How to Market Your Product. (low price sale forum Spin/off)

Frank Niro said:
Dave, I want to point out that you say you want business and know tacticals are big but still don't want to go there. Follow the trend if you want business. I'm sure there are plenty of simply shaped straight knives that can be made in tactical style as well as folders. Maybe reconsider your direction? Frank
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I don't recall stating that I did not want to make tactical styled blades, hell I have made dozens of them. I have no problem making "tacticals", I just designed a new line of specifically tactical blades that I will be producing this year. I strive to not stick with any one style of blade as I feel it limits a customer base, and stunts my growth as a maker.

Alpha Knife Supply said:
I could not disagree with you more.

Your attitude has a HUGE bearing on how you present your knives. If you truly feel what you wrote in the quote, you need to change your thinking or your sales will continue to suffer.

If what you wrote is true, why are so many knifemakers closing their order books? Why do so many knifemakers have multi-year waiting lists?

The fact is segments of the public wait in line to spend more than $400 for a cell phone that will be obsolete in less than two years. Diesel pickup trucks cost more than $60,000 and dealers can't take delivery fast enough. If you explain why your knives are a good value, people will line up to buy them. The money is out there. All you have to do is open you arms and scoop it in.

Chuck
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I see what your are saying, but that has not been my overall experience with the "general" public when it comes to knives specifically. Most people carry no cutting tool of any kind, let alone a custom blade, nor collect knives of any kind. They spend their money on those phones, expensive cars, and Kurig machines.

I was speaking(generally) of people outside of the Blade Community which of course sounds stupid to me now, as those outside, are not who we are marketing(or attempting to) too.

My comment that you quoted, was not my opinion of my own blades, but more the general sentiment I have received from the common joe public, when it comes to knives custom or otherwise.
 
KISS.

Make knives that are comfortable to use and cut really well. Aesthetics - and demand - will follow. You can easily pretty-up a basic knife, but it's not very helpful to put lipstick on a pig. Phil Wilson comes to mind; most of his work is very simple and straightforward, but he has a great following and who-knows-how-long a backlog because he's known for putting a lot of time into excellent cutting performance, both with his grinds and his attention to steel selection and heat-treatment. Thanks to following the example of makers like him, I'm getting both new and repeat business based largely on developing a reputation for good keen grinds and comfortable handles.

On the other hand, look at most of the guys who are selling multi-thousand dollar customs as fast as they can make them... even stripped of all the exotic materials and inlays and engraving on their knives.... they still have great balance, comfortable handles, and blades that actually cut. :)

Frank Niro said:
Follow the trend if you want business. I'm sure there are plenty of simply shaped straight knives that can be made in tactical style as well as folders.
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Reaching out to other markets doesn't require debasing yourself or changing your entire style. A personal style is important. Think of B.B. King or Eric Clapton or Tony Iommi... are they the technically greatest guitarists of their era? No! But you can recognize their tone and feel within just a few notes. Likewise, you can spot a Nick Wheeler or TM Hunt knife from a mile away.

"Tactical" doesn't have to mean ugly, clunky, heavy and dull "mall ninja" stuff, with a ton of CNC work that looks cool to some but adds nothing to the performance. Any good solid fixed blade can be marketed as "tactical"... or "zombie" for that matter. Simply switching from pretty stabilized wood scales and a sweet hand-rubbed finish on a nice basic drop-point to textured black, green or brown G10 and stonewash on the very same pattern... boom, "tactical knife". Put some toxic green G10 on it, etch it dark or powdercoat it, blammo, "zombie knife".

Don't be a snob about steel either, unless you've already invested years becoming known for really understanding and dealing well with specific alloys (Don Hanson and W2, Bob Dozier and D2, Jerry Hossom and 3V, etc)... definitely don't fool around with reclaimed junk steel unless you want to back yourself into a corner and be known only for that. But don't turn your nose up at stainless if you're a forger, or plain carbon steels if you're a stock-removal guy.

Network. If you like kitchen knives, or survival/bushcraft knives, or whatever, make friends in the appropriate subforums and facebook groups. Those folks are comfortable there, and most of them don't spend a lot of time in the knifemakers section, looking for you. You have to reach out to them.

