by: Geoff Ficke

The American poet John Greenleaf Whittier once famously reflected; “For of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: “It might have been”. These words are of particular relevance today as modern life is buffeted by fear, insecurity and constant social and commercial change. The capacity for humans in developed countries to look to others for sustenance is a contemporary phenomenon fertilized in the 20th century and wildly expanded in the early 21st.

For most of human history individuals and small family groups were solely responsible for hunting, gathering and protecting their persons from the elements. No one retired. There were no work rules except you had better work and produce yours, and your family’s sustenance. Vacations were unknown. Laziness would result in being cast out of the family unit and likely starvation.

Indeed, in most of the world to this day, people still eke out their living as subsistence herders, farmers or fisherman. They begin work as soon as they can walk and labor on until they die. Anthropologists have studied these populations and noted that on the whole, they seem to be more fulfilled, happier and content with the simplest pleasures of life than citizens of more wealthy, developed regions.

What makes modern man, resident of industrialized countries so melancholy? The relative abundance of necessities, and the opportunity to have these elements subsidized, or provided gratis have created entitlement societies. This entitlement mindset has meant that many of us, not all for certain but many, have lost the edge to live life to the fullest, face risk bravely, occasionally fall down, but always rise to fight on another day. It is easier for these folk to blame others and as they sight abundance all around them, feel and stake a claim on this bounty even though they have not contributed to its creation.

I find this waste of talent, energy and personal fulfillment to be abhorrent. As Mr. Whittier so aptly stated; ”It might have been”. That it MIGHT have been means that it wasn’t. Opportunity has been lost for these souls. Life passes by and regrets; remorse and bitterness at the unfairness and vagaries of life is almost always blamed on others.

Recently I attended the funeral of a very old friend. Life had not gone well for this lifelong acquaintance. As usually happens at the burial and the wake, friends and family discussed my departed friend and told stories about his life, loves and experiences. Sadly, as I made my way from many of his oldest friends to his family he was remembered with love, but also with a deep sadness. The melancholy was evident as many spoke of the departed’s disappointment that his blue collar job and unfulfilled dreams that had turned him into a sad, semi-bitter old man.

This man had raised a family, worked, lived in a small tidy home, attended church, drove his own car, and possessed all of the modern conveniences of life: air conditioning, telephone, color television, washer, dryer, etc. In short, he was one of the richest people in the history of the world. But he had, and regularly expressed deep regrets at the path his life had taken. He was an unsatisfied inventor. At the time of his death his home workshop was full of models, prototypes and renderings of products he had conceived and wanted to bring to market. “It might have been”, if only my old friend had been able to take the plunge and commit himself to fulfilling his dreams.

In my marketing and product development consulting business we meet all kinds of people seeking to commercialize their ideas and inventions. Many of the ideas are poorly conceived or have other problems. However, many offer real commercial appeal and opportunity. But very few, only a handful will ever be given a chance to see the consumer product marketplace. The dreamers who choose to find reasons not to fully commit themselves to seek success are cheating themselves.

I could not imagine facing the end of life and having regrets that I had let life pass me by, not played the game of life as fully as possible. W. C. Fields tombstone famously read, “I’d rather be here than in Philadelphia”. Too many people should have gravestones that state: “It might have been”.

by: Geoff Ficke

The greatest Greek philosopher, Aristotle, is widely studied and discussed to this very day for his keen observations on the human condition. For almost 2400-years Aristotle’s numerous writings, philosophical tracts and pithy comments on men and their relations toward each other and their environment have been dissected for the many layers of meaning that can be conjured from attempting to decipher his reasoning and logic. He enchants us still.

I find that many of Aristotle’s most used, famous quotes are amazingly relevant in our current time. One of my favorite quotes from Aristotle that enjoys particular resonance to the 21st century is the following: “A whole is that which has a beginning, middle, and an end”. Simple, no! Clearly understandable! And yet, not put into practice or followed to a successful conclusion nearly often enough.

For entrepreneurs the process of starting a new enterprise can be daunting. There is an initial idea or concept. Research and due diligence are undertaken to verify the viability of the product or service. A Business Plan is written. Assembly of raw materials, sources of supply and manufacture are defined. Costs, sales models, marketing strategies and branding are created to support the product launch. Finally the project is presented to decision makers, the target customer. Sales commence. This is a brief outline of the beginning, middle and end of a product development cycle, much as described in Aristotle’s generalized quote.

