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THE
ONLINE INVENTOR –
(c)
2008 Market Launchers, Inc.
http://www.marketlaunchers.com
Editor:
Paul Niemann
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Dear Inventor –
Welcome
to another issue of our humble little newsletter. Today’s story picks up where
the last issue left off: What to say
when you get past the voice mail and have a live human person on the other end
– a potential licensee who can help you realize your dream of getting your
product onto the market.
In other news, I’ve always
been a fan of “How To” books for 2 main reasons. First, they help you
increase your odds of succeeding. Second, they save you time and money. Rather
than trying to re-invent the wheel yourself, a good “How To” book can show
you step-by-step how to get from Point A to point B – and avoid some of the
expensive mistakes that you might otherwise make. We welcome our newest sponsor,
Dr. Nissan Shukrie, who is the author of “From
Brainstorming to the Bank: A Practical Guide to Inventions and Patents.”
His book is a step-by-step guide that will help you bring your product to
market. Be sure to read his information below.
Also,
the International Housewares
Trade Show is coming soon,
Now,
on with this week’s issue …
Best
Regards,
Paul Niemann
Paul Niemann
http://www.MarketLaunchers.com
800-337-5758
217-224-8194
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CLEVER QUOTE:
“Make good habits and they will
make you”…
Parks Cousins
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Article
# 1: “What to say when you call a potential licensee on the phone”
by Paul Niemann of MarketLaunchers.com
In our last issue, we
discussed how to use voice mail to your advantage. Now we look at what to do
when you get a hot prospect on the phone – someone who is capable of making
the decision to license or acquire your product.
There are 2 ways to do this:
The old way and the new way. Of course, it’s always better to make your
presentation in person, but that is not always feasible for those of us who
proudly live-in “flyover country.”
First,
here’s the old way:
“Hi, Joe. This is Paul
Niemann, and the reason I’m calling you is because I’m the one who developed
the WidgetMaster 6000, and I wanted to explain how it can increase sales of your
Housewares product line.”
“Is this a good time to
talk for a minute, or was I interrupting something important?”
“Good, I’ll keep it
brief. Just to give you an idea of what the product is and how it will increase
sales for your company, the WidgetMaster 6000 cleans windows better than the
other products on the market. It also costs less than other products to
manufacture, and it doesn’t compete with your existing products. Instead, it
enables you to compete against ABC Company and XYZ Company (their competitors)
for market share. Best of all, market research has shown that 90% of the people
will buy it at the suggested retail price of $19.95, which provides you with a
healthy profit margin. Oh, one other thing … I’m currently in development of
2 accessory products that go with the WidgetMaster 6000, so it will provide you
with additional sales for at least the next 5 or 6 years.
“Since I live in
Remember, your job is to
explain it to him, not make a sale over the phone. No one is ever going to say
“Yes” until he sees it. Your main objective is to convince him to take a
look at it so he can then consider it for his product line.
And you’re not asking him
to spend more money, but rather to spend less money to add a product to his line
that is going to make his company a lot of money for the next several years.
Companies are interested in products that do 1 of 2 things: Either increases
their revenues, or decreases their expenses.
The new way to pitch
companies over the phone is … (after the break)
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ADVERTISEMENT
# 1:
I’ve always been a fan of
“How To” books for 2 main reasons. First, they help you increase your odds
of succeeding. Second, they save you time and money. Rather than trying to
re-invent the wheel yourself, a good “How To” book can show you step-by-step
how to get from Point A to point B.
I’d like to introduce you
to our newest sponsor of THE ONLINE INVENTOR, Dr. Nissan Shukrie, who is the
author of “From
Brainstorming to the Bank: A Practical Guide to Inventions and Patents,”
and the inventor of the Umbrella
Draining System, which has sold thousands of units on TV, Walgreens and
Wal-Mart. In his book, Dr. Shukrie shares his experiences and how he gets to
these markets. In addition, the book provides names of sources and contacts, making
it easy for every inventor to bring his / her product to life.
Nissan’s book gives you a
step-by-step guide to bringing your product to market. For example, it shows you
how to do the research, the patenting, prototyping, getting funding and doing
your own marketing. It even helps you decide which way to is best for you to
bring it to market – licensing or manufacturing it yourself.
Please check out his e-book
at http://www.drnissan.com – you’ll
be glad you did. Since it is an e-book, you can purchase and download it and
start benefiting from it within seconds.
