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The Power of the Demo For Successful eCommerce

A Conversation with Jeff Dahl, LoopRope Inventor

I learned many years ago in one of my early entrepreneurial ventures that you need to master the demo, specifically when you are selling something without tactility. At the time I had a mobile advertising agency, *Note this was prior to ads on mobile devices, it was advertising on vehicles. You know those vehicles that drove around town fully wrapped in an advertisement. Well, my challenge was getting people to envision the full capabilities of the designs, the technology, and marketing impact vs a static billboard. So the first thing I did was have a CRAZY wrap put on a couple vehicles, collected GPS readouts of our routes *AGAIN prior to the open availability of this type of tech) and then coupled that with my pitch. All this together brought together a successful sales demo.

In today’s day of eCommerce the demo may not be required for standard everyday items with an established need/demand, BUT what do you do when you have a new invention?! You master your demo, be it at tradeshows, online or on TV, remember its all a sales/marketing pitch the medium does not matter as much sales.

Today we talk to Jeff Dahl, inventor of the LoopRope. He created a product to solve a problem he himself faced and very quickly turned to doing demos in parking lots to prove the concept and start moving product and move product he did! He has now been on QVC 13 times and has successfully grown a brand new product into a must-have for anyone who has ever seen it! Take a listen to this down to earth guy as he tells you of his successes and struggles in bringing a new product to market and just how important the DEMO is to his success in eCommerce.

Show Quotes:
It all went pretty fast you know, I thought of it that day, I built I named it that day, I built a prototype that day, I used it the following week.

Its pretty much a re-invention of the Bungy cord you know!

The reality is, inventing a product is easy, getting it on the shelf is where the work begins.

That’s when you really know you have something when you sell your first one.

When someone else that you don’t know buys something, that’s when I knew I had something.

It’s very expensive to do it all.

If you’re going to invent something, now’s the time to do it.

Packaging is huge, we have spent a small fortune just developing our packaging.

I do very well on QVC cause we get up there and talk about it and demonstrate it.

When you see it in action, people pick up the phone.

It’s the power of the demo.

Facebook ads, Instagram ads, I mean that’s really where I’m putting my money.

I’ll talk to anyone about LoopRope, I’m as excited about it today as I was back when I invented it.

I’ve been fortunate that I have another business, I think when you’re inventing something you still need to be able to put food on the table.

You can’t just quit your job and go think you’re going to invent something and strike it rich overnight, it just doesn’t work that way.

If you have an idea, you just have to pursue it, but figure out quickly if its a good idea or not.

If you’ve got something that has mass appeal that’s even better.

It’s very easy to get discouraged, but, you’ve just got to stay true to it and persevere.

Links from the Cast:
Website: Tie Downs Made Easy
Twitter: @buoyrope
Facebook: Over 10K likes
Instagram: looprope
YouTube: Watch Videos Here

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About Branden Moskwa

He is the co-founder of nadimo.com TheGuardian.com calls him remarkably innovative. IBM says he is one of the industry's brightest minds, and SAP refers to him as one of the industry's top players. Branden has been quoted by Inc.com and CDW and his company was recognized for being one of the top 5 most innovative companies by SBBC.

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