I have had the recent pleasure to get to build a rod for Trouts Unlimited for an @#$%&. They payed for the parts and through my job I got the blank donated by Temple Fork. I hope that this will help out my business some.

Have any of you guys had experience donating rods for @#$%& and what were the outcomes?
This is my first rod that I have built a fly rod for anybody but myself so i hope they like it as well as i have my own.

Ked Stanfield

In the past my rods recieved good money. The down side is the winner of one of my rods never came by to ask me any thing about the rod or thank me for my donation.
Good Wraps Bob

My experience has been the same as Bob's.
It's brought good money but no additional business or follow-up has ever occurred.

I almost liken it to @#$%&, except it's at least going to a good cause.

Dave

I know several guys who have donated rods, some have recieved a lot of follow up business, others have recieved none. IF ou're going to donate teh rod and want to get follow up orders, imo you have to go there and kind of give a speech so teh members know who you are and know you're a good guuy who knows what you are doing and will be comfy ordering from you in the future. Antoehr thing which usually goes over really well is doing a seminar or somethign of the sort at a local fishing club. Here's teh thing - if oyu are a good speaker and know how to market yourself while giving out good info, you'll get orders. If you are a poor public speaker, are boring, or have rods which do not appeal to those in the audience, you're not goign to get any orders unless your rods are that good.

If I were donating a rod, I wouldn't wait for teh guy who won to find out who I am and seeek me out for thanks - I'd find him and make sure I talk to him and let him get to know me. Orders aren't going to magically fall out of the sky, you gotta work with what you got - donating a rod puts your foot in teh door, you gotta hustle to get teh rest of your body in.

In exchange for donating the rod, you need to ask for a few minutes to talk about it prior to the @#$%&. Let them know what it is and what you do so anyone interested will know a little more about you and how to locate you after the fact.

It has been my personal experience that donating rods to such causes may be noble, but only rarely results in follow up orders or increased business. Sorry. Perhaps things will go different for you in this regard.

......................

I agree with Tom i have done about 6 rods so far for groups and you really need to let them know who you are or they never get to meet you after the rod is said and done because they are so happy to have either won the rod or bought it that they dont even think about who built it. So when you do one tell them that you would like to give the rod to the winner/buyer so you can tell them more about the rod they have just recived and be sure to take a lot of contact info with you .

Billy;
That was really good info and very well put!

Ked...In sales I have found that to sell a product you have to sell yourself first...if the product is good it will sell itself no matter what....Always mention the company who did the donation of componets and above all a bit about yourself. Donation is a great business builder as long as you get out there and sell yourself.

Tight Lines
Tight Wraps
Fishin'Stix by Fred

When I sold rods I donated a couple of rods to the Gulf Coast Conservation Association. One of the recipients was a local radio personality that had a daily fishing radio show. He was honored one year by the GCCA. I got plenty of free air time on the show but it never produced any sales.

Selling yourself has proven to be an innefective method of sales of most high end products. The topic for the Marketing and Sales Seminar for ICRBE 2008 deals with effective communication between custom rod builders and potential customers. You may be the best and most talented custom rodbuilder in the world but if your customers needs are not handled properly your sales potential will not be realized. The subect matter relates to customer Need Satisfaction by the proper use of Features and Benefits of the custom rods you wish to sell. Surprisingly, dealing properly with the attitudes of the customer are far more important than the color of the thread or the reputation of the builder.

If you can attend this session at 11:00 am on Sunday we will have some FUN!

Gon Fishn

Beg to differ with Bill Stevens....but....I feel that selling yourself doe's not mean that you are a reputable rod builder trying to sell him a color of thread, I think it shows your ability to communicate with the potential customer and speak of the things that you can add to the already known product to make it better for the customers needs. I am not selling him on the thread he should use or of any glitter, bells and whistles, that would be up to him if he wants the added goodies. My feelings are that if you offer your experience on the betterment of a blank that has a solid reputation that you are selling yourself and your knowledge...not a line of B.S.

I have never met Bill Stevens face to face but he as a rod builder has sold me on himself many times over from his threads on this forum and if I were a potential customer who wanted a blank that I was familar with I would ask him if he would build it for me knowing of his expertise that he has rendered me....This to me is selling yourself.......Nuff said....just my .02 cents

Tight Lines
Tight Wraps
Fishin'Stix by Fred

Fred what about the potential buyer of a fishing rod who sees no need for a custom built rod? Or one who says I am quite happy with the rods from Wall Mart. Do you write him off or deal with the his attitude of INDIFFERENCE in a manner that may confinince him otherwise.

The seminar will deal with those types of issues. What about selling a guy a spiral wrapped rod? The rodbuilder will typically be faced with another customer attitude - SKEPTICISM - how is that properly dealt with? I hope you do not think that a technical dissertation on the difference between a bumper and Forhan wrap will get you to the end of the line.

