Products that Work Best

1. Shopping networks are watched primarily by middle age and older women. Your product should appeal to the majority of those buyers.
2. The product needs to demonstrate well – the more exciting it is the better you chances of getting on the air.
3. You need a high quality manufacturing source, though it doesn’t need to be your own factory, and the product needs to be well made.
4. You want to watch the shopping networks to ensure your product fits into an existing category. The networks rarely carry a product that isn’t related to several other existing products they already carry.
5. Your price point needs to be at least $20 to $25. You can combine several products to reach the $20 price point, but you need a product or package of products with a high enough price to match up with the property potential of other products selling on the network.
6. Solving a common product isn’t required, as evidence by the large number of jewelry items sold on the networks, but solving a problem clearly helps your success.
7. Being a great on-line salesperson yourself, or having one within your company, will help you beat out competitors when two products are comparable.

How to Sell to the Networks

Selling to the shopping networks isn’t easy. Many people try to sell to the network and they only take on a small percentage of the products they see each year. Nevertheless many inventors are successful getting on, and many sell on the network for five years or more. The cost of pitching to the networks is low, and I recommend every inventor with products targeted at middle age to older women at least give the networks a try.

There are two options to selling to the shopping networks. First, through a direct approach to the networks, both QVC and the HSN have an easy way on their web page to submit ideas, and QVC also has vendor fairs around the country where you can pitch your idea directly to the buyers. A second approach is to use sales agents that specialize in selling products to the shopping networks. They have contacts and know the routine to get your product before buyers. They can also help you get a good pitch person if you aren’t comfortable doing online sales. They will charge a 10 to 15% commission so you might want to try to sell to the shopping networks on your own first and then if that doesn’t work you can then switch to a sales representative.

Vendor Sites for the Shopping Networks

QVC: http://wwwqvcproductsearch.com
HSN: http://www.hsn.com/become-an-hsn-partner_at-4682_xa.aspx
Sales Representatives
Kim Babjack
KimCo LLC
970-663-2382
F 602-926-0443
kim@kimbabjak.com
Kristie@kimbabjak.com

Dave Daley
Direct TV Impact
620 Hacienda Drive, Suite 104
Vista, CA 92081
619-866-9620

TV Sales Direct
225 S Church St. 3rd Floor
West Chester, PA 19382
610-696-6238
F 610-696-8231
info@TVSalesDirect.com

Patline Products International
1003 Kimberly Lane
Downington, PA 19335
610-269-3991
F 270-638-6929
patlineproducts@aol.com

The Miletti Group
10 Bellgrove Drive
Mahwah, NJ 07430
201-327-4837
F 201-712-1984
mark@themilettigroup.com

National Marketing Direct
1030 Summerfield Drive Suite
Roselle, IL 60172
630-380-5060
F 630-380-5065
howard@nm-direct.com

Side-Kick International Inc.
1157 Phoenixville Pike, Suite 108
West Chester, PA 19380
610-918-8666
F 610-918-9827
stan@sidekickintl.com
ben@sidekickintl.com

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2. Selling on TV
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TV also offers opportunities for a wide variety of products, much more so than many other distribution channels. The main attraction of selling through TV is you have a somewhat “captive” audience. Of course they can change the channel at any time, but they are much more likely to listen to your television pitch than to go to a retail store, pick up your product and carefully read the package. Because of this you can introduce products that consumers don’t know they need.

Selling a product consumers don’t know they need is nearly impossible in a retail setting. People are usually in a rush when they go shopping and rarely pick up products that they don’t know they need. But on television, you get a chance to first explain to people why they have a problem that needs solving (there are actually countless problems in our lives that we don’t realize need solving–we have simply gotten used to them or accepted the fact that “that is just how things are”) and then that your product solves that problem for them. TV is one of the only distribution channels that allows you to successfully market such a product.

