to use the web to do so, you couldn't possibly print all that we've come up with there, not to mention the course stuff (which isn't the big draw to me).

Of course, I'm biased.
http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

I asked President Obama about that and he said, no, in fact, it's MADE to put little pictures of Hello Kitty on the side and that it wasn't a defect.
http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

I appreciate the feedback, John. It's most definitely a pitch. : ) For every 10 or 12 posts I do that are hopefully useful to you and your aspirations, I make a pitch for something I'm doing that might be of further use to a subset of people who come here. It's like buying a magazine with only 2 ads in the whole thing.

But some days, even that can be too much.

NPR, baby. NPR.
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Ummm… What do you do with the businesses who can't afford $22k per day?

I charge $200/hour but would happily raise my daily rate to $5k, if it would make you feel comfortable about passing those other inquiries off to your new “apprentice.”

That's only a partial joke. I assume you have staff/team members/other folks to pass these type of not-quite-clients too..yes?

In my experience a lot of business owners still need the basics explained, so they could get most of what I give them at far less cost elsewhere.

They are paying me for the xtra 20% or so of creative insight that is really unique. If they can't afford me I send them to someone who can at least help them through the basics at a $ amount they can afford.

Do you do this? (The blog, books, and Tribe are great but a lot of folks just need/want the hand-holding.)
http://johnmclachlan.ca/ John McLachlan

Thanks Chris. I love that you said it's definitely a pitch. :-)

I really do appreciate your blog and I think what you wrote in Trust Agents with Julien is the best thing out there on all this. Thanks for being human.
EllenMalloy

Want to join Third Tribe. Am stuck in Paypal frustration loop.
Gary

Great discussion everyone – I wanted to add to the 80/20 principle with some new info I was recently told of and I do not have the reference info to the study. It was of 5000 businesses
20% attributed to 220 % of revenue
80% you guessed it -<120%>
ready2spark

Thanks, Chris. I appreciate your comments. It's the age old: You can't be all things to all people. I get this. I may just not be a Third Tribe kind of gal. But I do think clear expectations upfront will help with membership happiness. Thanks again & best wishes.
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http://avenuedesignstudios.com/ John Carman

Life's a pitch.
http://johnmclachlan.ca/ John McLachlan

Yes, I sometimes, in my ego-driven modes agree that even life is a pitch, but in more reflective modes, to me, life is a gift and the change that this makes to how I approach anything whether it be work, home life, play, you name it, is very different depending on which mode I'm in.

My point is that it's as if we are all supposed to be pitching all the time in our money-driven world. I'm being an idealist, I know. :-)

Chris addressed my comment really well and I have nothing against pitches most of the time and the way Chris explained it—that he came out and said it was a pitch—is totally cool with me now. I was just having a stressed out moment, I guess.
http://thoughtbythought.net/ Tresha Thorsen

read this blog every day like me. you'll not only keep your idealism, you'll up it's ante in your own expectations of yourself. i loved your comments John and methinks your reflective mode is just as valuable if not moreso than the ego driven one. You're wise. You're not buying the fake stuff. Nothing here is fake. and I”m new to this game. Completely. Grateful for another idealist in the mix. :)
http://www.bortokali.com/ bortokali

Chris, good for you. If you find clients that pays you $22,000/day, then do it. This means that every second of your day is worth $3.92!! I love that. But I don't understand why some people freaked out when you announced your rate?!! I mean, look at the rate of soccer players, football players,etc..

I really am happy for you & for every one who works very hard & live his dream.
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http://www.fourthwaveinstitute.com/ Dennis Charles

I'm a Third Tribe member. One of the reasons I'm on there is that one day I want my business to be significant enough spend $22,000 for a day of consulting. Good for you, Chris.
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annawoods04

The Third Tribe is really awesome in concept and elegant in execution. Once you step in and see the conversations and topics that are forming you are going to see that you are grossly underpaying for what’s being provided.If you really don’t see or get any value from being part of The Third Tribe after 30 days they will “cheerfully send your initial fee back to you.”

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Thanks, Chris. I appreciate your comments. It's the age old: You can't be all things to all people. I get this. I may just not be a Third Tribe kind of gal. But I do think clear expectations upfront will help with membership happiness. Thanks again & best wishes.
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Third tribal marketing promoted as reciprocity – the action of the man you're more likely to buy from someone you know than someone you do.
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The Third Tribe is really awesome in concept and elegant in execution. Once you step in and see the conversations and topics that are forming you are going to see that you are grossly underpaying for what’s being provided.If you really don’t see or get any value from being part of The Third Tribe after 30 days they will “cheerfully send your initial fee back to you.”

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Yes, I sometimes, in my ego-driven modes agree that even life is a pitch, but in more reflective modes, to me, life is a gift and the change that this makes to how I approach anything whether it be work, home life, play, you name it, is very different depending on which mode I’m in.
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Yes, I sometimes, in my ego-driven modes agree that even life is a pitch, but in more reflective modes, to me, life is a gift and the change that this makes to how I approach anything whether it be work, home life, play, you name it, is very different depending on which mode I’m in.
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Chris, you have a powerful and persuasive manner that never fails to ignite your audience. I had no motivation whatsoever to join the Tribe and on the basis of your sound mind I have finger poised over the big, bright, shiny green button!
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Chris, you have a powerful and persuasive manner that never fails to ignite your audience. I had no motivation whatsoever to join the Tribe and on the basis of your sound mind I have finger poised over the big, bright, shiny green button!

Anonymous

your offer on third tribe ,but i don’t know wher is my offer..?? :(
Anonymous

it’s really nice post and good sites thank you for sharing…..
http://www.facebook.com/people/David-Hodge/100000412623876 David Hodge

You should run for president you could out talk Obama

great posts Chris

My Offer on Third Tribe

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