[TheForge] Suggestions, please

Wed Jan 26 08:05:15 EST 2005

Hi Pete, I've noticed the same thing.  Someone will call me mentioning they
met me at a fucntion I can barely remember doing.......two to three years
later asking if I would do a project for them.

One card produced a $5600 job this year that I handed out three years ago.
I still leave them on the table in a very fancy card holder that folks
always say "did you make this??" It's always fun to say " No, Acutally I got
it at Home Depot"............  Breaks the ice kinda quick - or I get a nasty
look.  I'd rather work for folks with a sense of humor anyway.

I do public demos at a coupe historic farms as the commissioners that run
the farms are really nice and treat me well with help, materials, paid
lunch, occassional paid demo, etc........and basicly don't treat me like a
schmuck - so I continue to demo for them.

I've found the two greatest promotional things I ever did for getting more
work was to demo for my local hardware stores grand opening as the first
thing.............I got 22 jobs from that demo.  Needless to say, I do that
every year now when they have an "activities day - to promote local trades
people".   If they don't do it in your area - you might try initiating it or
suggesting it.  It works to enhance their business as they'll need paint of
fasteners when you make something for them, or it enables a project to come
to fruition that had been put on hold and the hardware store always tells me
about how folks like someone to solve their problems and thank them for
having presented me as a craftsman that is in the area - that they had no
knowledge about.  This has led to the "activities day" to make the community
more aware of the talent within it's midst and how you can have something
nice made right here in America that's what you want - not what's on the
shelf. It also opens the eyes of other crafts people in the area on how to
mix your talents on projects.

The second item was making a "promotional album" of pictures of past work to
place at the: Hardware store, local post and beam builders, my local
building supplier that I've done all my business with, the local high end
builders, and Landscape and Stone suppliers in my area.   Wow - when folks
buy a $5,000 stone staircase and have a reputable landscaper place it - they
are not looking for pipe railings from you local fab shop.  The hardware
store continues to pull out my album saying "this is not a catalog - But
this is what this fellow has done in the past........  I just got everyone
in the store together one day when I gave them the album and explained about
"This is not a catalog", "No there are no prices", etc.  It is just a
reference to let people know I'm in the area and do ironwork.  This has
brought me more work than I ever imagined, reaching folks I never would have
had time to spend waiting to show up at all these places.

Bottom line is people you do business with, pay on time with, treat you as
fair as you treat them..........will always recomend your work and show your
pictures for you.

Hey, it worked for me......... that's my two cents on proper advertising
money to be spent - as the yellow pages, and newspaper adds were a waste of
time and money.  Continuing referals are your best advertising from what
I've found.

80% of my work this year was forged or forge/fabed.  I completed and
installed 20 railings, a wine cellar door hardware set, and a rose arch
trellis......... nice work - I really enjoyed my work and time spent in the
shop this year.  Of course it means I'm not building as many sawmills or
welding as many broken excavators and bulldozers........But that really
doesn't break my heart all that much.   :-)

Ralph

----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter Fels And Phoebe Palmer" <artgawk at thegrid.net>
To: "Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Wednesday, January 26, 2005 12:55 AM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] Suggestions, please

> Cards are cheap. I gave out  a huge # at the faires over the years and
> it  paid off well enough that  i finally had enough comissions to quit
> the faire circut.....more than a few waited years before they were ready
> to call wanting ironwork. The effect was cumulative......PF
>
> Grover Richardson wrote:
>
> >Roger.  Well, that's our implementation.  We put out a few sacrificial
ones
> >in the holder.  They go quickly.  Then if someone asks, we dig up one
from
> >somewhere.  From watching folks, if it appears that you have to ask, they
> >will.  If it appears that you are out, most will not ask<G>.  From
> >appearances though.
> >
> >Thanks.
> >
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> >[mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Daniel Crowther
> >Sent: Friday, January 14, 2005 11:55 AM
> >To: Sponsored by ABANA
> >Subject: RE: [TheForge] Suggestions, please
> >
> >
> >Bingo!  Our current policy is to give business cards only to people who
ASK
> >for them.  But even this policy has only raised our return call rate from
> >2% to 15%
> >
> >
> >Daniel Crowther
> >Gobae - The Smith
> >http://www.oakandacorn.com
> >http://celticclans.oakandacorn.com
> >http://www.oakandacorn.com/cdbaforum
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >>Second, I have put out over (rough guess) 800 business cards at similar
> >>events.  Never ever, not ever, not one call from the business cards.
> >>So leave a few out, when they are gone, leave the empty holder, then
> >>find one in the pocket somewhere when someone who appears to be really
> >>interested wants one.  We have taken to putting business cards on the
> >>wife's textiles. The back of the card has the name of the item,
> >>description, and price. Double duty.  If someone buys the item and
> >>doesn't want the card, we save it<G>.
> >>
> >>Then another smith I know got a phone call from a sign on the side of
> >>his truck.
> >>
> >>
> >
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