RE: 100% Pre-Sold
From: Buzz Burrell (72253.2101compuserve.com)
Date: Mon, 8 May 95 23:42 CDT
I certainly can't answere why some projects fill before others, but I do have
one thought as to why some do and some don't.

It's unlikely to be because of marketing;  I suspect it's because the project is
simply not appealing.  It's not a good deal to enter into.

I'm concerned that emphasis is put on recruitment of members, marketing, and so
forth, and not on ways of making it affordable, beautiful, freedom, nice people,
and a reasonable process.  The context for this comment is that of all my
friends, probably 90% of them are at least somewhat familar with coho.
Community is a very popular concept today, at least in my peer group.  Probably
80% of them would like to do something like this.  Yet probably 2% of them are
doing it.  It has nothing to do with marketing;  it's just the projects they
have seen or heard about do not appeal to them.  

By far the most common reason I hear for not joining something is "Too much
time".  Then it would be "Too many meetings", followed by a variation of not
wanting to live in an identical house to one's neighbor, and feelings of
restriction.  Then they might point out that although one can spend oodles of
time, co-own all sorts of things, and be the financial risk-taker in the
development, the end result is that coho is not cheaper than just walking into a
real estate office, buying a detached house, and moving in 30 days later.  This
last observation, if true in a given situation, bears consideration.

This is a totally subjective survey, so the only valid point I am trying to
make, is that creating a moderate process and nice project might help more than
efforts to market the norm.  This isn't to say people haven't been trying to do
this, but I suspect there's still more room for creativity and new solutions
than is being promoted. 

Regarding Mac's request to <<...hear some stories of successful membership
recruitment...>>
At Geneva Community, we are not full, but are right where we want to be, without
having planned it.  It will be another year before I can report if what is
happenning with us constitutes successful or not-so-successful recruitment.

Buzz Burrell
Boulder

PS:  I thought that was a very thougtful and helpful "What Creates Community"
response.


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