Marketing strategies etc…

Where did Kevin Go?

I see the crystal raindrops fall
And see the beauty of it all
Is when the sun comes shining through
To make those rainbows in my mind
When I think of you some time
And I want to spend some time with you
Just the two of us
We can make it if we try
Just the two of us
Just the two of us
Building castles in the sky
Just the two of us
You and I

We look for love, no time for tears
Wasted water's all that is
And it don't make no flowers grow
Good things might come to those who wait
Not to those who wait too late
We got to go for all we know

Just the two of us
We can make it if we try
Just the two of us
Just the two of us
Building castles in the sky
Just the two of us
You and I

I hear the crystal raindrops fall
On the window down the hall
And it becomes the morning dew
Darling, when the morning comes
And I see the morning sun
I want to be the one with you

Just the two of us
We can make it if we try
Just the two of us
Just the two of us
Building big castles way on high
Just the two of us
You and I
 
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Rossi Knives said:
I was lucky enough to get one of my knives in Down East Magazine. That involved putting my knives in a store that catered to a high end, tourist maket. The mention was proably the biggest break for me.

Also, I have found selling fewer knives at more locations builds up a demand. People percieve a knife as more special if it appears there are fewer on the market.

Most of my sales now are repeats. It brings a sense of pride that people want more than just one Rossi Knife.
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Is publicly hating on knifemaking legends and calling them douche bags also part of your marketing strategies? http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=685160

I've got a few ideas on how to sell knives and how to turn a name into a brand........hating on those legendary knifemakers that forged the trail for the rest of the knifemakers is not one of them.
 
No worries Earl. :D

Nick, Matt and Kevin:
freaks.jpg


Sam and Kevin:
schlitzie_freaks_NC.jpg
 
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Guess your attention quota is diminishing, eh? Perhaps someone else will start a thread to pander to you...

Besides, I'm the one on the left, Tai.

I still say Monster Magnet would kick all the other guy's asses. AND they get all the chicks!

Monster+Magnet+Monster_Magnet425.jpg
 
Tai Goo said:
It was funny the first time...
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...and yet I'm still laughing. Who'd have thunk? What the heck do your last posts even have to do with your topic, anyway?

Admit it, that picture's got you searching the interwebs for more Monster Magnet in the hope of purging the bad juju that Dan Fogelburp has tainted your aura with. Who knows? Maybe with my advertising advice - and, of course, the awesome negasonic warhead sounds of Monster Magnet, you might sell more knives!

I'm not sure if you could use Monster Magnet to check for critical temperature, but heck - we could always ask them. Their answer are likely just as right as anyone else's, no?
 
Gentlemen, shouldn't this be in a more private forum? Something like Pirates Cove where rudeness is part of the charm of the forum?

I clicked on this thread in the apparently mistaken belief that there might actually be an intelligent discussion on the concept of how to go about marketing my work.

I strongly believe that grade-school level denigration is unnecessary and extremely OT in a forum dedicated to the craft of making knives.

-Page
 
sunshadow said:
Gentlemen, shouldn't this be in a more private forum? Something like Pirates Cove where rudeness is part of the charm of the forum?

I clicked on this thread in the apparently mistaken belief that there might actually be an intelligent discussion on the concept of how to go about marketing my work.

I strongly believe that grade-school level denigration is unnecessary and extremely OT in a forum dedicated to the craft of making knives.

-Page
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While I agree, I'm sure the moderator of the forum is doing his job and will/could lock it if he so wishes.

I also see this thread as an example of some of the problems this forum has had lately. Coming here to find real info, especially for noobs, can be very difficult even without the "internet karaoke" and confusing circular psychobabble (which compounds the problem)
 
In the interest of the original post, I'll share this: I have found people who don't know the difference between a handmade knife and something bought from Wal-Mart, but are knife users, mostly hunters. I'll either give or sell at a deep discount one of my knives to them. So far, they've all been so happy that they have come up with friends who buy knives a full price. It helps to let them in on the "inside secret" that they got the knife at a special price and the rest will cost much more.

On another note, and this is not a personal attack in any way. I had heard reference to Tai Goo as some sort of mystical if not eccentric smith. I come here to find that he is a repsitory of '70's music lyrics. Will wonders never cease?
 
What I am going to try is send one of my knives out on a "pass around". I hope to gain some insight to how people will be using my knives and how they will hold up in the hands of someone other then myself, and what people actually think of the knives.

