New business practices...opinions please

Bailey Bradshaw

Bailey Bradshaw

Joined
Sep 13, 2001
Messages
816
The ABS show has really got me brain storming on new business practices. With the vast array of talented makers out there, the competition is really tough. I have a good customer base, and a comfortable backlog, but it is obvious to me that for me to take the next step, it will be in customer service where I will find the answer. Most importantly, communication and interaction.

So, two ideas I have are a quarterly news letter mail out with info on new ideas, show plans and what's going on in the shop. Maybe an article on how I do certain things occasionally. Next is a color catalog of knives I have at shows with a picture and description. Printers can turn small catalogs like this around in a week, so it's not unreasonable at all to get one done for major shows like the ABS, Plaza and Blade.

What I am after is a more personal approach than just writing down an order and not touching base with that person for a year when I begin work on the knife. I think it would be better for my customer, perspective or established to know what I am up to and the direction I am headed. The few extra minutes I had to interact with customers in Reno ( based on the collectors who placed orders) will allow me to fill their needs with more focus while allowing me to make knives I am excited about making. It's a win win.

So what do you collectors think of the aforementioned ideas, and if you have more, let me hear them!
 
I will come back to this when I have a bit more time, but one STRONG recommendation I have is that you get more of you knives PROFESSIONALLY PHOTOGRAPHED and use same to keep your web site updated with current work.

Seriously Bailey - you do such incredible work with exceptional embellishment, but more often than not, the only two people who see your work are you and your customer. Every knife you make that disappears into a safe without anyone else ever seeing it is an advertising opportunity lost.

I don't know whether you got that awesome D-guard bowie from Reno shot or not, but if you didn't - :mad:.

I know it costs and I know you want to keep your prices down (colour me grateful on that score ;)) - but like a certain professional photographer I know of - cough - Coop - cough - it also PAYS.

I think that generating a distribution list for your customers to get on - and making a knife available to those on that list a couple times a year would be a good thing.

Also, one of the best way to sell "spec" knives is to have an "on the bench" or "work in progress" section on your site. That way people can not only see what you're working on, but jump in early to commission it if it floats their boat.

Roger
 
Are you going to have enough time to do all that, Bailey?

I would think that instead of your own quarterly newsletter mail out, and color catalog of upcoming knives, it would be more efficient if you used the internet to update your doings. Post on the different knife boards your current projects, with progress photos and descriptions of what you're doing and why. Post the knives you'll have at upcoming shows. You won't have to deal with the lag time of physical mailings. And I think you'll probably reach more lurkers you don't know who haven't been following your work, as oppposed to mailings which by its nature limits you to sending to people you already know.

Using the internet also allows you to be a little more casual and personable. It comes closer to a back and forth correspondence than a one way mailing/catalog. You can get a dialog going with a specific person or a group of people at once. And from time to time a total stranger chimes in. That's closer to face to face interaction than printed materials could ever acheive. And you don't have to spend time worrying about design layout of the mailing.

I think you should update your website more often too.

The drawback of it is that you won't be reaching clientele who don't use computers. But maybe you can get a better sense of how many of your current clients are using computers as opposed to those who don't, and use that as a guide to the ratio of possible new clients with/without computers.

Just my thoughts.
 
I'm going to generally echo Roger's sentiments. Being able to see more of the work you're doing would be awesome.

A quarterly news letter wouldn't be a bad idea, but a simpler approach might be to get a blog section integrated into your website.

Two makers I've seen starting to make good use of this are Josh Smith and Jens Anso. It requires a minor bit of work to get going but after that it's as simple as posting here to update with news, photos, etc. Most blog systems will provide for people to be able to comment on posts as well (for that matter you could have a whole site built on wordpress/movable type and be able to update the static pages easily as well).
 
Use the internet to its full advantage. You can reach thousands of prospective customers by posting on forums and keeping your website up to date. Your website should have top quality images of your knives.

Mail out newsletters will reach a small number of people that you won't get to through the internet, but I'm not sure that they are worth the time, effort and cost. Put all that information on your website. It will reach far more folks.
 
Mr Bradshaw,
As a disinterested third party and a kind of outsider to the knife business, my 2 cents since you asked.
My job is a marketer, and as such I would steer you away from a printed newsletter sent out... too time consuming, expensive, and short lived. That information can be better used and displayed on your website. Get email addresses and send a newsletter that way to people who want them. Have people register on the site if they want it. Give your updates on the site and work in progress. Now, that is not to say you can't send out a short piece saying "come to my website and see X, Y and Z" and touch base that way... postcards work for me.

Absolutely get good pics of EVERYTHING. High quality and digital. Have these pics available to send (email) to interested partys.

