Getting Started w/ Selling

[bhorlings]

First off let me say thanks to everyone for their expertise. I have only spoken to a few of you but through your posts I am light years ahead of where I thought I would be right now.

I have been pouring for about a month and a half now. So far it has just been test batches to match colors, get the process down and what not. I want to get prepared for selling this spring.

Aside from setting up a web site, I am a little stumped on getting the ball rolling. Obviously, I have told every other basshead I know that I am pouring now and if they want some to talk to me but there is still that little problem of ice being on the lakes!

What has everyone done to test the waters on selling when you first get started? Should I just bring my samples into a local tackle shop to see if they are interested? Should I talk to tournament directors in the area to see if I could hand out samples?

Any thoughts from the experts would be great. Thanks in advance!

[hammer1]

You will find that you will give away more than you make especialy in the 1st year, for the small guy word of mouth is best advertisement, tournament anglers can be a good way also, but quite often we don't want to share a hot new bait with other competitors! hope it helps. Mark

[MDC]

You can do the above and also join a local club and show up to all the tournaments and whip everyone. Talk to a few local guides, see what they like a give them a few samples. I pour for a couple of guides and they have sponsors. I think this causes them to be prone to expect quiet a few "samples". Funny thing is, they have NEVER given me a sample fishing trip. Just be careful how much you give away for free unless you want to continue to do so.

[ottoman]

Last year I walked into a tackle shop hoping to get a small display next to the register. While talking to the owner he let me know what he made off other baits, so I offered our worms for less, buy time I left he ordered 4000 worms, and in sizes that I did not even have. So I had 2 caught up to the order and that , but they sold out and he gave me the display again this year & I raised the price to make up for last year price. I know a lot of people might bock at this idea but it works for me, on our website I offered free demo bags, and I mean free no shipping- nothing. But I got about 75% of those people to then order bags, all I asked for was feedback and 1 guy sent us a five page letter on how he caught his biggest fish and he told all of his friends. Now I have a group of guys in NJ that order our baits. Also fish and game post all of the torments in the state for the year, get a shirt with your logo and fish your ass off, or least land the biggest fish. But the best is word of mouth I was at a bar last year & the 2 guys next to me where talking fishing so I worked my way into the conversation and finally I asked what they used. The guy said to me you probably never of heard of them and it

[Jon_570]

what your company called

[Spike-A-Pike]

bhorlings.

First let me wish success in your new interprise.

Second, let me introduce you to a term - "Self-Promotion". I have lived in or spent time in at least 25 states in the lower 48, and different folks need to take advantage of the local features in their area. As a friend of mine on TU has said, "When you don't post a public profile, we can only assume you are a blank page."

In states across the upper midwest, MN, WI, MI; there are thousands of lakes and a lot of watering holes. There are places where the tourist come and buy bait and tackle, and other shops, like Fleet Farm, where the locals go.

It is difficult to add suggestions or recommendations when we don't even know the locality you live. OK and Texas has a lot of fishermen too. Those boys love to go after those big Florida strain Bass. About every year or so, they reinvent a new way to fish a plastic worm... ask 'em.

I think all of the members on TU enjoy watching the membership on our site learn to make good baits or tackle and suceed in selling them in an ever growing market place. But to make it, you are going to have to learn to self-promote your product, your process, methods to use to make guys fishing your baits, catch bigger fish, or more fish, or catch self cleaning fish... Well, okay... the self cleaning fish would be a bit of a stretch given the catch and release nature of people these days.

Again, good luck with the bait business, but sit down and think about putting together a business plan and take the time to figure out how you want to get your product out there. If your local market is CA, you might have to include some board wax with every 5 lbs of bait... You know Calie..

[Delw]

I'll give you my 2 cents on Bass fishing customers, as I know hundreds of them through the tournys I fish and the website I own.

on the internet DONT SPAM YOUR YOURSELF

if there is a payed advertisement do it that way.

Spamming yourself will turn everyone off.

also dont make posts just to see your tag line.

Free stuff.(except the tourny part)

dont give it out plain and simple, once you give it out everyone will be expecting a deal and when they dont get it your a #####.

when they do get it your the good guy until the next bait comes along.

