5 Things Makers Can Learn from the Home Shopping Network (and those other late night infomercials that are keeping so many people up all night)

I used to have a big problem falling asleep

(which has turned into a big problem staying asleep - ugh)

and was kind of an expert on those As Seen on TV uber-amazing gadgets and gizmos that are so hard to resist and seem so magical at 2am.

I don't get to see this stuff as much these days, but if we're thinking this is just all cheesy stuff we don't have to pay attention to we may be missing something.

Like millions of dollars in somethings.

Now, I wouldn't suggest we turn our makings into an infomercial about the virtues of cubic zirconia, but I do think there are things we could learn and apply to our own ventures from this uber-successful selling concept.

1. The hosts create trust by really believing in the stuff they are selling

Now, I get that some of this is called acting and I'm not saying I really believe that Cindy Crawford gets her amazing skin from her skincare line (although she does make me believe she uses her products) and not from botox and collagen, but the passion these hosts have for their brands is unmistakable.

sometimes this passion comes through with an evangelical fervor that borders on the insane and it may just be the Jersey in me that isn't bothered by this, but if we don't think our stuff is totally amazing and freakin' awesome and get a little crazy about it now and then no one else will either

2. They reveal product features gradually

With infomercials it's always - wait there's more and then wait, there's more again. Whether the more is another little feature or benefit or freebie - it seems like the goodies never end and we would be a damn fool not to buy this stuff.

how can we get the - "wait, there's more" factor - into our makings? what is our "more"? how can we get our customers thinking - "holy crap this is an unbelievable combination of things and I can't live without it!"

3. They focus on solutions to problems

An example is that closet hanger thingamajig. They show you the messy closets, the frustrated woman, the sloppy kids dragging their wrinkled selves about the house. They get us thinking "Oh my God I so relate to this" - I think it's the wrinkled kids that does it. Then they slowly introduce their amazing closet hanger thingamajig that we start thinking we can't live without. It's not about getting rid of our messy closets - it's the solution to everything that clutters up our lives - it's the answer to life itself

how are our makings creating a solution for our customers - we don't have to be quite so over the top about it, our niche market may not be the 2am shopping crowd that we need to keep awake but by thinking in terms of how our makings make people's lives better we are definitely going to make stronger connections

4. They bring in experts

I am not sure exactly what the dirty carpet guy expert is an expert in - but it's clear he's an expert - who is going to argue with a guy with a three piece suit and clipboard and handful of cow manure - I mean it's clear this guy means business and knows about dirty carpets.

who are our experts - well, if you sell pillows it could be those home magazines that should be featuring you so you can be telling the world what the experts think about your stuff - find yourself an expert

5. They are like us ... only better

The hosts are always relatable to the audience ... they are just a little bit better organized, handy, good-looking, etc - but not so much that we hate them. The hosts are totally relatable to their target market.

how are we making ourselves accessible? do you wear your own makings? do you have a blog or facebook so people can get to know you? the more your customers see you as a person and not a "manufacturer" the more they will be able to relate to you - it is each of us presenting ourselves as a real person, warts and all .. well, hopefully we don't have any warts, but if we do, there's always photoshop - that makes this big old impersonal internet into a very personal place where we can get to know each other

So, the next time you are ordering a Lint Lizard or a Sticky Buddy at 2am - stop and think about what it was that made you pull out your credit card at 2am and how can you get your late night online shopper to do that, too?!

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** Erupting with Awesome print by YellowHeartArt

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answers $1.00 - correct answers $2.00 - dumb looks are still free (hiring a coach for your maker business)

There may be enough business coaches out there now for us to each have one of our own.

(personally I'm waiting for someone like my old field hockey coach except maybe she won't spit on me when she screams my name loudly enough to have everyone in the stands looking around the grounds for a four legged calico)

Now I have never hired a business coach so my advice is of the "dumb looks are still free" variety

(if I charged for the kind of tidbits I offer up on this blog you would probably all be thinking I had a screw loose, but since I give my tidbits up for free I am pretty certain you are left thinking, that Cat, she is pretty freakin' clever ... once in awhile)

but not knowing what I am talking about has never stopped me before and from what I have heard from friends it hasn't stopped some of the coaches out there who charge oodles, so here is my advice for hiring a coach for your small business:

1. Nice is not always a good thing. Kind is a good thing - you don't want to work with a meanie, but nice is probably not what you need. You probably need to be pushed to the edge of your comfort zone - to see what you are really capable of - you need to sweat.

2. Expertise in your particular field is not a requirement - if you are a knitter and you feel you need the advice of an expert knitter (or someone who has grown their knitting business in a way you aspire to grow yours) what you are really looking for is a mentor not a coach. A coach needs to be a good coach not a good knitter.

(and sometimes a mentor is exactly what you need)

3. Expertise is required. You need someone who knows what you don't know - don't pay someone to tell you stuff you already know - unless what you really need is a kick in the ass to get you going and you can probably find someone to do that for you for free

(I recommend one of those paper signs taped to your back)

You want vision, systems, knowledge and fresh perceptions about your business niche - if things are too general you probably won't get much out of it.

4. Do your homework - you are hiring this person after all. Check references, understand just what you will be getting - materials, proven systems they have developed, private consultations, group consultations, etc - understand the fees

(I have an Etsy friend who hired a coach who helped - ie sent my friend an url to a loan site - her get a small business loan. The coach then collected 10% of the loan since her contract stated she got a percentage of any debt she was able to broker)

when you are paying someone more for an hour of their time than you make for an hour of your time they need to be worth it.

Ask them to connect the dots between the work they did with a client and the results that client achieved.

5. Trust your gut - find someone you like and want to work with.

6. Don't expect too much - unless you are hiring David Blaine you probably can't expect levitating playing cards and disappearing coins (dammit) - this stuff is hard and there aren't usually any easy answers.

A great coach can make a good player into a great player

(and although I'm not sure Coach Spitzer made me into a great player - she did substitute my fear of getting hit with the hockey stick into a fear of her which definitely greatly improved my game)

and we can all benefit from lots of voices having lots of conversations, so I think this is all a good thing just remember if you are looking in this direction to grow your business that a coach is someone you are hiring not a friend you are having coffee with.

(unless you pay your friends by the hour which I may have to start doing actually - sniffle)

* canvas print of 1969 postage stamp by pastpostage