Where are you on your journey to getting your Toll Position

Originally Posted by GordonJ

Bob,

From what I've been told, the book and Business Institute is on "hold" until some things get cleared up. As soon as I know, I'll pass it on.

As for chemicals. What I've told people and what I'm personally looking for fall under the "GREEN" umbrella. Any new GREEN chemical that replaces a "harsh or toxic" product will find favor in the market place. These could be cleaning agents such as Orange Glo or detergents, they can be cosmetics, they can be anything.

As for categories Bob...find what people are already buying. Here's a quick one day mini-lesson in finding products.

Start with these web sites.
http://www.asseenontvguys.com/

http://www.asontv.com/
http://www.asseenontvandmore.com/

http://www.asontvinfomercials.com/

Some of the "chemicals" that are selling now are: Mighty Mendit, Urine Gone, Myo-Med (pain relief), Touch N Bond, Wen Hair Care Products.

Visit the Harriet Carter site, see what is in their catalog for As Seen On TV http://www.harrietcarter.com/

Then take a tour to your local Walgreens or CVS or whatever drug store and find the AS SEEN ON TV section to see the products. While there, ask the cashier what the best selling "make up" or "cosmetic" product is, and spend some time going up and down the isles. Take your notebook and pen and write down some ideas.

In every isle you'll find mundane prouducts that are being sold day in and day out. Products for the home or HOUSEHOLD, for the CAR, for PETS, for PERSONAL CARE for the KITCHEN, for KIDS, for FITNESS and DIET and for ENTERTAINMENT.

There you have the major categories. IF you see a product that interests you, go home, fire up Google and start a search using "Green" in the subject header. For example:

"Green Pet Products". Then spend some time searching for what is already selling.

Then, you can use Google again, use the Google Patent Search for "Green Pet Products".

Then search for "patents for sale". You'll find places like:

http://www.tynax.com/ttx1/default.asp

http://www.freepatentauction.com/ (A GREAT starting point for beginners to see what and how many things are out there)

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/pubs/pubsservices.htm To see what kind of patents are being issued.

http://www.ideabuyer.com/ Good for research.

http://www.shop4patents.com/

See? There are thousands upon thousands of products that have a TOLL position potential.

In addition to "chemical" or "continuity" (such as supplements or disposables) I'm also seeking high end specialty items.

Kitchen devices are good and have high perceived value. There are thousands of abandoned products ready for some fresh marketing.

And if you are an inventor, then you can create your own products. But ACQUISTION is faster, easier and often more profitable.

Again, a visit to your library magazine section and browsing through old mags of at least 5 years old, looking in those "new product sections", especially in the women's magazines, you'll find tons of products that came out and went NOWHERE mainly because they weren't marketed correctly.

I assure you all, there are scores of marketing companies just waiting for you to deliver a great selling product to them. Use the "what is selling NOW" as a guideline for what to look for.

Think GREEN. Think "consumable". Think of marketing first.

There's your mini-lesson in TOLL Position development.

Gordon Jay Alexander

Nice post Gorden...thanks a lot.

[GordonJ]

The FASTEST way to a TOLL POSITION as taught by Harvey Brody is through acquisition...find a stored value product, lock it down, take it to a marketer...get an agreement...let the fun begin.

However. IF you are inventive or creative and you have a product, you must consider a longer term approach. I have been working for the past couple of years on a "kitchen appliance", one which will make life easier for millions of people within certain niches.

Now I have a background in cooking and in demonstration (well documented on this forum) so I like to tinker in the kitchen.

The "appliance" I've created is modified from several other kitchen appliances, but with unique twists. It will be a specialty item that will probably retail in the 129 dollar range or lower...could be well under 100 dollars. There is profit in selling the appliance...but...the REAL profit will be made with the "supplies" that a person would purchase on a monthly basis.

This part of my program will take about 3 years to fully actualize and I'm about half way through it. So the planning has been a long time in the making, the markets have been identified and creating the "back-end" product is requiring a lot of hoops and requirements. Why bother?

Once in place, I'll have a profit from the device itself, but more importantly I'll have a TOLL POSITION on the back-end that will pay my estate long after I'm gone. It isn't easy, in fact, it has been very hard...mostly dealing with suppliers and locking in prices and getting things the way I want them. But, I like the creative aspect of it too, so there has been some rewards in seeing your "invention" being born.

An inventor probably needs a few years to get things ramped up, unless a market exists and the marketer can get a good deal on something that won't be knocked off right away.

So, finding existing products that have been under marketed is the fast track to getting a TOLL Positon set up. CREATION is a slower route, but one that allows for a stronger TOLL positon that pays far more in the long haul.

IF I were just starting out, the first investment would be in STATIONERY, and have some nice stationery printed to send to inventors, manufacturerers and potential TOLL position partners.

I've referred everyone I've worked with to hardtofindseminars.com and told them to listen to the audio on Buying Molds that Michael has on his site. He sent out a letter and this is his follow up call.

I'd use that audio as a "template" to create a SCRIPT, to be used when you call people. Why a script? You need to sound like you know what you're doing. A script that is practiced and rehearsed is going to give you the confidence. A script will have the ready answers to questions you may be asked and along with your stationery it gives you the right impression.