The catalog, yes on a limited scale. One again, it gets dated quick.

I loved Nick Wheeler's idea of having the whole process photographed and available in a powerpoint presentation. Check out that thread. Perhaps sending a photographic update on someone's knife to them, just a quick action photo of one facet of the process...that's a personal touch that any buyer would appreciate.

The idea of having a couple of knives available solely to your "list" is a good one too.
 
Grapevine said:
I would think that instead of your own quarterly newsletter mail out, and color catalog of upcoming knives, it would be more efficient if you used the internet to update your doings. Post on the different knife boards your current projects, with progress photos and descriptions of what you're doing and why. Post the knives you'll have at upcoming shows. You won't have to deal with the lag time of physical mailings. And I think you'll probably reach more lurkers you don't know who haven't been following your work, as oppposed to mailings which by its nature limits you to sending to people you already know.

I think you should update your website more often too.
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I agree with that, as well as the recommendation to have your knives professionally photographed (although I think that with Coop's advice posted in the Gallery area, anyone can do a very good job just short of professional level). Once you have high quality pics, there's really no reason not to have most of them on the site, given the current hosting prices.

I like how some makers (Dean, Fisk, Fogg,...) make knives available to a customer list every once in a while. This keeps excitement going.
 
The blog is probably a better venue than a quarterly newsletter. Website issue was a no brainer, I just didn't post it as it isn't a new practice, just a neglected one. Professional photos are also on top of the list as well.

In retrospect, I do need to exploit the web much more than I do.

The whole reason behind the idea for the show catalog is to give an in hand reference of the knives I had at the show, and create a traceable record of the knife beyond just the details of materials and model name that typically go into a description. As my career progresses, traceability will become an important factor for collectors as it will provide the history that so often evades the owner.

Roger,

The D-guard didn't get photographed for a reason. If I had a buyer at the show, I would have had a picture taken of it. As it is, I have a customer here at home that wanted it before the show, and asked me to do some carving on the ivory. Once I do that, I will send it to be photographed......and will post it on my website:D
 
Keith Montgomery said:
Use the internet to its full advantage. You can reach thousands of prospective customers by posting on forums and keeping your website up to date. Your website should have top quality images of your knives.

Mail out newsletters will reach a small number of people that you won't get to through the internet, but I'm not sure that they are worth the time, effort and cost. Put all that information on your website. It will reach far more folks.
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Couldn't agree more! :thumbup:

Speaking as another marketer, with over 35 years of experience, what will increase sales in the end are client communication and product facts/benefits. No matter how clever our current group of teenage ad whizzes think they are (and how many times they feel they need to reinvent the wheel) that's how it's been and that's how it always will be. Honest, easy-to-understand product descriptions accompanied by crystal clear product photos (who the heck is this "Coop" everyone keeps mentioning? ;) ) will outsell "clever" every time.

(I didn't mention "...add prices, or at least a price range.." because of course you are going to do that, right? ;) )
 
RogerP said:
................Also, one of the best way to sell "spec" knives is to have an "on the bench" or "work in progress" section on your site. That way people can not only see what you're working on, but jump in early to commission it if it floats their boat.

Roger
Click to expand...

That is an abolustely flat-frigging-phenominal idea, Roger.
I'm gonna add a page to my site!
 
Not to take any $ away from Coop -- heck I understand he is not lacking for photo ops-- you could certainly learn from all the tutorials available in BF thread to do you photos and make sure they are constantly updated in your website.

I'm on a mailing list from a wildlife artist and her quartery (you could even do it more often) newsletter tells folks where she will be exhibitin, shows new work she does and also talks a bit about what she an her family have been doing. It personalizes the artist.

I think also, it is useful for makers to not only do orders but create pieces that they can offer on their website for newsletter subscribers. I know other makers do this and witness the forum chatter re the latest offering Don Fogg issued.

Many makers that belong to BF may become blase about the exposure and those that are receiving chatter are among a rare group of makers. too few makers make use of these venues and it is almost "free" exposure to buyers that you know are already interested in your product. They have already become prospects instead of suspects.

Makers should become members of all the forums they can and make sure they are constantly putting up info about their work.

As others have said, use the real name as you do and make sure as you do the website is in each post-- preferably clickable.

Makers will also want to become members of the currently in larvae stage, the CKCA but once it becomes a butterfly will be another wonderful venue for makers and collectors.

I don't know that I'd spend the $ involved in a book/brochure about your knives but certainly make sure anything you do create has info about the forums, your site, the CKCA etc so that more people, when attending shows will learn about the venues available to makers and collectors.

