Make Millions the Billy Mays' WayEssential Tips for Coming Up with the Products That Sell |
Straight from the producers at Sullivan Productions -- who've made millions producing Direct Response infomercials with Billy Mays and Anthony Sullivan -- here are the absolutely, most fundamental tips for getting your idea or product on TV and into the marketplace. This is the essential checklist used by the folks at the top who make the call -- and the big bucks. If you think you have the next big idea for the tomorrow's must-have product, you'd better make sure your invention fulfills these requirements.
GOT A PRODUCT IDEA FOR THE PITCHMEN?
After studying this list, if you're still confident you have a winner go to Pitchmen Product Submissions on the Sullivan Productions website and get the ball rolling!
WATCH PITCHMEN VIDEO and let the masters show you how it's done!
1. Is It Highly Demonstrable?
In other words, the product's purpose, function and success must be easy to explain and demonstrate on TV. Complex concepts, multi-stage assembly or vague results don't have a prayer! There's also got to be a visual "wow" factor that will capture the viewer's attention and make them not only keep watching, but compel them to purchase. For example, in the OxiClean commercials stains disappear right before your eyes and Mighty Mend It repairs a flag that could withstand hurricane-force winds.
2. Is It Unique or New?
Sometimes "everything old is new again," but other times a product comes into the arena that's completely unique. It's not necessary for the product to be new and unique, but if it is, then it will increase the chances that it will make it to Direct Response TV production. A perfect example is the Swivel Sweeper. While oodles of floor-cleaning tools already exist, the Swivel Sweeper's unique features and design made it an exciting revolution in floor cleaning. Sullivan Productions jumped on the product as soon as it was shown to them, and 14 million units later, they knew they'd made the right decision. On the less successful side, Sullivan Productions was once approached by someone who was certain they had invented wet toilet paper, but the producers took a quick pass. Apparently, this client chose to ignore the dozens of "moist wipe" brands on the market.
3. Does It Have a Patent?
This is not required, but your chances are much improved if you can ensure that competition from a similar product is not imminent. In any case, liability for patent infringements rest with the clients; the production company won't get involved in patent searches.
4. Does It Solve A Common Problem?
What you should be looking for are simple, inexpensive solutions to problems that challenge or annoy millions, yes!, millions! Most often these are labor- or time-savers, but even better are the products that let the consumer tackle jobs effectively while saving money by doing it themselves. Everyone loves a product that boosts confidence -- and avoids the expense of a professional -- or helps avoid common boring, messy chores.
5. Does It Have Room for a 5x Markup?
When developing your product, keep in mind that it needs to be produced at a cost that allows for a "five times" markup while still resulting in an attractive offer price. This markup is required to cover the costs of media, distribution, fulfillment, etc. In the near future, this markup level may come down since so much Direct Response TV is now used to push retail rather than just direct TV and Web sales. Still, you need to stick with inexpensive, easily manufactured components. This requirement is not as daunting as it sounds, since mass production at overseas plants can help keep costs down.
6. Does It Have Mass Market Appeal?
This is not necessarily an imperative in the broadest sense, but if the product is seen as a potential winner among a wide range of ages, sexes, races or other demographics, the less likely you will be given the boot. One key to success in this area is to stay away from any easily avoidable exclusionary features, such as limiting gender appeal. When selling a product like the Natural Bra, for example, you're only appealing to women and therefore your saleability is cut in half. And while there are millions of golf enthusiasts, golf products only appeal to golfers.
7. Does It Have Perceived High Value?
Pitchmen always want to make potential customers feel like they are getting a great value for their money. This is why a pitch typically includes a line like "a $60 value all for only $19.99!" How do you make this convincing? By succeeding at all the requirements above. It's been proven time and again that consumers will almost automatically impart a higher value to products that "solve a common problem" with minimum effort, even if the products are obviously made from simple materials with a simple design. Clever solutions that offer surprising results almost always earn a high value rating.
8. Prevention DOES NOT Sell!
Maybe it's because you can't really "see" the results, but products that just offer prevention almost always fail in Direct Response TV commercials. For one thing, it's almost impossible to come up with effective demonstrations, so it's a daunting challenge to impart "perceived high value." For example, someone had a product to test your air quality, but once you got the results back, there was no follow-up on what to do. Another client of Sullivan Productions came up with a product to prevent bathroom odors that required combining two packets of powder in the toilet before going "No. 2." Although it went against the producers' better judgment, they liked the client so they went ahead and made the commercial. It failed miserably.
Now that you're a lot more savvy about what makes a successful product, you've just improved your chances of coming up with a great idea that takes off. Good Luck!
