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Using the PerformanceTalk message system, you’ll benefit as never before from the stimulating HVAC discussion, insights and creative solutions made possible when contractors pool their ideas and knowledge.
In order for PerformanceTalk to remain as helpful to its subscribing contractors as possible, both a structure and ground rules must be set forth and agreed upon by all parties involved. The PerformanceTalk guidelines and tips below will help ensure PerformanceTalk remains a viable and dynamic exchange for everyone involved. Remaining on PerformanceTalk's email discussion list indicates your acceptance of the following guidelines.
If you wish to be removed from the list, please call 800-633-7058.
If you would like to receive PerformanceTalk messages at a different address or would like to have others in your company added to the list, please click here. The request must be sent from the email account of the primary NCI Member.
Protect Yourself and Others with Anti-Virus Software
Maintaining your virus protection can prevent misery. Ask anyone who has ever become lax and gotten stung. Good virus protection is everyone’s business. Please keep your anti-virus software up-to-date.
Rules of Conduct:
Keep Your Communications Professional
PerformanceTalk is a discussion list for industry professionals. As such, all participants are expected to conduct themselves accordingly in words, topics and general attitude. The posing of problems should be to obtain solutions, not to emote. The discussion list is monitored to ensure all communications adhere to these guidelines. If you disagree with something you see posted and want to offer a differing view, be respectful. It is helpful to everyone when you are specific with your objections--even more so if you can offer a constructive alternative. These dialogues are often some of the very best.
Sharing Outside PerformanceTalk
We all have friends in the industry who would benefit from information discussed on PerformanceTalk. However, we discourage doing so because if widely done, the advantage of your NCI membership is diminished. Documents attached by members to PerformanceTalk messages are intended for members only unless permission is received from the NCI member sharing the document. This is minimal courtesy.
Add Value or Please Don’t Post.
Don’t forget that a great many people will see what you post. If contributing to a discussion, make sure that your input adds value, whether by providing pertinent information, posing alternative solutions or viewpoints, or offering a perspective gained from experience. Agreeing with what is being said or thanking someone does not add value. To reply to a sender individually, simply copy his email from the body of the message and email him off-list. Do not reply to a post unless you intend to email the entire discussion. As a general rule, be selective. Send only messages you would appreciate seeing if sent by someone else.
Provide Context in all Posts ... Keep Threads Identifiable
When replying to a post, it helps if your reply provides the context by including the relevant text from the previous post. AOL users must copy and past the previous post’s content into their message. Remove the previous content which is not directly relevant to your reply.
Following a discussion can become difficult when the subject line of a certain discussion or thought drifts. If you are replying to a discussion whose subject line has strayed, please change or modify it to help those who are following it by subject line to determine which messages are applicable.
Maintain an Industry Focus
PerformanceTalk is about contracting. Please limit it to that, not jokes, sports, religious or political debate. It’s okay to lighten things up a bit, but be aware that humor is easily misunderstood without the benefit of voice inflection, facial expression and body language.
Criticize with Caution (if you must)
If you must criticize individuals, groups, manufacturers, distributors, or the like, please stick to facts, make it informative and ensure it has value. PerformanceTalk discussion lists should not be used to attack or dump on others.
Give Credit where Credit is Due
Those who come up with great ideas, promotional copy, etc., deserve recognition for their ingenuity and effort. Always try to give credit to the proper person when passing along such information. Forwarding copyrighted material without permission puts our entire organization at risk. Please don’t do it. Ensure your own input is recognized by including your name, company, and location in your emails.
PerformanceTalk is Not Free Ad Space!
There is nothing wrong with suggesting specific products or services you’ve found helpful when someone asks for help with a particular problem. Likewise, if you’ve found a product you think is great, feel free to tell others, so long as you’re not promoting your own product or that of a good friend. Using the discussion list in such a manner undermines its integrity. If your product would fit someone’s need perfectly, contact them privately.
Please let us know if you are approached by a vendor and asked offered a discount or other incentive to talk up their product or to post copy they’ve written as your own. It is important to all involved that PerformanceTalk retains its integrity as a community exchange and not a promotional discussion list. That doesn’t mean you cannot participate, only that you should disclose your connection with any product or service being discussed. Doing so protects your credibility if and when your association is later discovered.
If you are a preferred vendor that is actively participating, you may put any product news or suggestions below your signature as long as your contribution is pertinent to the ongoing discussion. New product announcements are permissible. Beyond that, if you wish to promote your products or services, you can do so below your signature line.
Some Topics are Inappropriate
In general, don’t use PerformanceTalk to discuss anything you wouldn’t bring up at your local trade association meeting. This includes things such as specifics about what you charge your customers and the pricing you get from a manufacturer. Use common sense.
Review Your Post before Sending
Think before releasing a post. Look it over and check your spelling. If it's at all controversial, put it aside for a few hours and re-evaluate it or run it by someone else before sending. Clicking ‘send’ is easy to do and impossible to undo. Spelling and grammar checking never hurts either.
Managing Your PerformanceTalk Discussion List Mail
You can expect to get a fair amount of discussion list email. Properly managing these emails is essential to appreciating the discussion list and not having it overwhelm you.
First, don’t feel that you have to read every post. On days when you’re busy and don’t have time, it’s probably better to delete them unread rather than have them pile up.
Second, you can set up a folder in your email program specifically for PerformanceTalk and set it to have mail related to the discussion list automatically stored in this folder when it is received. This way, PerformanceTalk communications will not dominate your inbox. You know where to find these messages when you have the time.
Third, you can visit the PerformanceTalk Archive at any time to catch up on any past discussions. The PerformanceTalk Archive are only available to discussion list members.
Technical Assistance
If you need Technical Assistance, click here to send a message.
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