MARKETING A NEW INVENTION
The value and success of an invention depends upon its demonstrated
usefulness to those for whose use it is intended, and their desire to
avail themselves of the same.
It very often devolves on the inventor to give that value to it, a
task which will not be found easy, especially to the novice.
The first necessary steps to force an invention into the market is
to procure as many representative references from people using his
invention as possible. This may necessitate placing his machine on
trial for a certain length of time, and personally demonstrating
its usefulness; also educating other operators to operate his machine
advantageously.
[Illustration: VISION SUFFICIENTLY PENETRATING TO DETECT THE
NIGGER IN THE WOODPILE.]
The inventor will find ample opportunity to display his forebearance
at this stage of the game, as he will find at the beginning, "no one
poor enough to do his invention reverence." And it is one of the
strange things that one observes in life, that many people who have
not sufficient energy and intelligence to raise themselves beyond the
very humblest and meanest occupations in life, consider themselves
amply qualified to criticise, and even make suggestions on inventions
that some of the best brains have spent their best on.
But this is a condition that must be reckoned with and overcome
in introducing a new machine on the market, and the inventor will
find it to his advantage to use every possible means to persuade
and win over those who will have to operate his machine, as well
as to demonstrate to the proprietor himself the usefulness of the
invention; and sometimes even he may find it to his advantage to
furnish an educated operator for the machine.
If his means are limited, which is often the case, he will have to
act as his own salesman, advertisement-writer, and press-agent until
the invention becomes firmly established in the market. To go out in
the cold, wide world and solicit orders even on approval for a new
invention requires considerable adaptability, pluck, patience, and
hard work. Very often success or failure depends upon the initial
exertions in that direction.
No fixed rules can be laid down for that kind of work. To be
successful, it must be varied with the nature and the disposition
of every individual who does the selling and buying. But generally
speaking, it is a safe rule for a salesman to observe, "Brevity,
Directness, Simplicity, and Politeness," as the average business man
is, by force of circumstances, homeopathic. They like "Talks" in
small quantities, concentrated form, and sugar-coated.
[Illustration: NO ONE POOR ENOUGH TO DO HIS INVENTION REVERENCE.]
Sometimes silence, the ability to keep one's mouth closed, and to
respectfully listen to a loquacious prospective buyer, will secure
an order for a machine, where a disposition to do all the talking,
however "silvery" will not accomplish the same "golden" results.
Another important factor in introducing a machine into the market is
advertising by mail.
Painstaking exertions coupled with the required ability to get up
a proper circular, which should include a clear cut, half-tone
preferably, of the machine to be sold, a concise explicit statement
of the nature of the machine, and its capacity, and its advantages
over previous or other methods of doing the same work.
In wording and phrasing your circular, observe simplicity. A list
of references will materially enhance your chances of securing
attention, as most people are willing to say "Me Too," where you
could never get them to say "I."
In the general get-up of your circular it is best to have such an
arrangement as will readily go into an ordinary business envelope,
without folding. If, however, it must be folded, it must be so
arranged that the fold so creased will not come at a vital point.
Plain, clear type of convenient size, on good white paper, and black
ink, is better than rainbow colors. However, a different color for
a few words now and then for emphasis, is permissible, and may help
to bring out certain points which you wish the prospective buyer's
attention called to.
The general get-up of the circular must be of such a nature and form,
that the prospective buyer of average intelligence will be attracted
by it, and will get a general idea of what it has to tell him at a
glance.
It is even best to leave the price of the article off the circular,
as that will induce people to inquire for it, and give one a chance
to get in touch with those who are interested, while those who would
not even inquire for the price, would not buy any way.
Another means for introducing a new invention on the market, is in
"write-ups" of the same in the daily papers, magazines, and trade
papers; as very unfortunately a good many people would not pay any
attention to circulars, and would not find time to grant a personal
interview to a solicitor, yet they do look up printed matter in the
form of a newspaper, magazine, or trade-paper, and very often get
their own views on any subject from the general tone of the article
they read.
These articles require considerable intelligence, care, and literary
ability to prepare, and more to get them printed, as they naturally
have to vary in tone and style with the paper, or magazine they are
printed in.
It is more or less easy to get a write-up in a trades-paper for an
article that comes within its sphere, and very often the editor of
that magazine will be willing to do the writing-up, from circulars
furnished to him or from observations of the machines as a news
item, for the dual purpose of furnishing its readers with useful
information, and of obtaining advertising patronage from the
beneficiary.
In other magazines, it will require more ingenuity and literary merit
to get in at all, and except in very rare instances, it would be best
for the inventor to turn that part of the business over to some one
who has experience in that line of work, and knows "how."