I haven't read the entire thread so maybe I'm missing something.
So you market and sell the service, or you did, and you outsource the fulfillment, correct? So the primary value that you added to the equation was training this staff and marketing the service, right?
So when someone orders, how much actual work is that to fulfill on your part? I ask because...
1. If it's as easy as going over the details of the order, forwarding them to your team and then forwarding the fulfillment to the customer, that's not much heavy lifting. You could automate all of that. So if that's the case how did you fall behind? That's a business you can run from your phone, no?
2. If it's more hands on than that on your end then you may leading on that the team is more valuable than they are.
3. Is there not an easier/better way out than this? Customers ordered, the team fulfills. Why weren't the orders fulfilled? Why did it come down to chargebacks/disputes? It only takes one hand to use a cellphone. Why not just explain the problems to your customers and team leader, and connect them while you're down and out?
Are you worried they'll cut you out? They should - you dropped the ball.
That doesn't mean it'll put you out of business. If your team could market/sell the service they would. They can't, so you were obviously adding value to the equation.
Asking to be paid to introduce people just comes across as desperate. You're in a desperate spot so that makes sense. But you've got scarcity mentality written all over this thread.
If I sold design services and someone asked me where to get a logo, I'd either say "my team can handle it for 'x'", or "normally I'd run it through the company, but my arm's broke, I'm way behind and I'm too busy, so talk to my guy 'X', tell him I sent you, he'll take care of you."
But since I don't sell design services, if asked who did my logo, and I responded "I'll tell you for $500" I'd expect to get laughed at while pissing off the potential customer and my logo guy.
Why not flip your whole business? You have a mediocre domain with a few drops of traffic and a team to fulfill everything. Packaged up as a business, showing $x,xxx revenue over the last 12 months you might be worth some decent money to the right buyer.
Why not strike a deal with your team? "Listen guys, I dropped the ball. Here's the plan, I need you to deliver like crazy on these orders and make these people happy. To make it up to you I'll give you my 100% of my profit on these and the next 20 after. I screwed up, I'm sorry, but this will fix it, this will get deals flowing back in again."
And honestly man, I don't know for sure - but I'd guess that the crux of this whole issue is a value perception problem. If the market is paying $2k for an infographic, why are you selling them for $97 a pop?
Why not cater exclusively to the $2k+ crowd? Who the hell told you that you have to compete on price? Just a quick glance at Google I see prices starting at $800. That doesn't include placement or anything.
And these are guys that can pay their hosting bill and run paid ads. No offense, but they seem to be doing great compared to you right now.
You need money? Why don't you do this...
1. Call your hosting company. Explain that you're having problems with your card or tell them your Paypal is screwed up for now. Ask them to turn it back on and promise to pay within 30-days. They'll do it. If they won't take a 30-day trial somewhere else.
2. Identify the $2k+ market. Make a list of 10-20 people who could use the service, and happily pay for it. Sweeten the offer, 2 for 1, free placement, whatever. Go out and research interesting data for them if you need to.
3. Get the hell off of this forum and don't do anything until you've closed a deal or two. You're out what, $200? Your going to risk the reputation of yourself and your company over a few hundred bucks by posting this shit here?
Seriously, if you're being honest you've got higher-end buyers on your customer list. Put together some awesome data for them. Make them an offer they can't refuse. Close a few grand in business, fix things (in private) with your clients/team and move the hell on with your life.
How many emails/calls could you have made to the top 10% of your buyers in the time you spent posting in this thread? You could have solved this shit by now and saved a lot of face.
Go do that. And then realize you never have to sell a $97 info-graphic again. If the market values it at $2k (or whatever) you'll give them what they want. If they don't, you'll either adapt or move on to something else.
The market values my Macbook Air at around $1,100 or so. You're not going to see me selling it anytime soon (never) for $97. Why not? Because it's worth fucking more than that.
Would you be in this spot right now if you eliminated every $97 customer and replaced them with ONE $997 customer for every 10 $97 buyers? Probably not, you'd have 1/10th the work, a lot more profit (outsourcing 1 project vs. 10) and a lot more time and money on your hands.
This is a problem that you can solve tonight. Most likely with contacts and resources that you already have. So GTFO the forum and go do it. If your market isn't here, go to where they are. There may be a market here at the $97 price point, but from where I'm sitting you're not helping anyone by trying to serve it.
I sell services too... But I've got maybe 2-3 clients who are members here. And that's just a coincidence, I didn't market to them here. Because my market's not here. If I was worried about competing with forum pricing for what I do I'd have shot myself years ago.
Go find your market, serve the fuck out of them, love them and get paid what you're worth. Make things right with your clients, whatever you have to do.
I have a gut feeling that says the core issue here is that you've been selling $1,100 Macbooks for $97. And that's a surefire recipe for anyone to stress-out and go broke.
You can't compete on price without sacrificing value somewhere, and the clients who pay the $2k, they're shopping for value, not price. This thread proves that you've been too fixated on price - and you've obviously cut value out of the equation as a result.
Focus on the value that the market is asking for. Find out what they're paying and charge accordingly so that you're capable of delivering. With physical products, it's easy to see why you can't sell $30k cars for $997. You go broke.
With services it can be harder to quantify. But when the average $20 net profit order turns into 20 hours of spending time on customer service, fulfillment, tying up loose ends, paying for hosting, etc etc it's the same concept. You will go broke giving shit away at prices you can't afford to give it away at. As a result, you'll be broke, your fulfillment team has no work and your customers get zero value in return.
I'm making this assumption because...
1. The market dictates that you should charge more.
2. You're broke.
In my experience people are more likely to dramatically underestimate the value of what they offer to the world than they are to be just shitty at business and life. So I'm assuming it's the former with you.
And if that's the case, get excited!This isn't a problem of being able to sell 10 packages on Wickedfire. It's a case of being able to sell 1 package to someone who'd gladly send a $2k wire tonight in exchange for the value you're offering them.
Go. Fix it. Forget about this thread. Make shit right. Thank your parents for the help, shoot Jon $200 for selling outside BST and move on to a better fucking life, a life where both arms work, where you're not whoring your designers contact info out for $500...
I started this post sober, that's not the case anymore. I think I've made my point. You have everything you need to fix this, go do it.
Edit: Fucking Jack Daniels. This reply was supposed to be 3 questions. Now it's a fucking book. Don't ;TLDR this shit on me OP. I wrote this to help you. I'm going to be pissed off if I wasted my time on your lame thread. I want to come back here a month from now, completely blacked out writing this post and hear that in some small way it helped you fix your shit. At the very least it justifies my 7pm Jack attack on Tuesday nights. Do it.
arty-smiley-004:In before galacon comes in here to shit on and neg rep you to make himself feel more like a man since he lost half his balls. 