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Pond Pulse |
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Volume 2, Issue 2, February, 2008 |
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In This Issue Message From The President Special Days Meaningful Messages InfoTanza™ 2008 IPPCA Participation Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? How To Dance in The Rain Are You Using All Your Tools? Do You Know Your Fish History of Valentine’s Day Ponditat For Humanity 2008 New Membership Dues Members of The Month
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Calendar of Events February 12, 2008 Whiz-Q Stone February 15-17, 2008 7th annual KOI HEALTH MAINTENANCE COURSE University of Georgia Botanical Gardens Athens GA. http://www.koihealthseminar.com Proline Seminar by Danner Mfg. March 6, 2008, Inner Grove Heights, Minnesota March 10, 2008, Torrance, California June 26,-29, 2008 Koi Nations Breeders Class Las Vegas, Nevada October 2, 3 & 4, 2008 InfoTanza™ 2008 |
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Message From The President
Consumerism, the act of consuming STUFF! Hallelujah! We all love to buy stuff! Good stuff or bad stuff, we get sucked into the marketing machine. Some go happily others go kicking and screaming, there are others that have been sold something they didn’t even know they wanted. In the past forty something years that I’ve been involved with mass communications, an interesting event has occurred, the “Name It and Claim It” mind set. Somewhere in the din of history, salesmanship stumbled upon the catch phrase of “buyer remorse.” At that point, ethics of salesmanship went out the window. Once salesmen absolved themselves from selling an individual something he didn’t need or couldn’t afford, then it became a numbers game. In the late sixties I read a marketing book entitled, “And from those friendly folks who brought you Pearl Harbor .” There was a marketing campaign built around fds, the feminine hygiene product. A company had developed a need that had not existed, to market a product that had not existed, based on the fear of being socially unacceptable. This company reaped huge financial rewards, because they “named it and claimed it”. About ten years, later a movie called NETWORK made the big screen.( If you rent it today you can tell it’s dated but the message is very important thirty years later.) The story line is simple, a newscaster flips out and threatens to kill himself on the air in two weeks. Ratings go through the roof. He tells the viewers if you don’t like what is happening to the media then go open your windows, stick your heads out and yell at the top of your lungs, “I’m Mad as Hell and I’m Not going to take it any more”. Are you mad as hell? Are you going to take it any more? This then becomes a collision of the unstoppable forces meeting the immovable objects….Ethics vs. bottom line plus fear factor. As a professional in the pond business, I have heard time and again about this way to do it is a bad way, No! No! This way is the best, No! No! This way is best, now, I am MAD as Hell and I am not going to take it any more! When do we say, “What I have works, I don’t “need a such and such!? When this doesn’t work then I will look at options. When is it ok to accept the status quo?” When are we comfortable with not accepting the latest version of such and such? One of the best IPPCA forum posts I have ever seen, comes from my friend, Tom (aka luvmaponds) sums it up this way;
I knew my pond was a success when people dropped by and said “It’s gorgeous! It looks like it was here long before the houses were built!”
I knew my pond was a success when the new neighbors three doors down said they like to sit outside at night and listen to the waterfalls because it’s so soothing and relaxing!
I knew my pond was a success when the neighbors brought over their little kids and they kept running around the ponds and waterfalls and pointing at the fish saying, “Wow! Look at that one! And that one over there! Look how big they are!!”
I knew my pond was a success when my next door neighbors complained that my bushes on one side were to tall and blocking the view of the pond from their back porch! I knew my pond was a success when the commercial mowers mowing the neighbors’ lawns stopped work and asked if they could come over and see the pond!
I knew my pond was a success when the chemistry measures dead-on where it needs to be (zero ammonia, zero nitrates, zero nitrites ) every time.
I knew my pond was a success when the ONLY fish I lose is to predators, not disease!
I knew my pond was a success when the fish look healthy and happy and there is no jumping or shimming or scraping. And they’re growing and having babies!
I would like to add this:
I knew my koi pond was a success when others could marvel at the colors of my fish in uncluttered surroundings.
I knew my koi pond was a success when the chemistry measures dead on where it needs to be.
I know my koi pond is a success because it has the depth that is suitable for this application.
I know my koi pond was a success because it has the best filtration for this application.
In this high tech age of marketing and stuff, we have more new and improved stuff than most of us would use in two life times. Usefulness has given way to “NEW”. And ethics has given way to bottom lines. The, I have this new product and if I can point out why you should have it and the disasters that will happen if you don’t have it salesmanship.. This is the, create a need and motivate it with fear sales method. Ethics says, this is a product that you don’t need or a product that could work for you, can you afford it? If not now, keep it in mind and if the difficulty you’re having continues you will need to look at different options this maybe one of them. I know the Top Guns of IPPCA, and to a man they will sell you what you need and tell you what you don’t need. If you still have a need to invest in the trendy, and want to help the economy, most would be duty bound to help your cause in a professional manner.
Rocke; Huntington President IPPCA |
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Special Days In March March Birthday’s March Anniversary’s
Suxan Huntington (4th) Gil & Donna Belcher (26th) Brinan Winters (18th) Gil Belcher (28th)
Do we have your birthday and/or anniversary?
Send in your dates to info@ippca.com and we will add you to the calendar. |
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Contractor Of The Month Big Cove, Alabama
I became involved in the water garden industry in 1997 when I started my first installation company, Waterscapes Unlimited, Inc. I was head of the design and installation division until the fall of 2003 when I resigned to head to a warmer climate. Upon arriving in Huntsville Alabama I, along with my wife, started Living Art Water Gardens, Inc. I have installed approximately 300 water features since 1997, ranging all aspects of the design spectrum; informal, formal, naturalized, koi ponds, retention ponds, and hybrid swimming features. I have installed for both residential and commercial projects utilizing products from most major industry manufacturers.
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Associate Member of The Month Irvine, California
Publisher of Water Garden Industry's News magazine.
Free to the trade
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Cut out coupon for special drawing at InfoTanza™ For special drawing. Must be present to WIN! |
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CPPC 10/14/2005 |
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Ponditat For Humanity 2008
What is Ponditat For Humanity? IPPCA Top Gun contractors, along with volunteers, will rebuild a failed or failing pond with equipment donated by our sponsors. For past projects please visit http://www.ponditatforhumanity.com
The IPPCA is now taking applications for this year’s Ponditat For Humanity project. Applicants must meet the following requirements:
Existing Pond Should have been professionally installed Should be 5 years old or less Should have installation errors &/or is failing
The IPPCA Board of Directors will have the final decision as to the recipient of the Ponditat For Humanity project. All pictures and information will become the property of the IPPCA upon submission. All decisions will be final.
Deadline date for submission March 1, 2008
Submit information to info@ippca.com
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ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 5TH GRADER?
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KOI NATIONS BREEDERS CLASS Palace Station Hotel and Casino Las Vegas, NV
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