Unfortunately the “end” portion of completing the circle of the whole is too often never realized. People, most of us, tend to procrastinate. We rationalize inactivity. We can justify our tardiness in not completing projects with a parcel of excuses. In my marketing and consumer product development consulting business we see and hear an unending stream of these “enterprise killers” every single day.

A task is not worth undertaking unless there is laser-like focus on seeing the task through to the “end”. We might not succeed in the marketplace with the finished work product the job pursues, but unless we finish the effort we will never learn what the outcome might really be. For many people there is a visceral preference for not receiving a firm verdict on their work. Some are afraid to succeed. Many are just afraid. The excuse not to finalize a project and put that work to the test of the marketplace is always vexing to me.

Successful entrepreneurs find ways to overcome all obstacles and finish and launch their projects. They possess an innate courage. They always complete the whole, conjuring the beginning, working to assemble the middle and planning, sighting and accomplishing the “end”. These high achievers are separated from the dreamers who never quite get all the way into the game by an inner-drive to finish every job they start.

by: Geoff Ficke

Words matter. How we express ourselves is the most important indicator of the type of person we are and the type of life we lead. In my work as a marketing consultant I have the opportunity to meet hundreds of people each year. They are usually attempting to bring a product, service or idea to the commercial marketplace. I rarely physically meet them, most contacts being made by mail, phone or e-mail. My only gauge of their capacities, abilities and passion for their project is what I can glean from their spoken words.

Two words that always indicate an excuse, or series of excuses are about to be thrown into play are “If” and “When”. “If” is the forerunner of self-justification for inaction in almost every instance that this unfortunate word pops up. “If” I receive the inheritance I will proceed. “If” I can keep my job I will be able to pull the trigger. “If” the bank will give me a line of credit I am in.

“If” is a word that is employed by people who will always be dreaming, not doing. People who meander through life and awaken in their twilight years and regret having never gotten in the game are addicted to the word “If”. I find the loss of time and blown opportunity to be tragic.

In the 21st century poetry is not the most popular form of written expression. And yet, the great Nobel Prize winning British writer Rudyard Kipling has left us a dazzling ode to success and happiness in his classic poem “If”.
“If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With 60 seconds of distance run”
Give this still so relevant poem a read. Better still print a copy and refer to it often. It offers the antidote to excuses, justification of obfuscation and laziness that cripple so many otherwise talented people.

“When” is another word that denotes an annoying impediment to making progress! “When” the time is right I will decide. “When” I sell my ranch I will make the move. “When” my dog gets over the flu I will be better able to concentrate and make a decision.

Minimize the use of these words. I am confident that the less the words “If” and “When” are utilized the greater one’s personal and professional results will become. The person who minimizes the use of these words will make far fewer excuses for their circumstances and enjoy a more fulfilling journey through life.

Recently I was presented with a wonderful product in the hardware, Do It Yourself space. The product has immense potential. As we reviewed marketing strategies, distribution channels, international sales options and branding we grew more excited. As a project analysis was prepared for the client some red flags began to pop up.

The most glaring was that he and his partner had been working on the project for almost a decade. When asked why the dawdling, they replied with a series of “If” and “When” excuses. We passed on the product.

The same week, we were introduced to another home improvement item. It has great novelty and will be successful. However, it does not have the quite same universal potential for huge sales volume that the DIY product enjoyed. Nevertheless the creator is passionate, realistic and aggressive in pursuing his spot on store shelves. He does not make excuses and he will succeed.

We chose to work with the second product inventor and passed on the first. Our thinking was guided by the words spoken as we interviewed each presenter and queried them on all aspects of their consumer products. Consider how you represent yourself verbally in every situation, personal and professional. The words you choose to utter speak volumes about your attitudes and ambitions.

by: Geoff Ficke

Yesterday I received a call from a prospective client with an interesting Do It Yourself home improvement product. The product is novel, priced right, well made, possesses unique features and consumer benefits and has absolutely zero direct competition. It should be a slam dunk to achieve distribution in any progressive big box retailer, shouldn’t it? Uh, not really!

