[pvantienen]

If BlackBerry does read these posts, then listen up. You are in trouble, we all know that. Why not use these social vehicles to sell your new OS10 devices. We are an extremely passionate group. Why not find a way to compensate those who are out every day proudly showing off your devices and selling them for you?

I always talk about my Z10 and have turned a few people to the platform.

Be creative, let us sell for you, find a way to motivate and compensate us. It doesn't necessarily need to be money, but find something and you will have one heck of a sales force.

Let's discuss as a group and maybe we make a pitch to them.

Thoughts?


Posted via CB10

[SK122387]

I've gotten my mom and two friends to get BlackBerry 10 devices (another got a Z10, but not because of me), but I don't think this would be a good idea.

BlackBerry has never been one to "give back" to their users (though it was cool that they gave us all those OS7 premium app downloads due to the BIS outage a couple years ago). A social sell program (which I've never heard of until now), would indicate that BlackBerry understands that it must do whatever it can to sell devices.

I sometimes question whether or not some people at BlackBerry really understand how dire things are. Sure, they say they do, but then they turn around and price their devices on their website like they don't understand at all. And then they go and let Verizon have an exclusive on the Z30.

It's almost as if someone at BlackBerry raised their hand and said, "I have some ideas. We have warehouses full of unsold Q10 and Z10 inventory. Why don't we sell them through Shop BlackBerry for way more than most consumers are willing to pay? Oh and another idea: Pretty much all the tech blogs are calling the Z30 our BEST BlackBerry yet. The United States is where we are doing the worst... why don't we take our best BlackBerry yet, and make it available on only one carrier? That way, fewer people will be able to buy our best product ever in the market where we need any sign of success the most." And everyone around them at the boardroom table was like, "Yes! Great ideas! We're all in! #KeepMoving!!"

BlackBerry should have had some "grand opening" pricing for their online store (again, this was a quiet little launch of their online store, much like the launch of the Z30) for a couple weeks, then raised the price on the Z10 and Q10 in their online store, and they should launch the Z30 on their website as well. This would suggest that they understand that they need to move units, ESPECIALLY of the Z10 and Q10.

What could BlackBerry give people to sell their phones? What would it be, just a referral program, where my friend notes me and my BBID, and I get free paid apps or something? Nothing is free. BlackBerry would have to pay the developers for the paid apps to give to us for free. So then what happens when the latest game comes out tomorrow, BlackBerry 10 doesn't get it, and my friend returns their phone to get an iPhone? BlackBerry would have compensated me for nothing.

Over the course of the years, I've gotten MANY people to get a BlackBerry, or upgrade their current one to a new one. I cannot even count how many. I would personally benefit from a "social sell," but it would never work, and I don't know if you're being serious about making the pitch to BlackBerry......they literally have private equity firms worth billions of dollars currently making pitches or working on pitches to buy all or part of their business. A pitch, or any CrackBerry chatter or idea is probably not very high on BlackBerry's to-do list right now, as we close in on November 4th.

My hope is that whoever buys them (right now I'm hoping Cerberus with Qualcomm and Mike L. and Doug F.) funds real marketing efforts, and that sometime in a few months, we can look back and laugh at this thread, like, "haha remember when we thought we should be compensated to sell BlackBerrys for a company worth billions of dollars?"