In addition to his book, Dr. Nissan Shukrie also provides consulting services, including: Leading the invention process at all steps, i.e. concept design, product engineering analysis, review of patent filling applications, creating budgets and presentations to investors, manufacturers, marketing, licensing and monitoring the product development process. Visit http://www.drnissan.com for more information or e-mail him at [email protected]
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Now,
the new way to explain your product when you call a company:
The new way to pitch
companies over the phone is to direct them to your web site. There are 2
advantages to this, as compared to mailing information to them (the old way).
First, they can see it as you talk to them. It’s immediate; it’s in the here
and now.
Second, it only takes one
phone call; it can take as long to reach the person by phone the second time
(when you make the follow up call) as it did the first time. Quit playing phone
tag. It’s a waste of time. Showing him your web site when you call him will
enable you to avoid wasting your time, and will also reduce your frustration
level.
After you’ve explained
your product, as mentioned above, instead of telling him that you will mail the
information and a sample to him, you simply say …
“Let me show you what it
looks like. Are you at your computer, Joe? (If you’re speaking to him on the
phone, then he is definitely at his computer because the computer is always next
to the phone on his desk, so he will say “Yes” every time.)
“Here’s the web site: www.WidgetMaster6000.com.
Let me know when it pops up on your screen and I will walk you through it. It
only takes a couple minutes.
Then you proceed to explain
it to him, answer any questions he may have, and go from there (if you have a
video on your web site that demonstrates your product, then that’s even
better). It doesn’t have to be a complicated or stressful experience –
you’ve put him in a position to make a decision, or he can let you know if he
has to show it to other people in his company.
One other thing: If you’re
not willing to contact companies by phone, there is another way to do it …
(after the break)
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ADVERTISEMENT
# 2:
The International Housewares
Trade Show is coming soon, March 16-18, 2008
Please contact Ron Docie, Docie Invention Services, Toll free, 888 801 5200
or [email protected] if your Invention is in
any of the following Trade Show
Product Categories:
Clean + contain expo:
bath + shower accessories; cleaning products + supplies; closet + clothes care;
furniture; general merchandise; hardware supplies; home improvement + diy; home
organization; impulse products; home organization; outdoor living; pet supplies;
and seasonal products.
Dine + design expo:
cook + bakeware; tea kettles + brewers; tabletop, kitchen essentials +
accents; kitchen accessories; cutlery + accessories; food storage; kitchen tools
+ gadgets; spice racks + accessories; textiles; and thermometers.
Home décor:
candles; decorative accents; giftware; lighting accessories; picture /
frames; tabletop
bar accessories; china, crystal + silver; dinnerware; flatware; glassware (drinkware
/ serveware); and hollowware.
Goho, gourmet home + food district:
cookbooks; gift registry; gourmet foods; gourmet products; Goho Cooking
Theater
and Chef's; industry service providers pavilion; and industry service providers
Wired + well expo:
electrics + home healthcare; energy conservation products; floor + carpet
care; home healthcare; household electrics; kitchen electrics; major appliances;
personal care (electric + non-electric); and purifiers + filters (air + water).
Inventor's corner
International pavilions
Promotion in motion: Retail promotions:
promotional products; traffic building programs; Direct Response TV
promotions; seasonal programs; price point promotions; custom products; and
consumer incentives.
Also note, the National Hardware Show and Lawn & Garden World is
Exhibitors include: Manufacturers of
home-related products including:
Hand and Power Tools,
Electrical and Plumbing,
Housewares,
Paint and Home Decor,
Lawn and Garden,
Outdoor Living
and
Global Sourcing.
For more info, please contact:
Ronald L. Docie, Sr.
President
Docie Invention Services*
(740) 594-5200
http://docie.com
*Includes Hopewell Cooperative Inc. dba
Docie Marketing and/or Docie Development LLC
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(rest of story) … If
you’re not willing to contact companies by phone, there is another way to do
it. Send each prospective licensee an e-mail with a short introduction of your
product and a link to your web site. I received an e-mail today from a woman who
has an innovative product that she thinks would be ideal for one of the
manufacturers that I product scout for. It had a link to her web site, and the
web site had a video that demonstrates her product perfectly. It made quite an
impression on me!
The important thing to
remember is that sometimes it’s a numbers game, so the more prospective
licensees you contact, the greater your chances of reaching a licensing
agreement. Either contact them in person, on the phone or by e-mail. And always
remember to follow up regardless of how you contact them.
#
# #
Paul
Niemann runs MarketLaunchers.com, building web pages for inventors. Having your
own web page allows you to show your invention to companies when you’re unable
to present it to them in person. It serves as your “online brochure.” Plus,
it can be seen by companies who search the internet for new products.
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