Years ago retail chain store groups and department stores reviewed products on an appointment basis, and most provided open buying hours one morning each week. Anyone could get in line and receive a hearing from a buyer, maybe there would be interest, or maybe the introductory meeting would be brief, but the innovator at least had a fighting chance. Today the opportunity to walk in the door of a major retailer, gain an appointment and make a proper presentation is becoming as rare as the dodo bird.

Blame it on the internet. Blame it on retail consolidation. Blame it on a lack of professionalism among today’s merchant class. Blame it on scale. But realize that getting in front of decision makers with your innovative new product is a real uphill trek in today’s frenetic retail client.

My prospective client with the interesting DIY product had approached the obvious retail targets of opportunity with gusto. By the time he contacted my consumer product marketing firm he was fairly well beaten down, confused and afraid. He simply could not get past the gate keepers and receive a fair hearing from the decision makers that make or break new product innovation.

The first thing to recognize if you are seeking a meeting with today’s retail buyer is that it will be very difficult, not quite impossible but difficult, to obtain a traditional sales presentation with a category buyer or merchandise manager. You are competing with dozens, if not hundreds of competitors all seeking that meeting and hope of lucrative product placement on store shelves. There is only so much space on store shelves, in warehouses and in retail logistic links.

Your approach will be treated very much like any cold call. Consider when you receive an unsolicited telemarketing phone call at home. What is the typical response: joy or disdain? We all know the answer and so it is with a buyer receiving an unsolicited offer from an enthusiastic marketer excited about their unique product opportunity.

So how does the product innovator break through the filters and receive an opportunity to present their wares to decision makers? We utilize several different strategies that, in essence, back door our way into the buying suite.

The most professional and direct method is to participate in trade shows. Industry and category specific trade shows are attended by decision makers precisely because they are charged by their managements with discovering exciting new products. They are travelling on the stores expense account and are expected to return with something very new.

Trade show participation is an opportunity for innovators, startup companies and small businesses to look far larger than in reality they are. The opportunity to present new items next to established products and companies conveys a certain layer of solidity and appearance of prosperity. As retail buyers travel around the floor of a trader show it is likely that they will view your offering. Networking opportunities abound at trade shows. Business cards are exchanged. Hands are shaken. Introductions are made. Sales collateral is provided. The opportunity to directly demonstrate a product to a buyer in a highly charged environment is invaluable.

Once contact is made, and interest is expressed, it is almost always a given that the opportunity to schedule an appointment is offered. The ice has been broken. Your face, name and product have been impressed upon the buyer. He knows you, at least a bit. Take advantage of this personal contact, you are no longer a cold calling nuisance.

Another option for penetrating big box retail store shelves is what we call the “local option”. I have written in detail about this strategy before. It works. District or regional managers of chain stores typically have the ability to write purchase orders at the local level for products of local origin. They actually love to discover these regional gems, in many cases to rub the corporate nose a bit.

We place product in a group of district stores and support with on counter point of purchase aids and a bit of local cable television. In addition, we create a publicity campaign targeting local media. Awareness begins to build. As re-orders are written, we extrapolate a national sales model, based on the district stores actual sell through performance. When these numbers are projected against the national store count we now have hard performance figures that are unassailable. The marketer is no longer presenting a product based on assumptions.

The local district or regional manager is always keen to tout this discovery to the national merchandisers. This endorsement of a product is invaluable. It is solid “Proof of Product Life”. The door is now open at the corporate level to present your program and receive a proper hearing from the powers that be-the buyers.

Another tool that is not utilized often enough is the simplest: sales agents. The days of road salesmen calling on each little town and shop are long over. Retail consolidation has made it imperative that sales representatives build strong rapport with the big box retailers that make or break products. They live off commissions that only increase with volume. Salesmen are always looking for new products that burnish their relationship within buying offices.

The only way to grow your business is through successful sales efforts. Remember ABC = Always Be Closing! It is essential that you utilize every option and opportunity to put yourself and your product in front of buyers.

