Monday, August 10, 2009

Next step

I am geared up and ready to go! I want to see The Everything Marinator for sale ASAP so it's back to work...

I waited until the clock chimed 9am and dialed Sullivan Productions. Sullivan Productions is located in Tampa so I thought, with a resource so close to home, I'd start there.

My first question for the very helpful Marie was, "May I schedule a meeting with Mr. Sullivan please". *see I put a period at the end of that sentence and not a question mark? I was trying to sound very authoritative. I may have even dropped my voice a little*.

Her polite answer was an authoritative "no".

I went on to inquire about having an infomercial shot. $45,000. Next question.

I asked if they were in the business of purchasing products and manufacturing them.

"No, we are solely a Production Company but if we like your product, we may submit it to Telebrands to see if they would be interested".

Yeah! Getting somewhere!

Could I drop off the taped demo at your office. *once again, no question mark. I must like speaking like that. Interesting. Learn something new everyday.*

"No, we are discouraging that. Please send it in via mail".

Shoot.

I happen to know that Mr. Sullivan frequents a certain restaurant here in Tampa on a weekly basis. Maybe I could stalk the restaurant and personally hand it to him. A good friend of mine works there. She could call me and I could race there and hope to catch him. Only problem with that is I would most likely be in my pajamas with no make-up because he only goes late at night.

OK, scratch that...

Looks like today will be about taping my pitch (hopefully my daughter can hold the camera still and my son will be quiet as a mouse), downloading the video, recording it on a disc, writing a letter to...Dear Sirs...oh...it's going to be a fun day!

I asked how long until I know if they like the product and she said if I hear back from them in 6 weeks, they are interested. Another waiting game...

Another iron in the fire is the email to a contact at HSN hoping to get a name of a Kitchen Appliance Buyer to see if they would be interested in selling it.

I'm happy to feel like I am "back in the game"!!!I've got a plan!

On a side note:
Remember the W.I I wrote about that received a contract from Discovery but did not sign it? Well, I checked in with her today via email to see what was going on and she has not been contacted again by the show. It's been weeks. Interesting...I thought they would at least negotiate...

19 comments:

  1. Hi Tracy!

    I'm working on my next step, too. I'm trying to figure out how to get my product manufactured and am exploring options. A great resource is the Thomas Registry at www.thomasnet.com. I thought I'd share in case anyone else is where I am.

    Della

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  2. I am going on with my plan to sell my product via online boutique..I do still have hopes to get my shoes in say.. a Payless...

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  3. Della and Kristan,
    I am checking out the Thomas Registry today - thanks! There is an avenue of all of us and if we are determined enough, it'll happen! Positive thoughts!!!

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  4. Go Tracy and everyone else.
    I too want to submit to pitchmen, but maybe it is better to submit to telebrands.

    Anyways, we had a great rehearsal for Shark Tank on Friday and were all ready to film this tomorrow. When last night we got the call that we were just bumped to season two.
    Typical TV, even when you think you are on, things happen. This was for our RV Rental busines, not my Purse Stingz product.

    We are a little in shock, but feel it is probably for the best right now.

    I hope you are all having a good day.

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  5. Helllooooowwww ladies!!! Okay - I'm going to see if I can type as fast as the thoughts in my brain :0). For those of you interested in the Telebrands process: Here is the latest from the website: "Telebrands Inventors Day
    Telebrands is hosting its next scheduled for Inventors Convention on August 13 and 14th. It’s an opportunity for inventors to pitch their product to a panel of expert judges, including Telebrands CEO, AJ Khubani. If you have a product or prototype that solves a common problem and you believe the product can be sold through television advertising, then you will want to be a part of this exciting event.

    A select few inventors with products are alloted about five minutes to present their product. Schedules fill up quickly and, unfortunately, we can not accommodate any more inventors for the 13th and 14th. However, another Inventors Convention will be announced soon, so please check this page regularly so you can register early and maybe get some time in front of our esteemed judges.

    Applications will only be accepted when the new dates are announced. Due to the overwhelming response of inventors, Telebrands will contact you only if you are selected to present your product. You will have only 5 minutes to present your product, so be well prepared. Remember a tv commercial usually allows only 45 to 105 seconds to sell, so be ready. It's best to be ready and rehearse your presentation so it is precise and effective.

    Please remember that when submitting your product, you do so at your own free will. Telebrands will not be held liable for any products or ideas that is submitted, nor will Telebrands be obligated in any way to anyone who submits their ideas, prototypes, or products."

    For any of you who have products ready to sell (Kristan?) and are looking for a simple way to do just that (with no middle man!) and reach a large target audience, please remember to consider the soon to be launched "WOMENTORZ" website. You can keep up to date on all the latest at www.womentors.blogspot.com

    Tracy - I see that you are on fire again and I love it! I say stake out that restaurant!! I am sure you look just great in your pj's :).

    I myself am getting ready to dive back into the workforce to pull together the resources I need to get Grime-Out! manufactured and onto the Womentorz website. I am hoping to be working with Breedt Manufacturing located in Washington within the next several months. In the meantime, I am thoroughly enjoying networking and rooting on my fellow Womentors and Momtrepeneurs!!