Tournys: sponsor a local tourny let the tourny director toss out to a few bags. Dont get up and make some huge long ass speech cause guys fishing dont wanna hear it they want to get there checks and go home. when your talking about how your bait is better than joe blows bait for10 mins or the fish you caught on it they get tired of it. Basically its the same old crap we all hear at tournys.

look at it this way, your bait isnt any better than anyone else's its just another bait with a different color or design, maybe a tad cheaper. most people who fish tournys know for a fact that any bait will catch a fish it just has to be there at the right time and the right bait. which is also a good reason to sponsor touries at the right time.

for example if its a top water bite or time of the year dont toss out dropshot worms I think you get the idea.

local Tourny Bass fishermen are the cheapest breed out there, they want everything for free or at a discount. they have there favorties and they will use them even if your bait is free. you have to make them want to use your baits.

if your quiet( meaning not being forcefull and in your face) about it and start with friends and bass clubs you will get more sales than flooding and pimping the market not to mention people will have more respect for you and not take advantage of you.

let me put it to you this way.

I been fishing tournies since the 80's and I have fished a ton of them( 4-6 years I fished a min of one every weekend sometimes 2 and a few times 3 in 2 day( 2 on the same day same lake). to be honest I cant remember one name of a bait sponsor or as a matter of fact I can only remember 3-5 total sponsors in any of the tournys with the exception of yamamoto.

Gary when he was in the valley would walk up to the tourny director give him a bunch of baits. No speech, no talking just hand them and walk away into the crowd. when gary left the valley he still gave baits from his store( he still does today and he doesnt have a store here) they would drop of the baits to the dir and say nothing. including the guys who worked at the store and were sponsored by him.

The Dir would mention the name and it would be done.

we got guys that make thousands of baits for people they dont advertise nor do they sponsor tournys. they are 2-3 months behind and very well known because everyone thinks its a bg secret and just cant wait for the chance to get some of there baits.

Just remember selling your baits will make you a local star for a while as you have something that people might be able to get for free, but these free guys are also your worse nightmare if you dont help them out all the time. Remember most new friends are short time friends as they are only friends cause you have something they want. These guys ill always go back to the same baits they been using before they started using yours.

I hope that made sence and I didnt scare you. Make the customers want the bait , dont make it look like you want the customers.

Delw

[bhorlings]

Thanks for the great insight everyone. It all helps me put a plant together.

[alsworms]

Del's points are right on the money. I wish I had my first 2 years of pouring back. I can honestly say I gave out samples to over 1000 people. Do you know how many actually ordered from me after that??? MAYBE 2.

It is really difficult to understand the mindset of the average fisherman/potential customer. When you say you're pouring now, some will think "Cool......now I have a place to buy my worms and ask for custom colors". Unfortunately, most will think "Great......FREEBIES!!!".

Be VERY careful with your selling tactics.

Carry On.......

[fishinfool/2]

agree with DELW & ALSWORMS

just today at a fishing club meeting i showed off a few of my new handpoured tiems. first thing a member that i gave samples to last year ask me. do you have samples? i thaught you cheep ###. watch what you use for promotions.

[bhorlings]

Spike,

Thanks for the input. I actually thought I filled it out already but it must have been over at Del's site. I updated it.

[bhorlings]

My company name is Bucketmouth Lures. The website is http://www.bucketmouthlures.com.

I do not have anything on it yet but I will in a few weeks. I am still setting it up.

Did anyone register their company name with the state? Or actually file as a corporation?

[earthworm77]

I think that before you even think about selling baits, you should concentrate on gaining more experience. Doing this for a month and a half is a bit premature to be considering a business. You build this type of business up by gaining trust, a good reputation and being consistent. It takes considerable experience to accomplish that. I've been pouring for 15 years. I started the hand pouring part of my custom bait company 10 years ago and I can look back even three or four years ago to see how much my pours have changed and improved. You don't want to start out too early. You might have a revalation a year into this and your pours might be totally different. Everything you did or put out for customers prior to that may be inferior. It is all about consistency.

