Marketing / Sales & Advertising

http://www.peakdistrictcreations.co.uk/members/look-creations/the-fan-c-recycled-stove-top-fan/

Now, I have always worked on the buying, Purchasing, Procurement  ... call it what you will side of the fence.
I used to negotiate monthly pricing for  multi-million pound contracts for HDPE for blow moulding - and I always honored an agreement reached; after-all I expected the sales person to do the same - I was always happy and so was the supplier that we had reached an agreeable price.  All this was blown away when I 'know it all' came in and took over from me added best part of 15% to our costs and wrecked what had been a good long standing relationship. Still - he knew better !

So where should I start ???

Marketing
I purchased a website Domain to match the product Branded Name, I also purchased a domain name for a relevant search which gets a few hundred hits per month as it is.... I spent a few hours looking at Google keywords to see what keywords might be useful and ended up with a list of a few hundred - something I have to go back to and get a better grasp of.

I need to get some decent product images for the website, develop a decent YouTube Video with a great set of Keywords and Tags to ensure a high hit rate, develop a sales 'brochure' at least to leave at suitable agreeable retail outlets...

I want to be able to get Trade orders as these should inject 'lumps' of cash in exchange for batches of Fan-Ce products, but here comes the kicker. As I understand things, a retail outlet wants a mark up of at least 30% plus VAT. i.e. 50% mark up.

So if I sell the Fan-Ce at £99.99 Trade, it then retails at £155.98 providing the retailer with the 30% GM. But get this, in return for that I may be asked to process the 'automated order' package & post the Fan-Ce - so the retailer doesn't actually do anything once the product is uploaded onto their website or put on display in their shop.... I have to say that grates a little ! What will they do to promote it ? 30% sales commission ?

My gut says do it myself and get the websales sorted; sell at a lower price but above the Trade Price - but my head tells me to put up shut up and get on with it - its retail - learn the game, they know theirs.... time will tell. At the end of the day stock, cash tied up none of it helps me, sales are what count as long as I make a margin to cover my costs and allow me to build a market position from which to make the next move...

One to think on while I await the parts for assembly, meanwhile I just got confirmation that the TEG's have shipped today (Saturday) - 2 days early - so thats a good start. I posted the sample parts for the machine shop to make the hubs to fit yesterday - delivery to be advised early next week.

All this to progress and I now have no cash fund left - so I have to get on with making something else to sell. But thats another story.
Nest thing is to find out how to add to this blog via my mobile phone...
Oh - here is the latest HTC Desire movie with the Fan-C & FanCe products running atop my Morso Woodburner.