I feel that doing this will get my name out to others, and help me improve my designs
 
On another note, and this is not a personal attack in any way. I had heard reference to Tai Goo as some sort of mystical if not eccentric smith. I come here to find that he is a repsitory of '70's music lyrics. Will wonders never cease?
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You are absolutely right but Tai is also a very good smith and knife maker, one of the best.

Tai likes to have fun on these forums and he does ruffle a few feathers. He, however started this thread on a serious note. A few others here turned it around :)
 
that burlsource guy has an interesting marketing approach,it seems to work.
i often think that a knifemaking forum is probably one of the worst places to market your knives ?
 
In the interest of getting this back on point with the OP -

I started by listing most of my Art in Stone knives on Ebay. I used low cost knives when I first started going on three years ago. Ebay is where most of my buyers first find me.

I still try to keep at least two knives listed at all times on Ebay plus the ones on my website plus the custom orders I keep on my work board which has room to track up to 24 orders at a time.

So, I now have three flows of works with the website and custom works selling for enough to cover the costs of some that sell on Ebay for about what it cost for the knife, stone and materials used.

I try to use left over stone from custom knives and ones intended for my website to do low cost ones for listing on Ebay as to this day that is still where nearly all of my repeat buyers first buy one of my works.

The other nice things about listing on Ebay are the selling price sets the pricing range I have reached and really points out what stone and knife choices are the best to repeat.

If you go to any knife I have listed on Ebay you will find I have passively worked in my album pictures and articles here on Bladeforums and links to my actual website.

I have only had my website since late May and I am already approaching 3,000 visits to the site. If you go to the "gallery" link on the site you will find pictures and descriptions of the many dozens of knives I have sold through the site. It is a very low cost site and easy to maintain so I am sticking with it even though I have access to a site designer who would create a site for me for a custom knife.....

I am approaching 600 knives sold in less than 3 years and my "average" purchase price, even with the Ebay ones, is over $150.00 now. I am becoming a full fledged business effective 1-1-2010 and now have a business license, sales tax reporting and tax records so sucess has it's costs. :eek::D
 
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We seem to hear a lot of references to marketing strategies, flashy PR, "shameless self promotion" etc,... on the forum, but who's doing it? How much time does the average knifemaker really spend thinking about self promotion?... or creative ways of gaining recognition? My guess is not very much, if at all. But,… it's almost like if you are recognized and successful you must have lied and cheated to get there. How wrong is that? Is it all just one big marketing scheme, a game… or is it just plain old due recognition for doing good honest work?

There isn't really much to the marketing side of it as far as I can see, you just get as much exposure as you can... media, shows etc… and hope folks will respond to your work in a positive way. There’s no secret to it... no scheme, no strategy.

... Just show some honest enthusiasm for the work you do. :)

I don't think it's a sin to sell your knives, promote yourself, put your best foot forward... or to be successful at what you do, as long as you are honest. Although,... there will most likely be a lot of "professional jealousy" towards you once you get to the top… (unless you decide to become a politician and just kiss booty all day long and/or otherwise just keep your mouth shut). In fact, that's one good way of knowing that you've finally arrived. A lot of folks will hate you for it and try to slam you down... If they can't find fault with your work, then they will make the attacks more personal.

It's not a sin to "defend" yourself, your work,... and/or others who you feel have been treated unfairly.

So, my question is,… is it a good marketing strategy to try and denigrate the competition and those higher up the ladder of success? Does that strategy really work,… or will it just eventually backfire?
 
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I live in probably one of the areas of the country with the highest unemployment, around 22%. I found it very difficult to sell any knife over $125 for a long time, many just feel that the $5 knife from wally world will "do just fine". For a long time I used to carry one of my knives where ever I went, a kind of show and tell. Thats especially helpfull when you run into the guy who insists "oh, if it's not forged, it's no good"
The biggest marketing stragety here that works for me, is simple education along with strong word of mouth references.
 
SShepherd said:
The biggest marketing stragety here that works for me, is simple education along with strong word of mouth references.
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True!

Try your best to "educate" people interested in your work, about your work,... and let the work speak for itself. Word of mouth is still the best way.

You are THE "expert" on your own work. :)
 
Don Hanson III said:
You are absolutely right but Tai is also a very good smith and knife maker, one of the best.

Tai likes to have fun on these forums and he does ruffle a few feathers. He, however started this thread on a serious note. A few others here turned it around :)
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Don said it all.
Marketing is about making a good product most often.
Tai makes some of the best around.
The work speaks for itself.
The rest falls into place.

On a lighter note, giving a Monster Magnet Album with every knife might increase sales. :D
 
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