Demo Item Ideas?

[Scott Shepherd]

I had a phone call the other day from a friend, telling me that he may be stopping by the office in a few hours and bringing a potential customer with him. The potential customer worked for a large international company and was someone who made important buying decisions.

First thought- GREAT! Give me a call before you come, and I'll be looking forward to it.

Hung up the phone.

That's about the time the panic set in :) What would I show him? I quickly looked around the office at items I had out on display and I didn't see anything that might fit his industrial type applications. OH- GOODIE! I just got a can of Cermark in! Perfect. Crap. No stainless sheet to spray it on. What else? Oh, there's some polished aluminum. PERFECT. So I cut a few squares out, spray them, and as I'm waiting for it to dry, I open Corel, set my page size and my mind goes completely blank. Nothing. Not a thought in my head. I'd already messed with their company logo a few months back and it had a funny shape with fine detail that didn't show up well last time I tried making it small (which it would be on this example as well).

So I ruled out the logo. So, while I'm trying to come up with some idea, I open a random .eps file and decide to test the Cermark. It's burning. Looking good. Finished it up, washed it off and the image went away. Crap. Maybe I had the speed too high. Ran another piece, slower speed, 100% power. Same result. You can just see a ghost image of it. Crap crap crap (I would figure out later in the day, the shiny side of the aluminum I had was protected with a clear coat ;) ).

So showing him a Cermark example is out. What next? I have a pen fixture setup, but I don't like running them while people watch, as it does the pen in about 6 or 8 seconds, so they'll get the impression that everything is super fast, thus translating into inexpensive.

They got tied up and never had the chance to stop by that day, but I'm sure they'll be here in the not so distant future.

It made me think that I often have a deer in the headlights look when people come in and want to see something made. Family or friends will stop by and their kids look bored, so I'd love to be able to have something ready that I can open and cut and the kids can have. In the past, I've opened Corel and make a wooden sign for their doors, that they can paint and hang. But, that's too much effort while a kid is standing there bored senseless. I've also cut a couple of the little puzzle type boxes on Epilogs site, but they take over 10 minutes to run. Need something fairly quick.

Anyone got any good ideas for demo's to have ready to go for various applications, such as friends, family, kids, important business people? I'm a mechanical person, not a creative one. I can do things, but thinking of creative things is a HUGE weakness of mine and something I'm trying to work on.

[Kenneth Hertzog]

Hi
I'm working on engraving pencils and doing business cards on wood.
A pencil is very quick and a wood card is under 2 minutes
ken

[Mike Null]

Consider making a brochure of engraved and marked items that you can lift off the Internet. Even put them together in a web page type format or PDF so you can use it again.

I like to show my own stuff too but if push comes to shove I'll do what I have to do.

[Lee DeRaud]

Family or friends will stop by and their kids look bored, so I'd love to be able to have something ready that I can open and cut and the kids can have.For that level of demo, try this:
66367
I'd stick with wood, since acrylic takes forever to cut, but an acrylic one makes a nice sample if you cut and assemble it ahead of time. It's set up for (roughly) 1/8" material...test it beforehand on whatever you have and twiddle the scaling to make the tabs nice and tight.

[Phyllis Meyer]

Scott,

Totally understand about the "deer in the headlights look". A year ago when we would try to show our family and friends how the laser worked...we were zombies! Nothing in the brain kicked in:confused:. I sent you a personal message.

Phyllis:)

[James Stokes]

One thing I do is take someones picture on the spot and engrave on a cork coaster. That usually impresses them. If they are important I engrave it on granite.

[Craig Hogarth]

Family or friends will stop by and their kids look bored, so I'd love to be able to have something ready that I can open and cut and the kids can have.

For kids, let them draw something on corel while you talk to the parents. A demonstration of their artwork always impresses.

[Frank Corker]

For my choice, if you want to impress someone. Thin cast acrylic sheet. Show them how you can make shapes in corel and I'm sure you know, there is a facility there to create them.

