Replies

1. 
   forestgirl | Jul 10, 2002 06:11am | #1

   Chris, I thought Lee's observation was an astute one also.    My primary question would be "How much are you willing to pay for the insights, guidance, and advice you refer to?" 

   Having worked for large organizations that hired well-known experts to come in and conduct business seminars, and having hired a marketing consultant for a short period of time several years ago, I can safely say "It ain't cheap" but unfortunately many of your fellow woodworkers might not see the value that would come their way if money were spent along those lines.  In our small town specifically I've seen so many merchants who simply don't see the value of obtaining education from marketing and other business experts.   

   I'll be interested to see if anyone here has experience with a business-focused woodworking group.  If not, who knows, maybe there a niche that needs to be filled.

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

2. 
   LeeGrinding1 | Jul 10, 2002 07:10am | #2

   I would hate to see my words get misinterpreted and I sense the danger of that now.

   The jist of my comment lies in this sentence..."Courting new patrons is the key to helping furnituremakers, and studio furnituremakers as a group and potential patrons need to be taught about the process and encouraged to buy this outrageously priced stuff."

   I think most woodworkers are lousy people persons. I think the task of learning how to make furniture attracts introspective individuals. Woodworking is not a social pursuit. Nearly all woodworkers could use help on their people skills but their first responsibility is to become competent woodworkers. Sales is the next skill.

   Now, as to my comment about the mission of organizations like the Furniture society...I strongly feel that all studio furnituremakers would benefit the most by an organized effort to recruit patrons. When people are shocked by $18,000 price tags on a piece of furniture it's really clear that the word has not gotten out. The word that great furniture is still built and is available needs to be put out there as well as some notion of the relative cost. No one is shocked by a Jaguar costing $80,000, the word's out. We, as studio furniture makers, would benefit by getting the word out.

   Now, who should be recruiting patrons? Actually, out agents. Our agents own galleries, they own interior decorating businesses, architectural firms and high end outlets for the hospitality trades. These are the people that should recruit patrons, they are the middle men, they are the sales people. Unfortunatley, nearly every gallery owner, architect, designer, marketing agent is woefully lacking in their understanding of furniture. This is just the way things are.

   I have had conversations with Dennis Fitzgerald and Wendy Maruyama, principals of the Furniture Society and there is no doubt that this is an exceedingly tough nut to crack.

   How do you create a need for studio furniture?

   How do you create a demand for studio furniture?

   I think the Furniture Society is a good organization for educating and inspiring furniture makers, however, I think the huge need lies in recruiting patrons and that responsibility lies with the marketers, after all, that's what they get paid to do.

   I'm not kidding any one here, least of all myself. This will not change but I feel it's one reason that a lot of bad art and bad furniture gets attention while a lot of great work goes unnoticed. This is a society that loves to be shocked so bizzare stuff gets stage front.

   Lee

   Lee Grindinger

   Furniture Carver

3. 
   tablesaw635 | Jul 10, 2002 03:39pm | #3

   Thanks for your insights, Lee.

   Chris Gleason

   Gleason Tableworks

   http://www.interestingfurniture.com

1. 
   LeeGrinding1 | Jul 10, 2002 04:17pm | #4

   I believe Mark Levin was in Madison. Mark offers seminars on sales techniques. Of all the seminars offered his was the only one that really interested me and even that was not enough to induce to make the thousand mile trip.

   Mark's sales techniques are hard sell. You know, don't eat, watch the movie "Rocky" and coerce, cajole and sell, sell, sell. If you're looking for this sort of instruction he's pretty good at it. Mark has a website, I'm sure a google search would turn it up.

   Lee Lee Grindinger

   Furniture Carver