I am sorry that I used the example of color of thread in my first post. The issue of thread color can even be a sticking point. What if he hates purple? The statement from the customer is I hate that rod! He is now expressing an OBJECTION that must be dealt with properly. There are skills needed to move past these hurdles.

In the end the customer will buy a rod that Meets His Needs! The understanding of how to get the rodbuilder and the customer to reach the point of sales close is really and interesting subject.

My opinions are really not worth the two cents you note but we would really spend a productive time discussing the true value of successful customer - rodbuilder direct communication.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/17/2008 01:38PM by Bill Stevens.

First of all the rod builder must know his product. (how it iscostructed) what the rod is best used for. Have a rod that he/she can borror to use. Be able to explain why the handle is is cesigned the way it it and why you you use this type of reelseat. and why you spaced the guides the way you do. If you do a siral wrap tell him the advatages to this wrap.. Before you sell a product you must know it endside out..
THREAD ART CUSTOM THREAD COLORD DOES NOT MAKE A CUSTOM ROD. Remember you are a speclized product designer. You are not a copy cat rod builder.
Good Wraps Bob

> THREAD ART CUSTOM THREAD COLORD DOES NOT MAKE A CUSTOM ROD.

It just makes one better. lol.

thanks for the input guys, I will get chance to say a little bit about the rod and I believe that for the sheer fact that theres not too many rod builders locally it may help me out. And because this isn't a big fly fishing area like Colorado, or Idaho the guys that fly fish are willing to travel to these places and are willing to pay a little extra for exactly what they want.

I have quite a bit of sales experience so I do believe i can sell myself as well as the rod. Hopefully they will receive it well.

Billy that is true, but the truth is can make it preform. Remember back in the old days. In the fifties The plain Jan cars were generally the fastest at the light. Even the good old farm kids had fast cars. Even tho the cars looked like they belonged in the back 40. LOLOLOL::))
Good Wraps Bob

HEY all, if i could make a sujestion, im not related to or have any ties to BILL STEVENS he is somone i met through this board, he has helped me, and just in the little bit of time ive spent with him hes made me a better rod builder and a better salesman, go see him and listen he can help

BIC doug

For Bill Stevens - I can't get to ICRBE this year. Is there any way I can get the info presented at the sales seminar? I'll gladly send in an admission fee, not trying to get a freebie, just don't want to miss this good stuff!

Thanks,
Marc

There will be a printed text guideline used in the Workshop at High Point. The text will be updated at the conclusion of the Workshop to include comments made from the floor. All current subscribers to Rodmaker Magazine may request a copy. The document will be in Adobe PDF Format and will require Adobe Acrobat Reader to view.

Anyone desiring a copy is required to email me personally at stevens.bill@cox.net. The email must contain the expiration date of your Rodmaker subscription that appears on the front cover of the magazine following your name.

Please email only - No requests attached to this Rodbuilding.org board thread will be honored.

WHOA GUYS....I never took any shots at BILL STEVENS, he along with quite a few others on this forum has taught myself and others one heck of alot in their threads on numerous subjects....I even stated that with his knowledge of rod building he has sold me on being a person I would talk to if I was a customer looking to have a rod built....This to ME is selling yourself and not the product...Or If I as a rod builder talked to a potential customer I would only pass along my knowledge as a rod builder...I would not blow smoke and speak to him of which I knew nothing ,I would tell him of the things that I knew and could possibly help him on and if I did not know of something he wanted I would tell him so and I would go right to this forum to find out [which I have done many times].....I have delt with some sort of sales all my life mostly because I love people and in treating them with respect and truthfulness, no B.S, Take for example a person wants something built on a Lamiglass blank that he can not get from Wal Mart I offer and explain to him what I can do for him and if I can not do something that he wants I will tell him so. Bob Balcombe is correct in his stating the rod builder must know his products and that as a rod builder you are a specialized product desingner.

I have always felt that if you listened to a persons wishes, be it indifference, skepticism, or whatever to your way of learning and you can not change his way of thinking then his mind was set in the first place and it was not because of your truthfulness to him. Thank him for his time spent with you and that you were sorry you could not help him. Try as you might you can not sell a customer everytime...the product spoke for itself...but you did not convince him, so you did not sell yourself. Next time maybe you will be able to sell yourself to the perspective customer,
you can't win them all.

I wish I could be there with alot of you to listen to Bill present his ICRBE 2008 talk as I also think it will be very helpful to all concerned...as I said it was my .02 cents and I spoke of my feelings on Bills stating "selling yourself was innefective"....I felt it was effective.

Tight Lines
Tight Wraps
Fishin'Stix by Fred