Where are you on your journey to getting your Toll Position

Originally Posted by Bob Blagg

Hi Bill,

The one barrier in my way is a good way to get my products to the end consumer.

As Gordon has said, I can't use direct mail because of the inexpensive nature of my current products.

So I need to get my products into retailers and that has not been easy.

I have been trying to lineup sales reps, but I have not had much luck in getting the quantity of them I need, because most reps don't really want to pioneer new products from an unknown company especially where the products don't have a high commission profit.

Take my CORDGRIP, if I could find someone who was already selling through reps, that call on wholesale distributors who service the trades (heating, electrical, plumbing etc) I feel I would be pretty much all set.

Or at least I would have a shot at getting my product(s) looked at by the people in charge of making the buying decisions.

Here's are some interesting articles that may give you some ideas:
http://www.entrepreneur.com/magazine...une/70988.html

http://smallbusiness.aol.com/start/s...13184109990005

http://sbinfocanada.about.com/od/mar...gboxretail.htm

http://www.lulu.com/content/437697

Getting your product in stores today is not as easy as it was say in the 60s and 70s.

There were more independently owned stores back then. So you could go into almost any store and talk to the owner.

Today with the large chains owning most of the market, you need to present you idea to a buyer at the main office of each chain.

I know that sounds easy, just fly to Wal-Mart's office and present your product but that won't happen.

You need to find someone such as a rep agency that already has a relationship with the buyer for department that your particular item fits into.

I know someone will say that is not totally true. I agree if you have the next greatest item such as a chemical that will turn lead into gold, they will roll out the red carpet.

I know that is an exaggeration, but I hope you get the idea.

I think wal-mart DOES have special dates where they DO throw open the doors and take new product pitches. I know QVC does (too?). Maybe others too. I would seem they must strike a balance between being a fortress + fielding incoming products. It's either grow or die -- even for the big guys, no?

[Ankesh]

Here is an idea for you Bob... from the files of Joe Cossman: reposition your product as the bonus.

Don't pitch the companies to showcase your product from their stores.

Pitch the companies to buy your product and give it away. With their ads on it.

Make cents per unit. But do volume deals.

Oh - and you should rename your products too. Hand-LR and CordGrip doesn't let me know what it is. You can do much better with naming and packaging. Fish Hook Remover - Ball Organizer - now those are good names for low cost products.

TW:

I don't know if Wal-Mart has open hours but people can submit a product to QVC via e-mail.

I have submitted two of my products, the CORDGRIP and the Ball Tender.

But it will take 6 weeks to hear anything.

Ankesh:

I agree with you on the giveaway idea.

I am a student of E Joseph Cossman. I own everything he has ever produced including his course in a briefcase which I bought only about 6 months ago even though it has been off the market for years.

I have learned so much from Mr. Cossman, I which he were still with us so I could thank him.

Even though I am by no means a master, just a guy trying to finally make it after years of struggle and hard work,if anyone needs any help or advice I am willing to talk to people who are REALLY trying to get their own Toll Positions going.

Hey Bob....back in the early 70's I lived in Chgo and was a member of an "Inventor's Forum". We met once a month. There were about 50 members.

I started to go thru the process of getting a patent on 2 products I created. After attending a few meetings with people who were starting the process (like me) and others who had actually gotten patents and were trying to get them sold....and after listening to their experiences on how the "Big Boys" had ripped them off....I decided to just go ahead and see if I could "Sell the things".

One was a plastic baby bib (I named it "The Pelican Bib") I had a mold made and produced 5,000 units and proceeded to "work my buns off" trying to get "Baby" stores to carry them.

I sold a few hundred to small independents and couldn't get any of the "Big Buyers) to carry them

Boy! The "Buyers" for the biggies were somethin' else. Talk about "nasty" and "Underhanded" and "greedy" and "Rude"....these guys took the cake.

I'm sure they are the same today.

Ron Popeil (His first product was the Pocket-Fisherman) had a way of marketing that got results;

He made up a 30 & 60sec commercial for the product....showed the buyer at the Chain, the commercial and if they bought X units, he'd put their name at the TAG. I knew the buyer at Walgreen Drugs and he told me how Popeil was getting IN the stores.

Popeil came up with a bunch of products he marketed this way. I met Ron in Aspen and he showed me his magnificent home....which he lost a couple of years later in a bankruptcy (The one thing I've noticed about many successful Marketing people...they have a bankruptcy in their background)

Ron is now back doing InfoMercials for various products and probably has his millions back.

So....the "Product" game is one of the roughest areas you can get into. Only a few make it. The majority get chewed up and spit out.

Referring to Joe Cossman; I had the GREAT experience of meeting him at 2 of the seminars he did in Chgo in the early 70's.

After the seminar...he asked that anyone who had a product they'd like "evaluated", could go into a side room where he'd offer his suggestions as to HOW to market it.