Also, other distribution channels are often resistant to products way ahead of competition, only because it is not what consumers are used to and they might treat a radically new product with suspicion. Again, not so with TV, a brand new product is perfectly acceptable as well as products that aren’t so brand new, just with a different twist to them.

Products that sell especially well on television are products that have mass appeal and give great demonstrations. Demonstrations, and to a lesser degree before-and-after pictures, get people excited about products and make them believe that they really work and demonstrations of all types are easy to show on television.

Let’s look at an example of selling on TV:

Inventor Story: Maureen Kelly

TV Can Be a Great Way to Launch a New Product

QVC can do much more than increase sales for existing companies — it can be a great place to launch a new product and some companies use it as their main sales channel.  You will need to have a large amount of inventory, but if you are an underfinanced inventor and you get an order from QVC, you should be able to use that as leverage for finding partners or investors.

The TV shopping channels are always looking for the next hot product and if they like your product, they will give it a try, even without having previous sales history.

How to submit a product to QVC:

QVC is always looking for new products and they frequently travel around the country looking for products. QVC makes easy for inventors, even ones that can’t go to one of their product reviews to submit products.  Go to this website for more information on getting your product on QVC:
http://www.vendor.studiopark.com/submit.asp

How to submit  a product to the HSN:

Go to this website for more information on selling your product on the HSN: http://www.hsn.com/become-an-hsn-partner_at-4682_xa.aspx?nolnav=1

Is your inventory of your product too low to sell to QVC, HSN or other major retailers? Email info@onestopinventionshop.net with a short product description, and your web page address, if you have one, and let us see if we can help you.

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2. How to Get a Boost in Sales without Advertising

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Aug 23, 2010 – Santa Monica, CA – T2 Design Corporation (http://www.t2design.com), featured on a Freemantle TV series, has designed and prototyped dozens of new inventions for their clients and several of these products are now being introduced on television.

“Inventors and entrepreneurs find TV to be a powerful tool in making the public aware of their new and innovative products,” says T2 Design President Paul Berman.  T2 Design recently licensed a barbecue tool with Chuck Khubani’s company Ontel, a leader in the direct Response and retail business.  Ontel is a pioneer in the “As Seen On TV” industry and some of their current products include the “Iron Gym,” “Swivel Sweeper G2″ and the hugely successful “Dryer Balls.” Ontel sells their products, from housewares to hardware, on television, retail and at http://www.ontelproducts.com.

Lit Mitt

Another T2 Design client appeared with their invention on Discovery Channel’s popular TV series, “Pitchmen,” starring Anthony Sullivan and featuring the Young Billy Mays.   Inventor Linda Sue Miller launched her product, the Lit Mitt, the grill mitt and oven mitt with lights on the premiere episode of “Pitchmen” season two.  The Lit Mitt is a barbecue and kitchen accessory with 3 powerful LED lights that allow you to see what is cooking on the grill or in the oven.  The Lit Mitt is a flashlight at your fingertips.  The Lit Mitt comes in two sizes; grill mitt with lights and oven mitt with lights.  It is available for order in black, red and red with Christmas Print trim at http://www.litmitt.com.

A success on QVC and selling out their product every time it appears, are T2 Design clients, Marc Newberger and Jeffrey Simon.  Marc and Jeff’s “Drop Stop” is a car accessory that stops cell phones, jewelry, keys and pens from dropping into the gap between the car seat and the console.  It also helps reduce driver distraction by keeping one’s eyes on the road.  The Drop Stop is available for order at http://www.buydropstop.com.   Inventors Marc and Jeffrey both believe that the key to success is to follow your dreams.

“No matter what anyone says about it, if you believe in it and put your passion and heart into it, no one can stop you and you will make it happen, however it plays out,” said Jeffrey Simon.  Marc Newburger adds, “We discovered Paul Berman of T2 Design while watching the ABC’s hit TV show, ‘American Inventor’.  He had several designs that made the top 10 and seemed like a pleasure to work with.  He was.  He really gets excited about a project and makes the whole experience a fun, collaborative process.  His pricing was more than fair and he helped get our little invention ready for the marketplace.  I highly recommend taking a meeting with Mr. Berman – you won’t be sorry.”