Another thing you could consider. Photo give aways. Photograph some of your knives. Use Fototime to host the images. Periodically, Fototime offers $.05 per 4 x 6 image and their images are very good.

I just recently had them do up 4 x 6 of all 175 knife images I have in my collection which cost me about $16 including shipping. To day at Costco I bought a nice leather (plastic page) album which came in a package of 3 for $18. I will use one and 2 for other things. So for less than $25 after tax I have a nice coffee table book of 175 knife images sitting out.

I'm sure there are other means to make up photos that might even be less expensive. Collectors will not thorw away a nice image. Each could be on knife or even a collage of knives.

I also think that makers should keep the price of the knife on the site even when sold. Another thing that makers need to do -- remove the knife from the available link once it is sold and just have it in the gallery. It is annoying to click on "Available" only to find half a dozen or more nice knives with SOLD beside them.

Those are just some quick thoughts on my end.
 
Bailey,

I think you should also make sure you have some top notch photos for all of your future Japanese-style projects. As a "one stop shop" for high-quality, well-priced katana etc., you provide a rarely found resource in that arena. I think photos of the kodogu, tsukamaki, etc. in addition to the blade would go a long way towards increasing your visibility.

Photos or a short video of a "torture test" (nothing crazy, of course) would probably allay the typical concerns a lot of folks have when purchasing for dojo or competition use.

That said, maybe I'm "different" but I like printed material. Red St. Cyr handed me a little pamphlet after our chat at last year's AzKCA show. It was self-printed but had a few pictures and some interesting reading. Certainly more interesting than the typical business card.
 
Burt Foster turns out an excellent full-colour brochure of his knives (with a price list). Might be worth asking for his take on the cost / benefit analysis.

Roger
 
Bailey,

Roger, and Murray, and the others have pointed out your biggest Achille's Heel. Your work IS really cool, but not to the degree it is shown on the web.

Knowing how diversely talented you are, I am 100% sure you could master perfectly suitable photography ON YOUR OWN, but you can't do it without the proper tools. No more than I could do fine metal carving with a Dremel and a 1/2" stone. (One look at the unstoppable Burt Foster's photos will convince you. :eek:)

The cost of materials is silly cheap, the bulbs and lamps are available at a local Hardware store, and most any modern camera is capable.

I'm happy to help teach you. I have special diffuser material to offer as a gesture of goodwill. Say so, and I'll mail you a roll.

It's far better to teach a man to fish. Draw on me, or Murray for advice. :thumbup:

Coop
 
I agree with some of the other collectors here in that it's much about promotion.

You could make the best knives in the world, however if no one knows it??

Good photos and getting them out to the collectors is important. Shows are extremely important. I had hear of you but never met you or examined your knives until Reno. Now impressed with you and your knives. IMO, collectors should be promoting the makers they collect. Kind of a partnership. IMO, makers need to partner with collectors rather than the one collector one knife approach.

Jerry is the master of the business plan. I knew his show would be a success, however after three years I'm even surprised at it's degree of success.
 
Lots of great ideas here. One that stuck out was by WyoNonSmith (and Nick Wheeler) to provide progress pics of a customers knife. I'd be the first one to the Custom forum to post those same pics and my excitement around the new knife incoming, then follow these up with some pics of the finished product, mine as well as any professional pics you have supplied.

Like Kevin said above, some of your customers will do the marketing for you especially if you give them these extra services.
 
I second the suggestion of professional photography. I have seen a lot of cases where good photography brought the maker more money for their knives than superior knives brought with inferior photos;) When you have the better product to begin with you definately need the better photos to show it. I think I heard somewhere that good photography doesn't cost, it pays:D
 
For what it's worth, I find one of the greatest shortcomings of photos posted on makers' websites is their size. A small photo, even professionally done, conveys so little compared to a large one.

I don't know what costs are involved, but I feel the "Enlarge" (a lot!) button serves both parties well.
- The maker/photographer who want a photo to show a knife to best advantage
- The potential buyer who may have to rely on it for whatever critical assessment he can make prior to a purchase
 
Looks like lots of good advice on marketing and reaching a potential and existing customer base has already been said. Here is my opinion (some repetitive to what has been said already):

1) Forget anything physical - costs too much for the return
2) Use electronic in all its possible ways
a) email updates or newly available to existing customers and potential ones of whom you have email addresses - a book at shows for people to provide their email/name for future infomails can be a good idea
b) forums with what is new and exciting and progress threads (which you did a few times here)
c) keep up the website
3) Professional photography is good if you aren't skilled or comfortable enough with it yourself, but don't go overboard - only spend the money on different, new, extraordinary items. If you do the photos yourself, have at it without much of a filter unless it takes you too long and takes away too much from shop time.

My $0.02.
 
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