It was AWESOME! Here was a room with about 50 people who all had some kind of product....either the actual product or photos of it.

Joe would go to each one...have the creator tell him about it....Joe would ask a few questions and say what HE thought of it and how HE would market it.

The way Joe got some of his products launched and known was to convince the "Mail Order Catalog" companies (there were 3 or 4 in those days. Vivian somebody, was one)...to include his product/s. Then, when the results were in and Joe could show actual Sales Facts...he could then get his products into the Big Retailers.

The ANT-FARM and SHRUNKEN HEAD and the SPUD GUN were some of his best.

I had a Terrific expeience in those days.

Don Alm

Bob,

My wife gets piles of mailorder catalogs that are full of gadgets like you are offering. Maybe you could get your stuff into some of them.

Here's a few of them:

QCI Direct
Picket Fence Operations Center
P.O. Box 20403
Rochester, NY 14602-0403
www.ShopPicketFence.com

The Home Marketplace
1 Marketplace Lane
Oshkosh, WI 54903-3670
www.thehomemarketplace.com

Miles Kimball
250 City Center
Oshkosh, WI 54906
mileskimball.com

Heartland America
8085 Century Boulevard
Chaska, MN 55318
www.heartlandamerica.com

Nature's Touch
2521 Busse Road
P.O. Box 7985
Elk Grove, IL 60009-7985
www.NaturesTouchCatalog.com

Bud

How about sending them to magazines to be reviewed in their "what's new" or "new gadgets" or "best bets" sections?

-- TW

Just to let everyone know, I am selling all my products on Amazon.com.

I thought by doing this, if people buy them, then I can show the reps, as well as the retailers that people are willing to vote for my products with their money. Wish me luck.

Adman: I am sorry your items didn't make it to the big time. I have heard that the buyers for the chains can be brutal, but that is probably because everyone in the world wants their product in all the big stores.

That is why with my CORDGRIP, I wish there was someone who was already selling to wholesale distributors for the trades, such as heating and a/c, electrical, plumbing, etc and they would be willing to use their contacts to get me in the door.

I would be willing to give up most if not all of the profit for this product as long as I was the one the wholesale distributors and the reps who call on them got to know, so next time I had a product they would view me as someone they wanted to do business with.

I love your stories about meeting Ron Popeil and E. Joseph Cossman. I am actually very jealous.

The critiques that Mr. Cossman did for people who attended his seminars was great.

It goes to show that there were people who really made it and weren't afraid to give back to the little guy.

It is a shame they don't seem to be around any more.

I do realize that everyone had to pay to get in his seminar, but he could have been like most people who put on seminars. They do their speech from the front and then push you to buy their books in the back of the room, while they slip out the back door so they don't have to be bothered by us little people.

Did I tell you how jealous I am of your experience.

Bozo and TW:

Great ideas from both of you.

If you, our anyone else ever needs my help in any way just let me know.

If I ever make it, I promise that I will help others who are REALLY trying to get their foot in the door.

I hope someday all of you can hold me to that.

Bob,

Looking at the Hand-LR you might need to approach marketing it at a different angle.

Your target audience is going to be regions where people do more walking than driving. For example: In New York City it's not uncommon for people to walk to the corner store. In Los Angeles people drive to the corner store.

In low income areas people walk to the store, laundry mat, etc... In higher income brackets people don't walk they drive.

If someone drove to the store, then all they have to do is push the cart out to their vehicle. If someone walked to the store, then they would have to carry the bags back home.

I also think changing the name will give it a better hook. When I first looked at it, the first thing that came to my mind is, "That's an easy way to tote bags". So why not relabel it to, "EZ-Tote" or "Tote-Easy"

Instead of grocery stores or Walmart I would approach hardware stores. It's a tool that makes toting easy. Men will see this as a quick way to grab up multiple bags to see how strong it is or try it on other applications to see how much weight it can lift. Women on the other hand don't really want to act like a strong man and carry a bundle of bags.

Also you need to specify weight load. Instead of "Holds multiple bags", it should state at your website, "Holds up to 10 lbs or up to 25 lbs or up to etc..." If this device can hold up to "X" amount of pounds, then the buyer can visualize that and will be more convinced that your product will make it easy to tote different items. That's the sizzle, carrying items is not.

The other area I would consider is exclusivity. Think Vera Bradley exclusivity. Instead of trying to get it in big stores, think smaller stores where this product would only be offered to prequalified locations with protected territories.

The final item to mention is that your product is in direct competition with Totasak. Same product, same looking website, but a huge price difference. You offer 2 @ $9.99. They state "Retails for about $1.00!"

In today's marketplace, people will look at your product and see if they can get the same product cheaper and as I did, will do a search on the Internet. In this instance I was able to find your competitor's product in less than 5 minutes using your product's name Hand-LR.

That is why I am suggesting using the exclusivity strategy rather than trying to get your product into the bigger stores at first. Build a ground swell if you can.