Don't neglect to spend a little time with people who see the industry from a much wider view, either... not just us guys who hang out in ShopTalk or the Maker's Gallery (knifemakers are by and large great people, but they don't buy a whole lot of custom knives ;) ). The knowledge and camaraderie here is great, but I can't tell you how much I've learned from spending a few afternoons on the phone with Chuck, Aldo, Ethan and Brad. These guys know what's selling, and why. If you don't know who those cats are, you're missing out on an incredible resource. They also all happen to be very cool people, and it's just plain fun to pick their brains.
 
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Dave Behrens said:
Most people carry no cutting tool of any kind, let alone a custom blade, nor collect knives of any kind.
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Unfortunately, all too true. My good friends all refuse to buy my knives simply because what cutting they need done (and they all carry pocket knives) can be accomplished with a $20 import from walmart. They are regular folks, with nice cars and iphones and laptops and flat-screen plasma televisions... I can talk to them all day about the wonders of pattern-welded s30v damascus unobtanium blades.... and they don't care one jot. To them it's the difference between $20 and $200, and that's it.

How do you reach those types of people? You have to create something more than just a knife. Nike, Levi, Coca-cola, they all spend millions a year researching how to create a universe that buyer's want to be a part of.

That all starts with a presence. There has to be something different about the face you show the public - something that grabs their attention - and that's usually the website. Is your website boring, cold and sterile - just another list of pictures and prices, like the last website. Or, is it juvenile - with dragons and ninjas, throwing stars and explosions everywhere?

Aside from trying to sell knives, offer coffee mugs, hats, hoodies and shirts with your logo and artwork on them. You might not sell many, but you also don't have to invest in all that equipment when there are companies that will print on demand when the customer orders.

Social media sites are critical to your growth, but so is a diversified product line. A low-end knife selection allows a cheapskate the chance to buy in without a lot of risk. Get a hundred blanks cut out by a water-jet company and throw a basic handle on them. Not artistic, maybe, but if they sell, you get a hundred new customers that can brag about your work.

A selection of pretty coffee mugs or shirts allows them to appease the wife while advertising your wares around town. "No, Honey, I didn't waste money on a custom knife! Are you crazy!?! I bought a t-shirt, which I needed btw, and the guy threw in this knife as a bonus!"

One of my favorite companies sells very high-end products and when you order something, they include all sorts of swag in the box. You get hats, stickers, shirts, patches, bottle openers and even a custom meat rub. You never know what you'll get, and you can't just order the stuff on their website. It's nice to order a product and get a surprise in the box, too. So, you've got a company that gets millions of dollars worth of free advertising, and customers that think they're part of a small "exclusive" group.
 
I bought a $3500 Angus bull last week and he came with a T- shirt. That ain't no bull shirt.
 
Seriously though I think knowing your niche market will help. If you are a hunter, develop a hunter and sell it to hunters. Advertise where hunters will see it, not here maybe, not in Blade but in Sporting Classics say or on a hunting forum. Same with tacticals, kitchen knives etc.
 
Great stuff from James and Vaughn. I haven't sold knives so I can't know a lot of what you guys do. I do see it from the perspective of buying, and it's neat to see what you all see.

Vaughn, I've just gotta know what company it is that you're talking about. I'm a sucker for promotional stuff! :)
 
I was teasing a bit earlier about $400 t-shirts and free knives, but promo stuff like t-shirts, stickers, patches really are a good idea. I haven't taken that plunge yet myself, but it makes sense. Not only do people love that stuff just because it's fun and cool, but it also helps present a small shop as a serious business entity and builds interest.

I wear a BladeForums W&SS patch on one of my favorite shirts, because I learned so much from those cats, and I like to support the forum and the community... I'm a Beckerhead for the same reasons... the point is, humans are social animals who enjoy being part of a like-minded group. We can say the same about AKTI, KnifeRights, the NRA, Duck/Trout Unlimited, etc. Sorry to be crass about it, but being part of those groups as a craftsman is not just fun and worthwhile on a personal level, it's also good business. :)

Smithy said:
How about a small , imprinted 'field' sharpening stone?
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I don't have an answer about that, but it would be very cool indeed. :thumbup:
 
Strigamort said:
I've just gotta know what company it is that you're talking about. I'm a sucker for promotional stuff! :)
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h20oni, nailed it in one! Larue Tactical makes great stuff, backs it up with a great warranty, and throws in some neat little things for the customer. Absolutely wonderful business model.