My company is registered both with the state and federal gov't.

[Delw]

Earthworm with todays molds 2 piece Alum ones a guy can pour with in hours for production. there is nothing hard about it.

I know plenty of people who started and in a week were selling to stores, you couldnt tell their baits from any other baits.

Delw

[earthworm77]

You are correct Del, but you even said it "you couldnt tell their baits from any other baits.

To be really successful you need to create a desire for your product, a niche. The guys who develope a higher skill at this becaome successful or at least earn that reputation. I consider a skilled individual as one who does more than just fill a mold...maybe the multi pour stuff, laminates, paint, custom mold design, tubes etc.. It takes a degree of talent to pull stuff like that off consistently. Kind of like the original California/West Coast stuff that got me into this. Take a guy like Chris from Al's Worms. Look at his work and compare it to 90% of all pouring. It stands out. You will always remember his name because of that. This is due to his experience.

Anyone can pour a few nice baits and sell them on eBay, don't get me wrong but if you are set on just going out and doing what 90% of the other companies do, what sets you apart from them? Why would anyone buy your products over the other guys? You couldnt tell their baits from any other baits. Make it the same and you have to be the low baller to get business. Make it different and you can get what you want for it. Making it different consistently is accomplished by experience.

[SWO]

Excellent topic!

So are you guys saying that you should never give free samples to anyone under any circumstances? I was thinking about giving some to guys in my former bass club to test, but now maybe I won't.

[bhorlings]

I agree with both your assessments. I do need to get more experience at pouring. Heck... I personally have not even thrown one of my baits because we are iced out right now. I am still developing my color recipes and improving my skill. I was just wondering how everyone got started and any ideas they can offer that would be helpful. I see people like

I plan on intentionally keeping it small right now. I do not have a business plan or anything developed yet but still want to be able to sell a few lures to people who happen to want to buy them. It's not like I am out to put Gary Yamamoto out of business tomorrow. Maybe in a few years... lol.

I see people like saint, alsworms, swampbaits, 152nd street baits, ghost baits and think to myself. I want to have something like that going in a few years.

The reality is I am just getting into this and understand that there is a huge learning curve but you have to start somewhere.

[Delw]

Oh man lets not get started on Ebay.

Ebay is what RUINED the bait world. the only people you will find on ebay is those wanting a deal. if you have them at your place for lets say 7bucks and you put them on ebay for 7bucks you wont sell too much.

you put them on for 4 or 5 bucks and your sales will go up.

Ebay can be worked to your advantage and I can think of only 3 maybe for people that did it right.

the biggest case was the bass trix, supply wasnt there ( well it was but at rediculous prices) the guys that jumped in and sold there products for the going rate( not the extra high price) but the going rate are the ones who did good. Jim is a good example on his tube minnows.

people selling worms and stik baits on ebay cut everyones throat including there selfs.

50 sticks for 10 bucks and even 25 sticks for 10 bucks thats bad news and it messed everyone up in the bait business.

Multicolor pours are a whole different ball game. stick baits and 2 piece molds doesnt require that many skills you generally pour in one color only and sometimes you do a 2 tone.

those are your best money makers to begin with cause they take less time.

SWO

under any circumstances? NO, the point I was trying to make is that people will take advantage and they only like you cause you have free stuff.

someone has to pay for it, can you really afford to give free stuff away? most of us can't.

if you sold volumes of baits like the big companies yes you can afford it plus you use it as a write off as well.

[alsworms]

Excellent topic!

So are you guys saying that you should never give free samples to anyone under any circumstances? I was thinking about giving some to guys in my former bass club to test, but now maybe I won't.

Not at all, and please don't take my post the wrong way. Giving out samples to friends and fellow bass members is one thing. Giving them to any Joe Schmoe who emails you is another, and trust me.......you will get PLENTY of those too!

