Bring it to Market, But HOW ?

[Archangel]

Hello Everyone !
I know I am not alone here, in having some (a few) Great Ideas for commercial products. Each and every one of you have at least one. I can think them up, I can usually prototype them, and make them work. At some level I could probably manufacture them. How the heck do you sell an Idea / Product ? Most All of us have had a product idea come and go only to see it on the market later. I am of the firm conviction, that every idea has a "set time" in history and when that time comes it will occur to several / many people. As I understand Patents, unless you are BigCorporateMoney they are just money wasted. I know about non-disclosure agreements but seriously, How do you sell?
I know some of you HAVE done this, repeatedly. Please, hear my cry from the wilderness.
HOW DO YOU DO IT ?

[kellyseye]

Research.

Firstly, have you researched the 'demand' for this item? If it is entirely 'new' to the market (i.e. performs a function previously unheard of) have you distributed it to impartial users for constructive feedback?

If your device passes the above then you have to be brazen enough to go knocking on doors.
Door knocking can be as simple as a letter to interested parties - which will likely be one letter of many that they receive and therefore gets little/no attention or you can use the 'direct' approach.
'Direct' could be anywhere from your local bank (the least likely to help given recent well-advertised attitudes to the public) right up to the Managing Director of the biggest manufacturing company you can find locally - nationally if you're that convinced it's a good idea.
According to various reports, making appointments is perhaps the worst way to go about this and arriving on the doorstep unannounced and being quite insistent about seeing someone may be the required action to take.

The hardest part is being ready to accept rejection. Not all recipients of your device will either understand or appreciate what it is or what it could do or offer unless you are very specific about who you approach. 10's or 100's of rejections doesn't necessarily mean your idea is a dud but you do have to prepare for the fact.

Make your presentation simple, direct, succinct and be prepared to leave a concise package/sample for them to test at their leisure. It's easy enough to protect yourself and your idea by retaining the coding and securing copies of your 'package' with a solicitor or other registered keeper of documents.

TV programs have amply illustrated that the boldest are the most successful. If you don't have the bottle to do 'all of the above' be prepared to show someone who IS and let them act on your behalf.

No-one ever said that success comes easily or cheaply.

[Heckler]

WOW! Kellyseye, For your first post, it was a good one. Welcome to the forum.

I wish I could add to this topic... but I have no experience here.
Your comments, though, seem spot on.

[ronsimpson]

Marketing MARKETING marketing…..I can’t say this enough. Look at what they sale on night time TV.
A really good product and no marketing = 0
I have built too many prototypes just to see the inventor fail to sale the first one.
Several of us have www.stores and might help. I know it is very scary to talk about a new idea. If you could just hint at what field, maybe one of us is in that field and could help.
I consult for several companies. Is your product in the area of blinking LEDs, toys, sporting goods, flashlights, camping gear, bicycles? I know a company that routinely talks to inventers.

[rmteo]

This product was recently launched and appears to be well received. You may get some ideas by taking a look at its website here What is Panel Pilot?

[mackrackit]

http://www.kickstarter.com/
Might be an option.