Put any eps graphic file or picture file in your 'easy to get at folder' import it into the new shape you have created, add their name plus a little hole in the top. Voila! a keyring.

Most lasers will engrave a picture and their name in about 30 to 40 seconds. It does not have to be a deep engraving, shallow is perfect and shows how gentle the machine can be if needed. The thin sheeting can be 1/16 and will cut without difficulty, the more wattage your machine, the more impressed, because of speed. They usually get so impressed by the engraving that they have nothing but admiration when it cuts out the shape out as well.

[Scott Shepherd]

Thanks to everyone, some great ideas. I'm going to make me a folder and start dumping things into it over time, maybe even a couple of folders, one for kids, one for adults, one for business people. Good ideas, thanks to all.

[Carol VanArnam]

I have a lot of different types of samples. I use my drop off from other jobs for samples. With acrylic I make little shapes like mickey mouse ears. Wood- I make the Aztec calendar or harley davidson logo's. Metal- I'll do a harely davidson or sports logo on an aluminum dog tag.

You can never go wrong with sports logo's, Harley Davidson, the person's name engraved on anything is always popular. Car logo's like the chevy, ford logo are popular.

I cut a lot of letters out of acrylic scrap I have left over from jobs. It shows the customer what they would be ordering and it gives them something to take with them. Plastic name tags (rowmark material) samples- I've picked big companies in my town and made samples that looks like I would have sold them to that company. I then make the sale to the customer because they think WOW she's selling stuff to these other companies, she must be good and must make good stuff.

Lee- I really like your dice file. It's simple and cheap and can be made from drop off. Perfect!!!

[Patrick Grady]

Scott, I would approach each visitor differently. For family and young folks I would run the laser while explaining all the intricacies and capabilities almost as if you were selling the laser. For a potential customer, I would concentrate on the customer's needs and tastes. Instead of selling the laser, sell your shop as provider of something the customer wants and derive benefit and profit . I might not run the laser at all. Instead, in the clean efficient atmosphere of your shop, I would use samples, pictures, and focused conversation to put the customer in the role of creator and problem solver. Just like the TV car ads, sell the dreams and appetites. Having a buyer walk into your shop is like getting a big fat fastball right down the middle. I sold books door to door and have worked trade shows and learned how to take control and focus on the buyer's needs. I would avoid bells and whistles 'wow' distractions of the laser and computer, and instead, demonstrate yourself as a dependable conscientious technician and fabricator of great products. In my opinion it can be an advantage to not have the perfect prop/sample that fits the customer's business. Again, demonstrate craftsmanship, flexibility, and proficiency and then help the customer do the creating (which by extension, is creating a purchase order). There are good suggestions in the posts above. Improving sales techniques can be lots of fun and there are numerous opportunities including literature, videos, school resources, sales acquaintances (critiques and role playing are powerful exercises). I hope you do your laser talents and hard work justice and get that purchase order.

[Thad Nickoley]

Wow Patrick, I feel that i am pretty good at what I do, but I wish I was a confidant a sales person as yourself

[Bill Cunningham]

Think back to what impressed 'you' before the 'gee whiz' factor wore off! What would that be? If you remember right, it was probably just about anything.. Don't sweat it.. Most people are so amazed by a little beam that marks stuff, that just about anything will impress them.. Just like it impressed you the first time you seen it!! Remember? :D

[David Elsey]

The "deer in the headlights" is common for unexperienced sales people. Before your friend hangs up, learn to ask a few questions such as What? How? Why?

What types of products has he looked at before? How does he decide on a purchase? Why does your friend think this person is a good contact? Has he dealt with your types of items before? Which ones? What does this customer want to see?

These types of questions should get you a little more information that can allow you to prepare. Good Luck.

[Joe Lackey]

I will share a few. I would DEMO these items only as selling them may get you into some trouble with the big wigs. I have converted these to Corel 10.