    Have a great day,

    Jen p.s. still no word from Christina - I think she's totally over me :).

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  6. P.S. Telebrands hosts these Inventor Days once every month!

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  7. Hi all,
    I submitted the EM to telebrands for the Inventor Day...waiting to hear...I think it's great that we all are keeping each other in the "know"...ya know?! :)

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  8. Got a contract today. I am going to read it over and get help understanding it. Doesn't sound like the show they made it out to be "Kelly Ripa helping women become successful"

    My product is a finished product. (like you mentioned in a past post"

    I will let you know what happens.

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  9. Hello,
    I also just got a contract today!Ya don't give up!!

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  10. I read the contract and I'm not going to do it. I wrote an email to Kelly at her Milojo email. Letting her know how disapointed I am. I feel totally deceived! They want the EXCLUSIVE right to the whole product, all of it. No thanks.

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  11. Alisa,
    I love your products and with or without the show, I know you'll be great! I love reading your blog and congrats on your past show!

    Anonymous,
    What stage are you in? Do you have a completed product or a prototype?

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  12. Hi Ladies, I also received a contract but I posted under Do Tell so you might want to look there.

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  13. I also got a contract. Page 5 says the Exclusive Term lasts until the 7th anniversary of the signing date. That is seven years. I'm not doing it either.

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  14. Ladies,

    You really should reconsider signing the contract and pushing forward. An exclusive selling arrangement is not that big a deal and they are only asking for it because they don't want your product to be a success and then you start selling them everywhere. If that happens HSN won't be able to sell them because who will buy from them from HSN when you can go down the street and buy the same thing. I'm sure Telebrands will have the same kind of exclusivity agreement. Think about it ... how many times do you see a product on an infomercial and then a few years later it's in the stores as an AS SEEN ON TV. Why did they wait years to bring it to stores if it was selling well? The answer is an exclusivity arrangement.

    I know some are thinking that you'll make it big time in less than seven years. It is very very tough to get things into stores and just to get enough exposure so consumers know your product exists. Yes the exclusivity agreement will proclude you from taking it to stores but you will still be making lots of money during the time it is sold at HSN and the exposure of your product is extremely helpful in creating a real Brand for your products. Plus the money you make will allow you to create more products on your own so that when the 7 years is up you'll have a whole product line you can offer to stores instead of one product. Many stores don't like buying just one product from a manufacturer. In addition the 7 years will allow you to get your manufacturing, logistics, pricing, etc fine tuned. It is better to start out a little slower than to get too big too quick.

    As someone who's been trying for 7 years to get my product into stores, I would hate to see someone regret that they didn't go forward with this show later. My product helps a lot of people and any customer that uses it in public is continually stopped to ask where they got it. Yet still it isn't in stores. I have tons of testimonials and a decent number of sales on my website but I haven't been able to get a sales rep. A 2 min infomercial costs $45,000 to make and that doesn't include the air time on various stations. Think about what a leg up you'll have on product exposure if your product is on TLC and then sold several times a week on HSN.

    I would sign it in a heartbeat.

    Good Luck!

    Cherie

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  15. It is a period of seven years now that I look at the terms Plus, it is another two years after the non-exclusive period of which they will get 20% of anything that you make from it regardless what show, avenue or efforts on your part. There will be many more shows like this and by then most you you ladies will have your product out of the prototype phase. QVC usually has product search once a year or every other year. Didn't Oprah have one last year. NOw there is Shark tank. Looks like a trend to me ladies. So if this cnotract doesn't work for you the next one may fit.

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  16. FYI I signed a three year exclusive lic. agreement with a manuf/distrib he did nothing and it was not until a couple of mths ago (two years into the agreement) he released us from obligation we should have listen to our att. and ask for some kind of performance in our contract and signing bonus just to give you the other side I am not saying don't sign but just food for thought

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  17. I too recieved a contract and my lawyer said not to sign. I even had another lawyer who was just a close friend look at it and she said the same. It's too vague! But, I'm gonna have to go with my gutt on this one. I just don't know yet.

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  18. There are some contracts that are not enforceable. For example, as an engineer I've had to sign a non-compete contract every time I went to work for a new employer. I just sign it and don't worry about it because that kind of agreement isn't enforceable. If I'm an aerospace engineer and the company I've worked for lays me off they can't keep me from going to work for a competitor. No judge is going to say that I don't have the right to make a living. The only way it would be enforceable is if the company that laid me off was paying me not to work for a competitor. I've also had to sign documents saying that any patentable idea I come up with belongs to the company I work for. Well I came up with my bottle sling while I was working for the Goodrich corp so does it belong to them? Absolutely not because they aren't relevant to one another.

    If you have an exclusivity agreement and they aren't doing anything then don't wait to get out just send them a notice that you're terminating the agreement and go on. I don't think any court is going to say that you don't have a right to make a living with your idea because some deadbeat company has an exclusivity agreement that they aren't doing anything with. I'd just say in the termination notice that if they have any objection they'd better take you to court right away. That way if you make the product successful without them and they balk later it will look bad that they only decided to balk after you had success. I really don't think any judge would side with a company that isn't actively marketing the product and bringing in sales.

    Regards,

    Cherie

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