Helpful Tips to Learn Before You Contact a Company

I am in an interesting position. I contact a wide variety of companies myself, do my own negotiating, get contacted by companies wanting me to submit ideas, and I get a large amount of emails asking for help and reviewing ideas, sell sheets, etc. I also have friends that do reviews in various companies so I get to see and hear all sides of the inventing process.
Below is a list I am starting to try and give everyone a leg up on where they can increase their odds of success. Look over the list and see if you are doing any of these items. If you are, these items are keeping you from success. Lets add to the list so everyone can improve their chances.

1. Stop sending in submissions hand written. Even if you doin't own a computer most libraries have one you can use for free and print out documents. If not go to Kinko's and use theirs. If you do send it snail mail enclude a self addressed stamped envelope so they can return it to you. Don't assume they will pay the postage.

2. Put your contact info on each piece of paper you send. That includes samples/prototypes.

3. Don’t waste the reviewer’s time reading how you came up with the idea. Focus on the benefits and why it will make them money.

4. Never use the phrase “My idea is worth millions.” Let the company decide if it is worth millions.

5. Don’t use the phrase “There is nothing else out there like my idea.” Most of the time you will be proven wrong.

6. Don’t say you have researched your idea thoroughly when all you did was walk into Wal-Mart and didn’t see it.

7. Do not send a prototype to a company unless they have asked you to and are expecting it. They do not want to keep up or be responsible for items they did not ask for in the first place.

8. Be realistic in your expectations.

9. READ everything a company sends you more than once and make sure you understand everything you have read. Don’t assume everything is fine and sign it. Even the best intended person can make a mistake. I send people my two page NDA to read and sign prior to sending me anything for review. I have to include in my email an explanation to make sure they fill in their address on the top of the first page where the blank lines are for that information, because so many people don’t do it. This is in the first two paragraphs of the first page. So, if they are missing that what else are they missing in a longer document?

10. Don’t write a novel to explain your invention. Be concise and factual. No one wants to read 22 pages to get your idea. Look at the short blurb on the back of a novel. It needs to be that short and to the point.

11. Know your product. You should be the expert on your product, not assume they will just GET IT because you want them too.

12. Be able to explain your invention over the phone or in person in 30 seconds or less. Practice your pitch until you can say it in your sleep. It does not look good if you are constantly losing your train of thought or having to start over multiple times when explaining your product.

13. Don’t say the phrase “Everyone will buy one. or Everyone will have to have one.” Because even if you came up with the next new phase in TV’s can you HONESTLY say everyone with a working TV will toss their current TV out tomorrow so they can buy yours?

14. Don’t send your submission to a company on Monday and call them Tuesday to ask when they will be sending you a contract.

15. When entering any invention contest make sure your submission actually fits the contest criteria. You don’t submit a lawnmower idea to a soap company.

16. Don’t send your invention submission in care of the general bulk mail of the company. Get a specific persons name in charge of that department. Normally new product development, marketing, inventor submissions, etc. Don’t send it to “To Whom it concerns”

17. If you call a company asking for the person in charge of invention submissions, be ready to speak to them if they put you through. Once they answer is not the time to remember you need a pen and paper, ask them if they can hold on for a minute while you get something, forget what your pitch is, or if you get their voice mail be prepared to leave a short intelligent message with your call back number.

18. Know the time difference of where you are calling.

19. Do not send a company any material they did not ask for expecting them to pay the shipping charges.

20. Don’t send a company anything you can’t afford to lose. Accidents happen and things can get misplaced. If it a one of a kind item you may want to video it and send the CD.

21. When sending attachments to companies make sure it is in a program they have installed on their computer. Everyone does not have Filemaker Pro or Microsoft Office 2010. So, if they have Office 2003 some things will not show up in your submission. You also need to ask them if their company has a size limit on attachments. You don’t send a 12 meg attachment to a company whose servers only allow 5meg or below attachments. Plus, some company’s software will automatically kick out any email with an attachment that is not on a safe email list.