Lessons learned at Blade Show

K

Kim Breed

Joined
Mar 1, 2005
Messages
388
People buy the knifemaker more than their knives. We doubled and tripled sales just by talking with the customers. Always stand up when addressing your future clients, its a respect thing. I always ask for their opinion on how my knives feel. Get your knives in their hands. If you have someone to watch your table (or cover it up) during lunch time take a few blades to the pervayors to get their feed back. Dont be set in concrete on your knife prices. If they are really giving your knife a go over and make you an offer give them a counter offer.
Anybody else have other lessons? :cool:
 
For the guys going to look...............
Start at the custom and supply corner. We started with the front and moved around and I didnt get to everything I wanted to see.
Also you could simply speed walk and get a glance at where you'd like to go and then branch out from there. Would have been worth our time to walk down the wall sideways first.
 
Hey Brian, it was great to meet you. would of liked to spend more time bs-ing glad everything work out with the article. Get filling orders. :p
How close are you to Franklin where they hold the rock and jem show?
 
Kim
I think you nailed it pretty good. I think that alot of guy forget that we are trying to sell knives. as much as we like to think our knives sell themselves sometimes it just takes a pleastant smile and a "feel free to pick any thing up"
to get buyers to not be scared of pi$$ing off the maker by touching there knives. nothing gets me more angry than a guy who won,t let any one touch his knives. The only thing I would like to stress is not to judge people by there apperance. Some of my best customers are bikers,tattoo artist and guys that would rather spend big buck on a knife instead of a fancy shirt. I try to avoid the guys who walk around shows like there $hit don't stink cause the have money. Most of the time those are the cheapest guys in the room.



ttyle
jimi
 
When a person bends over to look at a knife this means they want it in there hands to me.

A little sign on the table that says permission granted is a good way for a customer to feel ok about picking up a knife.

Congrats to Ray Kirk for making MS!

Also another lesson learned is watch the table .
We had a proto stolen from our Combat Elite booth at the show.
 
I'll have to look at how far I am away from there. I was hopeing to BS with you more...Like I said, next time start in the corner that you think is the last place you'll get to. That will be my stategy. Let me know if your ever near NC.....

Man, filling orders is what I have for the next 14 months. Not a bad place to be in but I wish I could do more per week. Maybe someday :D
 
blgoode said:
I'll have to look at how far I am away from there. I was hopeing to BS with you more...Like I said, next time start in the corner that you think is the last place you'll get to. That will be my stategy. Let me know if your ever near NC.....

Man, filling orders is what I have for the next 14 months. Not a bad place to be in but I wish I could do more per week. Maybe someday :D
Click to expand...

:) wellcome to the real world..give up sleep and grind more Brian :)
 
Well, one lesson I learned was to take a hint from J. and Tess and get a rubber matt to put on the floor behind your table! Man, my feet were absolutely killing me during and after the weekend! I mean, they hurt bad! From now on I'm going to do like J. and Tess and buy a matt, use it for a few shows, and then relegate it to shop use!


:)

-Darren
 
:D Non-displaying makers: Take lots of cash. Visit suppliers first. Take a list of makers you want to meet and find them next but don't monopolize their time. Take your heros to dinner if you can. Hang out in the Pit. Plan for a couple of days after the show to decompress, it can be overwhelming.
 
Forget the rubber mat. Pay for a hotel room, transportation and a table for your friendly neighborhood chiropractor and he'd probably adjust the whole gang for free, feet and ankles included! :D
 
Kim, it was great meeting you and I enjoyed BS'n with you. As you say a friendly courteous person behind a table will almost always get me to stop and look even if I initially didn't see anything that interested me on that table. I didn't have a table this year since I only started making knives a few months ago studying under Ed Fowler. I spent most of my time walking around looking at other makers knives and asking alot of questions. I had the first 3 knives I've made with me and would show them to other makers and ask their input on them. I had to kind of chuckle when some of them told me I needed to find my own style or even look for someone else to learn under when they saw my knives which are definitely styled after Eds. I have chosen Eds style and methods because I own one of his knives and believe in his ideals of what a knife should be. I would listen to each persons input whether it was positive or negative since I believe you can often learn something from either influence and then would kindly thank them for thier input and move on. I guess I feel that if we all have the same ideas and styles then it would be pretty darn boring walking around the Blade Show. Overall I met alot of very friendly people and felt very welcomed into the world of knives. I look forward to seeing you at future shows.

Butch Deveraux
 
Chiro75 said:
Forget the rubber mat. Pay for a hotel room, transportation and a table for your friendly neighborhood chiropractor and he'd probably adjust the whole gang for free, feet and ankles included! :D
Click to expand...

Can you recommend any good chiropractors? :D :D :p :D


I hope to meet youse guys next year.
 
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