World’s Largest Hunting Industry Expo Provides Launch Pad
For Innovative New Units That Showcase Trophy Heads

Klamath Falls, OR Rob Shaw, President of Ivent, LLC and inventor of the Skull Hooker™, interviewed in Las Vegas, stated that his Company’s novel Euro Mount wall unit is being overwhelmingly positively received at the SHOT Show.

“The first morning the SHOT Show opened, we were swamped with aggressive buyers”, said Mr. Shaw. “The momentum has only increased as word of mouth has spread among buyers from all over the world, and from media outlets about the multiple design features we have built into the Skull Hooker”.

Geoff Ficke, President of Florence, KY based Duquesa Marketing, managing consultants for development of the Skull Hooker project stated, “In this market, it is gratifying to see Rob Shaw’s instincts confirmed by the professionals in the hunting and outdoor industry. Retailers have flocked to add Skull Hooker to their stores offerings”.

Skull Hooker is a patent pending wall mount that simply and stylishly enables sportsmen to display Euro Mount style trophy heads and eliminates the need to drill, and damage, the skull. Skull Hooker is available for small and large game skulls and will on retailer’s shelves this spring or by ordering from the website at www.skullhooker.com.

by: Geoff Ficke

My consulting firm specializes in marketing and developing consumer products. Currently we are preparing a hunting product for launch at a major outdoor products tradeshow. This week I took the opportunity to attend the largest expo targeting the archery/bow hunting product industry to scout trends and network for my hunting product client. It was revealing and a valuable lesson was strongly reinforced.

In every industry, and especially on display at tradeshows, there are mammoth players that dominate their category. These leading brands are the stars of the trade and are immediately recognized as such by competitors and consumers. Their products typically are well established, their distribution channels fulsome, the marketing strategies are dominant and awareness of their products nearly universal to their targeted consumers.

The bow hunting industry show I spent a day visiting this week was like most of the hundreds of other trade shows I have attended over many years. The largest, loudest, most active booths were populated by the biggest archery product marketers. The vast majority of the stands in the show, however, were small, independently owned businesses, featuring more targeted product offerings. The opportunity to participate commercially in an industry, in this case for avid bow and arrow hunters, where the entrepreneur shares a passion for the sport with the pursuit of profit is a strong lure for the driven creator.

As I walked the show, I was able to meet and chat with a range of small business owners who love hunting with bow and arrow and relish the opportunity to earn their living in the archery/bow hunting industry. They have created products that fill needs they have identified from their field experiences. These people were virtually all passionate, positive and proud of the many items and specialty products they were showing.

Consider the simple hunting arrow. We all, even if we have never hunted in the wild, have shot or held an arrow, certainly as kids playing cowboys and Indians. We know there is a tip, a bow shaft and feathers built into an arrows assemblage of parts. At the trade show there were numerous purveyors of all types of arrows. Interestingly, there were also numerous vendors offering only tips, or shafts, or feathers, in a stunning range colors and styles. The specialization of these products, their artisan nature and the small, even seemingly tiny, niches they occupy were testament to the idea that building a better mousetrap will be profitable.

I left the show re-energized. The lesson I relearned for the thousandth time is this: If you have passion for something, and can identify a way to improve the experience, you can profit and enjoy earning a living doing what you love most. Many people do exactly this. They earn a good living from commercializing their hobby, craft or favorite pastime. It takes a bit of vision and a bunch of courage to successfully take the leap from employee to entrepreneur, but it is being done every day.

by: Geoff Ficke

In 1911, the Procter & Gamble Company was already a highly successful marketer of consumer products. Its original Ivory Soap was the top selling bar soap in the world. One of the key components of Ivory Soap is cottonseed oil. The Company purchased huge quantities of cottonseed oil from agricultural product brokers. As sales continued to explode, and the need for cottonseed oil expanded, P&G began to have designs on controlling the market in cottonseed oil.

By controlling this market, the Company could enjoy economies of scale and drive down raw material costs for making Ivory and other products. However, with total market control over cottonseed oil, there would be added inventories of the oil that P&G would need to utilize in some other product. The Company put their scientists to work to discover a new product use for their excess cottonseed oil stock.