T2 Design has been designing and prototyping inventions for over twenty years and works with inventors from idea, to design and prototyping to manufacturing.  ”Consultations are done over the phone or in person,” said President Paul Berman. “Inventors find us from all over the world at http://www.t2design.com.”

T2 Design was featured on ABC’s hit show American Inventor. Services include product design, prototype construction, patent search, engineering for production, and manufacturing sourcing and liaison. T2 Design is rated “A” by the Better Business Bureau.

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Maureen Kelly was tired of buying cosmetics from the cosmetics counter.  She liked how she looked at the store with the help of the make-up artist, but when she got home, she could never recreate the same look.  She realized that the cosmetics industry was creating products for the experts that normal people like her didn’t know how to use.  In 1999, she decided to solve this problem and create cosmetics that the everyday woman could use and look great.

She created an upscale cosmetics line called Tarte and in 2000 her products launched in up-scale Henri Bendel department stores.  Since then her business has doubled every year and had grown into a strong, stable company until 2005 when she decided her company was strong enough to take a risk: she decided to appear on QVC.

QVC has scouts out searching the country for products that would be a good fit for its audience.  They not only look at the product, but the story behind the product.  A good story gets people interested in the product.  Kelly has such a story; she launched her product out of a one bedroom apartment in New York.  QVC first approached her a couple of years ago, but she didn’t feel like her company was ready.  She wisely wanted to keep her growth in control and she feared what would happen if she was successful on QVC.  She also feared if she had an unsuccessful appearance she would be stuck with a large amount of inventory, which QVC requires before you present your product, that she wouldn’t be able to move.

QVC approached Kelly again two years later and she felt like her company was ready for the jump.  QVC gives you all of the training you need (they offer a three day training class for new vendors) and does all it can to make your product successful on its program.  When Kelly went on the air she sold nearly 1,800 units in less than nine minutes.  She was so successful that she came back, and continued to be successful.

More than just the sales she made on QVC, she raised awareness about her product and increased sales in retail stores as well.  Overall, her QVC appearances boosted sales by 33%.

Additionally, QVC receives a lot of customer comments, and even feds comments to the host while the show is live so the show can be adjusted accordingly.  These customer comments, and other helpful comments from QVC itself, have helped Kelly better understand her target market and therefore create products that better meet consumer desires.

QVC can do much more than increase sales for existing companies — it can be a great place to launch a new product and some companies use it as their main sales channel.  You will need to have a large amount of inventory, but if you are an underfinanced inventor and you get an order from QVC, you should be able to use that as leverage for finding partners or investors.

How to submit a product to QVC:

QVC is always looking for new products and they frequently travel around the country looking for products. QVC makes easy for inventors, even ones that can’t go to one of their product reviews to submit products.  Go to this website for more information on getting your product on QVC:
http://www.vendor.studiopark.com/submit.asp

Is your inventory of your product too low to sell to QVC or other major retailers?  Email info@onestopinventionshop.net with a short product description, and your web page address, if you have one, and let us see if we can help you.

Related posts:

1. Selling on TV
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You can view a preview of this great series here: http://www.veotag.com/player/?pid=2f3d0ff0-3b18-433a-afc9-2ca9a7e7f388 or go to www.uiausa.com to become a member and view the entire 10 segments.

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The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states that in 2002, the most recent year in which they have data for, women invented 10.9% of the inventions patented. In the past three years, since the debut of ABC’s “American Inventor” TV series, Paul Berman, a University of Michigan graduate, noted that women inventors now account for approximately 30% of T2 Design’s clients and many are launching new products at Macworld and other conventions nationwide.

"American Inventor" finalist, Jodi Pliszka proudly displays her product the Headline It! for hats, helmets and wigs.