It's really up to you. There really is no right or wrong way in doing this, as long as YOU feel comfortable doing it. Over time, you will receive sponsorship requests. You will undoubtedly be able to tell who is sincere in their efforts to help promote your product, and who is just after the popular "freebies". You will also get this email: "Is there any way I could get a few samples before placing an order?". My advice is to say, "I'm sorry, but we're not in a position to send out samples at this time". Reason? Because chances are really good you'll never hear from that person again, no matter how good your product is. If that one customer emails 10 companies.......and 4 of those companies send out samples........he or she might not ever have to buy a bait. Make sense? It's sad, but trust me.......they ARE out there.

This is the reason I always offered baits in packs of 50, 25, and as low as 10. If a customer cannot risk paying 3 to 4 bucks for a pack of 10 baits, then it's not worth it to you! The exceptions might be (as mentioned) friends, fellow bass club members, and those who are already current customers. Let's say you put out a new product. You might have a current customer ask for a few samples before purchasing that product. Then it would be very feasible for you to send out those samples. You scratch my back.......I'll scratch yours.

Geez......another novel. Sorry fellas. Those of you who know me know that this is a VERY touchy subject for me. Can you tell?

[GB GONE]

Please be sure to take care of things on the "business" side of things!! Paperwork, taxes, registrations etc. The IRS is no joke (well sort of) but can really take you to take.

Liability can be an issue as well. In my opinion (worth 2 cents MAYBE), you should incorporate or form an LLC to protect your personal wealth and items such as your home, vehicles, etc. Weird things happen in this day an age and nobody is immune from litigation.

On the pouring side, keep things simple and work hard in the background before releasing a product or color.

Del stated with the aluminum molds anyone can be in production in no time. While I don't disagree with that statement, I do disagree somewhat with saying you can be in "production" at that point. Maybe with a few colors but what happens when you get asked to do junebug with a chartreuse tail or morning dawn. You will get into things only experience can get you through. Then you will have to make excuses to the customer or refuse business all together because you really don't know what you are doing. Just because you can pour plastic down into a hole does not mean you can hand pour!!! (Sore subject for me Chris!!)

Anyway, everyone is different and only you know when you are ready to set your stuff out there for the whole world to judge. I am by far my worst critic!!!

Jim

PS Tell the guys that want samples to call Zoom for samples and see what kind of response they get. Not just for junebug either... Ask for junebug/red & silver flake with a green pumpkin tail;)

[GB GONE]

Did anyone register their company name with the state? Or actually file as a corporation?

PS In many states/cities/counties, doing business under a name that is not registered is considered fraud and very serious penalties await!

Not trying to be scary with all that but take care of it on the front end.

Jim

[ReactionAttack]

I started out retailing plastics when i was 14. I built a reputation, and people began to realize that I had a quality product. I did well in a few tournaments on these baits, and people started asking questions. I sold that business two years ago, and started a custom jig making business. My first attempts were pathetic, but I refined them until I began receiving feedback that these were premium jigs. I took a bold step in asking a price that I feel they are worth. People pay for and get exactly what they want. It is an awesome feeling to come to a weigh-in and have someone holler at you asking if you're the man with the jigs. People I have never met. I have connections now, and supply a tackle shop in Del Rio. I am still small time stuff, but I am expanding my business, learning new marketing strategies, and developing a name for myself and for my business.

[GB GONE]

Very good point!!!! If you have a quality product, the customers WILL come!!! Plus you can charge a price that is win-win...

I have seen some of Boone's jigs in person. While the pictures are nice, you should see them in the water (usually in a fish's mouth!!)...

Jim

[bhorlings]

Thanks Jim. That's the information I was looking for. I wanted to make sure that when I am ready I do the right thing instead of falling into the pitfalls. Not looking to go toe to toe with the IRS!

I really appreciate everyone's comments. They have provided a lot of insight. Mainly... Practice and hone my craft then start selling. At least I can just put something on the site that shows colors and what not for now.

[GB GONE]

At least I can just put something on the site that shows colors and what not for now.

Please do not take my comments as discouragement or that you are not ready to sell you baits on-line or that you will not get customers!!

You will and should get better as time goes on. Every time I pour, I aim to learn something new.

Have fun and be passionate about what you are doing and you can come out of the gate doing it right!!

I say go for it! If you need any help, you know where the support crew is... TU!!!!!!

jim