The result was a scientifically designed, laboratory produced, white, fluffy substance that resembled lard. Technically it was a foodstuff. In reality it was not. It had no smell or taste. And yet P&G began to ask consumers to bake and fry with the new product, Crisco. This was a mass marketing milestone. Crisco was one of the earliest products sold by utilizing modern mass market consumerism strategies.

P&G positioned Crisco as a scientific breakthrough. The Company’s real genius, then as now, was in creating a consumer demand for a product that people did not know they even needed. Stores across the country were given free samples of Crisco. Recipes and cookbooks were given away for free to teach homemakers the features and benefits of cooking with miraculous Crisco. The product was positioned as a healthy food (we did not yet know about trans-fats). My mother, until the day she died, would not think of baking a pie without using Crisco for her crust. Crisco became a staple in the cupboards of generations of cooks and homemakers.

This is a classic example of a consumer product that has its root in another completely different product classification. Bar soap is not consumed or ingested. That Ivory Soap would be the progenitor of Crisco, a non-food baking and cooking ingredient, is a classic example of an enterprise taking a component and engineering or adapting to create a completely new category or brand.

Many consumers have discovered alternative or multiple uses for common household products or ingredients. Heloise has made a wonderful career for herself by advising housewives in this type of crossover product usage in her daily syndicated newspaper column. Consumers are amazingly adaptable and creative in discovering new ways to utilize products that were originally marketed for other purposes.

Look around your environment and you might find a new product or business idea sitting on a shelf, right under your nose. By remarketing, repositioning, reengineering or reinventing something that is old, you can create something new. Who knew that a basic raw material, simple cottonseed oil, could evolve from a bar soap to a consumable foodstuff before Procter & Gamble saw and marketed the need.

by: Geoff Ficke

The times are obviously difficult economically for many people, companies and organizations. There is uncertainty about what the future holds. Many of us are worried about the “new normal” and exactly where we fit into these norms, if we could define them. There is a certain paralysis of action that accompanies change and uncertainty. This is to be understood.

For entrepreneurs, however, nothing much ever changes. The optimism that must be hard wired into their constitutions is omnipresent. Real entrepreneurs, those that “do”, not just dream, see opportunity behind every tree and under every rock. Most importantly, they act while others strategize, stargaze and pontificate.

We review hundreds of entrepreneurial opportunities every year in our marketing consulting business. But only a hand-full of these ever become functioning commercial entities. At the end of each calendar year, we review every presentation file we analyzed over the previous 12 months. We are always struck by how many excellent consumer products, concepts or services we saw and how few actually move beyond the talking, dreamy, gauzy muddle of the old Texas axiom, “all hat and no cattle”.

The most distinguishing factor we see that separates a successful entrepreneur from the dreamer is the ability to simply get started. I see much better than I hear. Words are cheap. Action is dear. The “do’er” is driven to get started in pursuit of their goals and aspirations. The time is always fine for them to get into gear and move their project ahead.

Procrastination is a trait that all entrepreneurial pretenders (wannabe’s) perfect. They are always waiting for the perfect alignment of the stars. Excuses abound. Investment is coming. Next year will be better, because……. My wife needs to get her degree before we start. It’s fishing (or hunting) season. A friend is going to make me a prototype when he takes vacation. Self-imposed limitations are endless.

No matter the economic climate, the best time to start a business is when you have a viable commercial idea. Down markets actually offer wonderful opportunities for entrepreneurs with fresh ideas that improve, enhance or change product performance. Fresh features and benefits and novel products are always welcome in our vast consumer product marketplace.

by: Geoff Ficke

The following are 10 of the most important Commandments the entrepreneur or inventor can follow when seeking to define a fresh niche to be attached with new products, services or business concepts.

1. Speed
People, especially in the industrialized developed world hate to wait for services, delivery or fulfillment. Figure a way to deliver your product faster that competitors and you will enjoy a huge competitive advantage.

2. Addition
What can your product add to an already existing product that creates an obvious advance, improvement or new usage feature or benefit for the consumer.

3. Customization
In a world of mass marketed, high volume production goods the opportunity to customize a product or service is often a sure fire way to break through market clutter.

4. Portability
The ability to use a product in as many places, as many ways and at any time creates huge opportunities to expand a category with a portability feature that is highly prized in a mobile modern society.

5. Safety
Can your product innovation improve the personal safety of users? Mitigation of risk is always a winning feature in new products.