Numerous inventors are inspired and thousands are taking advantage of the popularity of invention television shows to debut or develop their invention ideas. “Between thirty five to fifty percent of the inventors chosen to be filmed and featured on these reality TV shows are women, which is disproportionately higher than the percentage of individual patents filed annually by women,” said Linda Shayne, a TV and film, writer and director. “And in turn the media attention on women inventors seems to be inspiring more women to pursue their inventions. It’s terrific.”

ABC’s hit TV series “American Inventor” produced by Freemantle Media and executive produced by Simon Cowell and Peter Jones, was very popular in the U.S., premiering with 14 million viewers. Two seasons aired in the U.S. and recently both seasons of “American Inventor” TV series recently aired on Virgin 1 television in England and is currently airing in Sweden. The first season of the series followed the development of twelve finalist inventions, of which four were invented by women and one was co-invented by a woman.

At the Beijing Olylmpics, Sheila Taormina won the riding event of the pentathlon while using the Headline It!

One of the twelve finalist inventors featured on the first season of ABC’s “American Inventor” was Minnesota inventor Jodi Pliszka, who during production of the show was paired up with T2 Design. After filming, Jodi continued to work directly with T2 Design to find the right manufacturer for her hat, helmet and wig liner product and she now has achieved success with her award winning invention the “Headline It!” At the recent Beijing Olympics, while competing on horseback, Sheila Taormina wore the Headline It! under her helmet and won the riding event of the pentathlon.

The “Headline It!” is now available at Walgreens.com, Target.com, Wilshire Wigs and several other venues including www.HeadlineItStore.com. The “Headline It!” will also soon be available via the UK’s QVC television channel. Jodi Pliszka exclaimed, “Being on “American Inventor” was an incredible opportunity and T2 Design is amazing! T2 Design is professional and on top of everything from patent searches to high tech prototyping and they have a vast knowledge of the marketplace. Paul Berman is fair, objective and will tell you like it is. Plus, he is a genius engineer by trade…amazing to work with.”

Another popular TV series that inspires inventors is “Everyday Edisons” on PBS television. It is a terrific informative invention competition show that is gaining momentum on TV and on the web. CNBC’s “The Big Idea” with Donny Deutsch also impacted and motivated many inventors and entrepreneurs. Donny’s show highlighted successful entrepreneurs, as well as beginners seeking advice along the way. Many inventors often credit Donny Deutsch’s show as giving them inspiration to develop and prototype their products.

"The Knit Kit" incorporates 8 essential knitting tools in an all in one compact device.

One of the most internationally successful invention television shows is the Sony format-owned “Dragons’ Den.” This TV series has been produced in Japan, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Canada, the Netherlands, Finland and recently in Nigeria. The British version of “Dragons’ Den,” featuring billionaire judge, Peter Jones, who also was a judge on “American Inventor,” is now airing in the U.S. on BBC America. “Dragons’ Den” features inventors seeking backers from wealthy industrial titans. An American version of the TV show, to be titled “Shark’s Tank” is currently being developed by ABC television and “Survivor” reality TV producer, Mark Burnett. This TV series will provide an opportunity for American inventors and entrepreneurs to pair up with financiers and billionaire backers.

Barbara Barry launches her invention, "The Knit Kit" , at the TNNA convention.

Thousand of inventors pursue the Hollywood route to debut their products. Many inventors achieve success launching their products at conventions and industry trade shows. At a knitting and needlecraft convention in San Diego, entrepreneur Barbara Barry introduced her invention, ” The Knit Kit,” a tool kit for knitters Her unique gadget captured the attention of buyers at the TNNA Convention and orders for thousands were placed on the spot, with thousands more Knit Kits ordered within weeks. Ms. Barry’s invention was designed and prototyped by T2 Design and this innovative product will be available in knitting stores across the country in April and on the web at www.TheKnitKit.com. T2 Design also found Ms. Barry a manufacturer for her outstanding product. Inventor Barbara Barry says, “The Knit Kit is as essential for knitters, as the Swiss Army Knife is for campers.”