So now you know where to look for products. You have an idea of what to say to people (if you listen to the audio at hardtofindseminars.com). You can get started for next to nothing and either create or acquire a product.

It might be good to start in a field in which you have some experience. For Bob it was HVAC and for me, it is in the kitchen. Starting with some expertise helps you look for potential TOLL Positions because you are a "user" of products in that field.

Gordon Jay Alexander

Thanks Gordon - great posts.

Would it work to find an under marketed chemical or cosmetic product and have it private labeled (if you couldn't get exclusive rights to it) and then connect with a marketing company to sell your private labeled product?

[GordonJ]

Originally Posted by Bill

Thanks Gordon - great posts.

Would it work to find an under marketed chemical or cosmetic product and have it private labeled (if you couldn't get exclusive rights to it) and then connect with a marketing company to sell your private labeled product?

Bill,

Yes. We've explored such a possibility with one of the products that was located. The "tricky" part is to insure your supply IF and when you start selling in large batches. Make sure your mfgr has the capacity to grow.

The good thing about "chemicals", it doesn't take too much to ramp up production, that is, sometimes an extra shift will work as opposed to adding a mfgr plant or facility. Any "line" has X amount of capacity, but most small fries have room in the schedule...that is, they can work more hours per day before their line has to be maintained.

PRIVATE LABEL is an excellent way to get started. Look at the infomercials I pointed to...and I use these because of their relative QUICKNESS into the marketplace. Today, As Seen On TV is an intro to as available in RETAIL. It has gotten shelf space that not that long ago was reserved for those that "pay to play".

By having a product that sells, the retailer is more interested.

Before you consider a product to PL, create a promotion, either an ad for newspapers/magazines (print ad) or a radio spot or a TV spot or an Internet ad. You don't have to be professional, you can always buy marketing help...but the point of the TOLL POSITION as taught by Harvey Brody is to get others to do the marketing for you.

I just know that if you take a NEW product to a marketing company along with a Marketing Campaign, even a rough one, you stand a better chance of getting it into the system.

Look for WHOLESALERS who might only sell in large drum capacity, or a local "cleaning company" who may have proprietary products that they use but have no desire to screw around with RETAIL. YOU could set up a small shop (abiding by local codes when it comes to handling chemicals) and fill bottles from a 55 gal drum into a nice 24.95 spray bottle. Now of course, YOU don't want to do this, all of this can be subcontracted.

You can get 500 bottles of supplements private labeled for about 3 bux a bottle to start out...and have a decent product...again, it is going to be in the marketing.

Any patents or trademarks could come in handy...but a Copyrighted AD that works and gets customers may be a TOLL POSITION in and of itself.

I always refer people to 7 Steps to Freedom II to learn the NPGS Formula which has the following FOUR components to it.

1-Market
2-Media
3-Product
4-Promotion

And if you are trying to locate a TOLL POSITION, it would behoove you to run your find through the NPGS formula to see how the product weighs in.

Take shipping and handling into account too. And many of the catalog companies have you DROP SHIP your product to their customers.

Good idea. Private Label an already selling product.

Gordon

I was listening to Michael Senoff's interview about obtaining old molds. In it he talks about the letter he used.

So I sent him an e-mail and asked if he had it available. He told me he did if I wanted to purchase it. I asked Michael how much and he told me $500.00.

Before I even think about spending $500.00, I was wondering if anyone has his letter and did it work for them?

I have my own letter that has worked well for me but I am always looking to improve my response.

So if anyone has ever purchased a copy of Michael Senoff's letter, please let me know how it has worked for you.

[GordonJ]

So just tweak it. Try a variation. I assure you that Michael's letter isn't that different from what you are using.

Gordon

Yes my letter is working. But I am always looking to make it better.

I will follow your advice and tweak it.

Again. Thank You!!! Gordon.

Maybe I should sell my letter. lol

I am interested in hearing from everyone as to where they are in the process of getting their Toll Position up and going.

I hope everyone will share their experiences so far, as that information can be of a lot of help to everyone.

So don't be shy, share where you are in the process.

As for myself, I currently have 5 products and know I will be adding a 6th very soon (just waiting for the agreemnet to come back) as well as two to three more in the next few weeks or so.

I am also working on putting a sales rep team together in order to better bring my products to the attention of retailers all over the US.

If things aren't moving as fast as you would like, don't give up.

I have found out that each part of the process takes a lot more time then I first thought it would.

Remember keep plugging away.

A lot of times I feel like giving up but then I get a little encouragement from someone and it makes me keep pushing.

So if anyone ever just needs someone to talk to feel free to e-mail or call me.

Do you feel that the layout and wording of my RW Blagg website is helping me or hurting me, in the race to get a Toll Position.

If people have a chance I would like them to look over all of my website and give me their feedback via e-mail.

It would be greatly appreciated.

I don't know about everyone else, but I am still waiting to hear from the people who have created successful Toll Positions for themselves.

If they are out there I wish they would step forward and give all of us some pointers.

I could sure use a few myself.