6. Entertainment
People love to be entertained. This can be achieved by incorporating humor, novelty, history, pro-activity or clever branding in your new item.

7. Adaptation
If there are already successful products in your space, look to adapt and improve those products by adding convergent features and benefits to differentiate your offering.

8. Reversal
Identify a service or product feature that competitors are highlighting and reverse engineer the offering to highlight a performance difference.

9. Elimination
Life is hectic, cluttered. People will pay more for a product or service that provides a service that eliminates or lessens wait, pain, risk, inconvenience, etc.

10. Easier
People crave products and services that make life easier. Just look at the modern kitchen, laundry room or tool shed in any modern home.

Consider each of these 10 Commandments when evaluating your new product or business idea. If you can shape the idea to include one or more of these keys you will have an exponentially greater chance to successfully sell into the contemporary marketplace.

by: Geoff Ficke

The economy is in the dumps. We all know it. Now let’s put that reality behind us and prepare for the coming inevitable boom that will follow once we digest all of the abuses that the government has dumped on business.

I lecture quite often at colleges and universities. My subject always involves the dynamism of the marketplace and the need for entrepreneurs to continually boost the economy with exciting new products, ideas, services and new, divergent business concepts. This growth is the real generator of wealth, new companies, jobs, tax revenues, and consumer benefits that have made capitalism the greatest source of improved living conditions in history.

I am always excited after meeting a new group of students. They are full of possibility, energy and creative enthusiasm. They are incredibly entrepreneurial. In their drive to gain relevant business experience they are also an amazingly available and inexpensive resource for small businesses, start-up businesses and entrepreneurs to utilize in their enterprises.

I attended college in the 1960’s. In those ancient days we worked mundane part time jobs of all sorts in order to earn money for books, tuition and general living needs. My friends and I never heard the term “Internship”. We were just trying to make it through this semester, the future would have to take care of itself in due time.

Today, the student universe is different. Many colleges, such as the University of Cincinnati, offer a formalized study/work co-op/internship program. Other universities have placement offices that help students gain important work experience, and often course credits, by working in companies that parallel the students major. The serious student today almost always graduates with one or more professional internships for inclusion on their resume. This makes them much more interesting to prospective employers.

Entrepreneurs and small businesses often do not have monies to hire the full contingent of staff that they need. These cash strapped entities cannot afford the competitive salaries, benefits, taxes and work rule compliance that full-time employment requires, and yet they have real needs for tasks to be performed.

An excellent win-win for entrepreneurs and students is an internship relationship. In the current economic malaise paid internships have been drastically curtailed. The need, however, for students to gain resume enhancing experience has never been greater. They will work for little, and in some cases for close to nothing, in terms of compensation in order to gain real business experience.

We have had students approach Duquesa Marketing, our consumer product consulting firm, seeking guidance in obtaining internships. Likewise, we have many under-funded entrepreneurs approach us seeking assistance in uncovering market research, demographic study, sales prospecting, advertising concepts and many other disciplines. This is potentially a wonderful marriage of need meeting opportunity.

Smaller businesses or entrepreneurs should contact the Dean of the appropriate College at a local university. Inform the Dean’s office of their needs, the project that will be assigned the student and conditions of work or employment. The Dean will typically post such opportunities on the College bulletin board. Important! Ask the dean, or a referring Professor, if there is a possibility that the internship could be a source of course credit or grade enhancement for the student. This is an excellent motivator for the students to aggressively pursue the internship opportunity, and then when engaged, to perform their assigned duties in a most exemplary fashion. Remember, the student needs professional experience, and a strong performance reference from the internship.

For students that lack and need internship experience we occasionally suggest offering to work on a “Proof of Life” basis. “Proof of Life” means that the prospective intern offers to work in order to prove their value. Often this strategy is undertaken to gain work experience, resume enhancement, professional references and course/grade credit. Obviously everyone deserves to be paid for their work product. However, these are different times, and the long view may require a bit of personal guerilla marketing strategy.

Local universities are a wonderful resource. They are not utilized as frequently as they should be by small business and entrepreneurs. Take advantage of this amazing asset, after all, your tax dollars heavily subsidize their existence.