Marion Kohte's clever invention "In Your Face viewbase"T allows a user to hold iPods and PSP's hands-free at eye level, even on an airplane.

Inventor Marion Kohte and her husband Hans launched their invention at Macworld 2009 in San Francisco. Marion and Hans Kohte hired T2 Design of Santa Monica to develop and prototype their invention the “In Your Face viewbase”T for iPods and any PSP. This clever invention is a portable viewing device which allows the user to view videos or movies, hands-free and at eye level. It has a unique clamp base that attaches onto anything up to two inches thick and the viewbase is sturdy enough to enjoy steady viewing on an airplane ride. The “In Your Face viewbase”T product generated excitement and orders at Macworld and will soon be in stores and is available on the web at www.InYourFaceUSA.com.

Virtual prototype of inventor Kim Laney's "Adjustable Hat Rack."

From Macworld to home furnishings shows, many women first-time inventors are achieving success at conventions, and their products are now being sold in the marketplace. Kim Laney, a travel agent from, Warren, Ohio, came to T2 Design with an invention idea to make a versatile, adjustable purse and hat rack. T2 Design designed and created a 3D computer model of the product, often known as a 3D CAD model. Then they generated several photo-realistic renderings from the model. T2 Design’s process of virtual prototyping was so impressive, that when Kim personally shopped her patented invention with buyers at the Chicago Housewares Trade Show, she immediately closed a license deal with the Whitmor Company for her “Adjustable Hat Rack” and the “Adjustable Helmet Rack.”

Ms. Laney received a healthy monetary advance and a standard royalty for her invention. The Whitmor “Adjustable Hat Rack” and the “Adjustable Helmet Rack” are now being manufactured and sold at Bed, Bath & Beyond and Space-Savers retail stores and on the web, as well as Amazon.com and others worldwide.

Maribeth Nickell came to T2 Design looking for a company to develop the design and prototype a historically inspired Yankee Dooley doll line . Ms. Nickell’s great grandfather, the acclaimed artist, F. Luis Mora, whose portrait of President Warren Harding still hangs in the White House today, painted a series of children’s characters for Ms. Nickell’s father when he was a child. These paintings were the inspiration for Ms. Nickell to create a line of action dolls and The Jacabee Code interactive website game, as well as unique, personalized online book publishing.

Maribeth Nickell's Yankee Dooley doll line was inspired by historical paintings made by her great grandfather, presidential portrait artist, F. Luis Mora.

Ms. Nickell and her partner Jaclyn Cannon hired T2 Design to work with them and transform the historic two-dimensional paintings into three dimensional dolls. The Jacabee Code product line was presented at the New York TIA Toy Fair in January of this year. The game website www.JacabeeCode.com was launched this month and the Jacabee Code interactive online book publishing takes the adventures of history into a new and entertaining venue.

“Working with T2 Design was an easy choice for us,” said inventor Maribeth Nickell. “They produce high quality work with an incredible attention to detail. Their team really worked with us to understand our exact needs and maximize our dollars spent to produce our dolls.” She continued, “They are great partners who work hard to deliver beyond your expectations.”

Jeannie Hartman and her young daughter, Haley, approached T2 Design with a toy they co-invented, looking for marketing assistance. T2 Design takes on very few inventions for marketing, but was so impressed by the mother and daughter invention, that T2 Design took on the project. T2 Design brought in a major toy company and currently Ms. Hartman and T2 Design are working with this top toy company and fully developing a complete product line, with plans to launch next year.

T2 Design has been designing and prototyping inventions for over twenty years. “Often clients find out about T2 Design on the internet. Consultations are done over the phone or in person,” said President Paul Berman. “Inventors find us from around the world at www.T2design.com.”

T2 Design and Prototype
1238 7th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401
Phone: 310-656-9922
Website: http://www.t2design.com
Email: info@t2design.com

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