A bad review
Read this review (it’s the one on May 7th)
http://www.eriksherman.com/the-pan/ then we’ll talk:
Okay, now why in the world would I want to bring to your attention a not so flattering review about my product? Well, as you know, I always try to keep it real and show the good, the bad and the ugly about business. Not everyone is going to love my product. Obviously, not everyone is going to even LIKE my product. As a women I think I take things a little more personally then a man might, and sometimes I think that helps drive me. It’s hard to separate myself from my product. I’m not sure that I would have the energy to do what I do every day if I didn’t feel like my product was an extension of me or if I viewed Grill Charms™ as “just a product”. Nope, I’m one of those crazy people that view my product as my “baby”. So when I read this today, it did take the wind out of my sails for a second. Then I thought as I read it again, a lot of things he didn’t like about the product are things he did not understand. And if he didn’t understand, how many other people don’t understand? You certainly get the most out of and gain the most from the negative comments people make about your business, product or service. Praise and positive stuff is nice, but rarely do you learn anything from it.
I’d like to clarify a few points brought up in the review as I don’t want people to misunderstand my product. This review taught me that I need to work harder to make sure I am clear in product submissions, on my website and in marketing material as it is obvious from this review that I have not been clear enough. While I’m here I might as well address the issues incase anyone else is a bit confused as well. Regarding the comment about putting the charms in after the first side is already cooked because you have to cook both sides. To clarify, Grill Charms can be put in your food RAW and grilled with them in the entire time. They have serrated stems and will not fall out when flipping and they are stainless steel so you don’t have to worry about them getting messed up on the grates. You just grill like you normally would. Make no mistake, the grill master still has to know how to grill, but as a guest, it’s just so much easier to find the steak you want once you have plated up all the meat and served it your guests. Instead of cutting into the meat, or asking the chef to remember where on the platter he put the rare one, you simply look for your Grill Charm™.
Regarding the Charmed Life collection and the comment about the grill guy remember all the charms. To clarify: No you silly goose!! The concept is similar to that of a wine charm. The GUEST knows what charm is theirs, and they can season their pork, chicken, steak etc… any way THEY want. The whole point is so the grill guy DOESN’T HAVE TO know or even care what chicken has the lemon pepper, which has the Greek and which one is Uncle Bob’s who’s allergic to garlic so he just has salt and pepper. It’s kind of like monopoly. You pick your Grill Charm, do what you want to your food, and have the grill guy cook it up, then simply look for your charm when it’s done.
Regarding the comment about the Spicy collection and the spicy having multiple peppers. To clarify, the spicy is a pepper on fire but that’s okay, the picture might not have been clear.
Regarding the solution of dividing up the grill. Yep, that’s what can do absolutely! However, as soon as you take the food off the grill and put it on a serving plate, forget it.
I do know that there will be tons of people that would never dream of needing my product. (Remember Bill Zanker on The Big Idea?!) But I need to make sure in the future, the people doing the review can tell from my website or materials what the product is and does. I guess I need to clarify those points to make sure other people totally understand my product first, AND THEN they can hate it! Hee hee Okie doke, enough with all that. On to some GREAT stuff!!!
Remember the other day when I said that contests are a great way to get some publicity? Well, I just got this email the other day from Orca Communications. They are a top PR company out of
Arizona that represents some BIG inventors and entrepreneurs, including my mentor Tamara Monosoff! (She wrote The Mom Inventor’s Handbook which I have always given TONS of credit to for helping me get where I am, ESPECIALLY in the beginning)
Here is the email:
“Subject: Congratulations Leslie! You Won
America’s Best Invention Contest 2008 for April!
May 5, 2008
Dear Leslie,
After careful review of all of our entries, our management team found that your Grill Charms are exceptionally innovative and we are very excited to endorse it as one of the best products of the year! As a result, you have won a coveted slot in our “Best Products Media Guide™” media campaign for “Fabulous Food Finds”. This prize is valued at $3,975 – at NO charge to you! The “Best Products Media Guide™” is a collection of 10 to 15 of the most innovative, interesting, fun and practical products in one dynamic group PR campaign. We are pleased to award you with this exciting opportunity for the months of June through August of this year.
This campaign reaches out to national magazines, regional/local magazines, newspapers in top 100 markets, national TV, local TV, radio and online. It’s a blockbuster blitz!
The campaign includes photos and descriptions on our designated media website (www.bestproductsmediaguide.com) as well as a 3 month PR campaign where we write and distribute pitches and press releases to thousands of media outlets. We also follow up, coordinating photo and sample requests and line up interviews and stories. Our previous campaigns have generated terrific media coverage (Good Morning America, The View, Today Show, CBS Early Show, People Magazine, Time Magazine, USA Today, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Health, Parents, Parenting, Good Housekeeping, Glamour, Lucky, Cookie, Wondertime, House & Home, Country Living, Log Home Living, Los Angeles Times, Better Homes & Gardens, Family Circle Magazine, Martha Stewart Living, O, The Oprah Magazine, Skylights Magazine, Redbook, BestStuff.com, Ladies’ Home Journal, Us Weekly, In Style Magazine, Upscale Magazine, Toronto Star, Sacramento Bee, San Diego Union Tribune, and much, much more).
As this month’s winner, you are also an official Semi-Finalist, and as such you will be considered for our grand prize of a Full Service Media Campaign. This prize will be awarded at the end of this year to one of our eleven Semi-Finalists. The Full Service Media Campaign is an individual, customized public relations effort designed for one particular business. This campaign is tailored to the company’s specific goals and market. With this service, we pitch all aspects of a company and its products to services to targeted media outlets.
I have also attached the “Best Products Media Guide™” logo that you are welcome to immediately add to your website. Congratulations again!”
YAHOOOOOO!!!!!!
I also found out recently that I was one of the winners of a local entrepreneurial type contest for the top 40 biz peeps under 40 in
Charleston.
http://www.scbizmag.com/content/view/71982/107/
There is a banquet and stuff on May 22nd.
So that sums up the past few days. Stay tuned folks… it’s about to get interesting!!
Leslie Haywood, Founder and President, Charmed Life Products. Inventor of Grill Charms www.grillcharms.com
May 19th, 2008 at 11:19 am
Leslie - You have THE BEST attitude! I love how you took that review and learned from it. (I know it hurts. I’ve been known to cry over the dumbest little comments, especially during PMS.)I have learned from past experiences that what seems obvious to me, doesn’t to others. I have a patent on a craft item where you squeeze out a liquid similar to fabric paint to make a rubber stamp on a block. I made up kits and gave them to my friends and family with instructions and a little questionnaire for them to fill out after. Most of them failed miserably, and I realized, “Gee, my hand-eye coordination must be unusually good compared to the average person.” So, I made things easier and it was much more of a success.
On the contest thing - WOOHOO! How cool is that?!! You SO deserve it. I am thrilled for you, and so proud to have such a positive minded, successful, creative and fun friend!
Love, Chris
PS - We’re listing the house this week! We’ll be fellow Carolinians before you know it!