Or, check out the Cedarlore forge website if you want something blade-oriented. David makes some great knives and swords, but you can also buy his artwork. Get a shirt, print, coffee mug and support an artist you could probably never afford to buy a knife from. It's a win for you and for the maker.

I use David's website, formerly of Mad Dwarf fame, as a perfect example of creating an universe around your work. The website has stellar photography, but also includes little tidbits about the maker. The photos of his work aren't just the knives, but the color, texture, side art, etc. There's a story in each shot.

Or, I can go to Bob's website and see a few shots of a cluttered workshop with bright lights and lots of mess, and some bland pics of knives you can tell weren't taken by a professional photographer.

How much does a website matter? Well, I can name Cedarlore Forge..... and nobody else. Why? Because I haven't run across a site that matches it for visual interest, subject matter quality, etc. Matthew M. Paul comes close with his great photography, but his website isn't anything like what you see in his thread over on the bushcraft forum. The sterile white surround is cold, ugly and boring. Yuck.

But, still, he's gotten my attention with the photos of his work. When you get your name stuck in someone's mind, you've won the PR battle.

I didn't have to name names for h20oni to know who I was talking about. That's how successful Larue Tactical's marketing has been. You know who we're not talking about? All the other companies that make AR15 stuff.

Coffee cups, t-shirts, jackets, hats, they all get used regularly and are seen by people outside of the knife scene. You can walk around town with a t-shirt emblazoned with the Nike "swoosh" or your business logo. Which is going to do better for you?
 
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It seems to me a lot of higher selling/higher price sellers have established themselves through steadfastness, perfection of their art, imagination, forums, WIP's (not to be underestimated), an agent in some cases, and pure personality. They have created a stir, via long, detailed wips, unusal designs, and clearly showing exactly HOW they do things. People end up trusting them, and liking them, and line up accordingly. Then there are the rare few, who are able to post knives so strikking their work speaks volumns, i.e., Fogg, Bump, Hansen, etc,. Just remember, they too paid their dues, all started out just like everyone else:)
 
Not sure if anyone mentioned this yet or not. If you are going to re-vamp or create your website, use a service that will automatically create a mobile/smart phone version. That is, your website will have the ability to look good on mobile phones. This is pretty important now and the trend is growing and growing. In fact, more than half of the views on my website are using mobile browsers.
 
David Stifle said:
It seems to me.....
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There's nothing wrong with putting in the years and paying your dues, but look at it from a strictly business standpoint: if all you sell is a knife, the only thing I can buy from you is a knife. If I can't afford your knife, you lose a customer and you lose advertising. That's a double whammy.

As was mentioned above, places like vistaprint.com offer you a great way to increase your visibility while generating a small revenue stream. Society6.com is similar, if a bit ritzier.

Of course, that's not to say that as soon as you offer coffee mugs and ball caps, the orders are going to overwhelm you. You still need to get that initial networking done so folks know to go look at your website, and your web presence has to be attractive.

The good news is that there is no downside to offering small stuff on your website. They're called promotional items for a reason.....
 
VaughnT said:
h20oni, nailed it in one! Larue Tactical makes great stuff, backs it up with a great warranty, and throws in some neat little things for the customer. Absolutely wonderful business model.

Or, check out the Cedarlore forge website if you want something blade-oriented. David makes some great knives and swords, but you can also buy his artwork. Get a shirt, print, coffee mug and support an artist you could probably never afford to buy a knife from. It's a win for you and for the maker.
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Ah, no bang bang for me. At least not for now, but I'll definitely check out Cedarlore. :)

Edit- okay, I checked... Wow... I see what you mean. I've never been a huge fan of swords as I have no real use for them, but that guy is a seriously talented individual. I bet he'd be amazing with a tattoo gun.

I wonder if one could commission him to do some artwork on leather for a sheath.

Absolutely first rate.
 
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