Recently, I’ve heard a few regular readers at COLE Publishing websites complain about the lack of participation in the online discussion forums. You can click on the “In the Forum’’ tab right above this blog or the “Interact’’ tab at the top of the page to see what they mean.
Here are a few examples: A PRO reader this summer posted a question about the value of adding a sales rep to his company. The post has 514 views right now, but no replies to his question. Another recent post was viewed almost 1,500 times, but only 10 people joined the discussion.
The folks who read these posts with interest, but never share their own tips or opinions are referred to as “lurkers’’ in the online world. They like to eavesdrop on conversations, but they never contribute to make the discussion more valuable. There’s nothing wrong with “lurking” (We should come up with a less-sinister term for quiet visitors), but I wonder about them. Are they worried about giving away trade secrets? Are they just not interested in helping out other contractors? Do they think their opinions are not worthy of a post?
Every year at the Pumper & Cleaner Expo, guys and gals freely share information with one another, and many contractors tell me they come away from the event with great ideas to build their business. That spirit of camaraderie is part of what makes this industry special, and it should continue right here at the forums.
So I’ll do my part. If you swing over to the forum right now, you’ll see I started new discussions in four topic areas: General Discussion, Business, Parts & Accessories, and Portable Restrooms. I encourage you to weigh in on the questions.
