DRESS TO IMPRESS

I've written about this before (like here and here) and I will probably write about it again. But I don't think I can stress enough just how important dressing to impress and first impressions can be.

With this in mind, I'd like to point you to a favorite blog of mine called The Art of Manliness. In todays post you'll find an excellent write up on how to be a well dressed man. Now I'm not suggesting, as sharpeners, we all don tailored suits, but the points that article makes about impressions and their value are something we all should consider when we present ourselves to our customers. Here is the link to the post below:

www.artofmanliness.com

PS - I love the old pictures on this blog.

A SONG FOR SHARPENERS

You know, some people might think this post is a little lame, but I love it when I find something like this and wanted to pass it along to you. One of Louise Radanovich's customers gave her a copy of this song. She was an elderly music teacher and this was one of the songs she used to teach her students. Louise wrote...

"I don't know how to read music, so she sang the song to me in my truck!"

One of the things I like best about the sharpening profession is the history. It's long and colorful. Thanks for sending this song to me Louise, it will make a nice addition to my collection of old writings on sharpening and antique sharpening equipment.

Click on the picture for a larger view.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD SHOW?

Written by Glen Burke

!Sold Out!
Best sales on record!
Most machines sold in a show!
But is that what makes a good show?

NO!

Several times throughout the weekend I was approached by attendees with comments like “I am so glad I came”, “This is my “nth” time attending a Wolff/Huff show”, “This is great that you guys do this, I’m learning so much”, “this has helped me so much”, “it was well worth coming.”

There is only one way to evaluate the value of holding a show and that is if it was worth it to the attendees. I had sharpeners asking when the next show would be. Not where, but when. They want to come and learn some more. The most exciting time was the hour and half before and after the actual show time each day. Sharpeners asked for additional hands on time and additional training on machines. Those sharpeners asked for 110% and got 120%. It’s very exciting to see sharpeners so hungry to learn and improve their skills to help their customers, thus improving their bottom line.

So was it a good show and worth the expense of travel for those that came? Based on your comments and feedback, we had a very good show! Thank you to all that came out to attend the ’08 Wolff/Huff show in Anaheim. Your participation has given us insight as to how we can best serve you and we look forward to more of the same in the future.

There will be a full write up about the show in the November Issue of On The Edge. To find out more about On The Edge, call 864-909-3381.

A GREAT REASON TO BUY A FLAT HONE FROM WOLFF

One of the great things about Wolff Industries is that it's a business that puts the needs of its customers first. You hopefully see that in Wolff's support system!

TWO THINGS YOU ALREADY KNOW ABOUT WOLFF
One thing you know about Wolff, is that when you call, you always talk to a person during business hours. We have a firm belief in building personal relationships, and we believe the worst thing a business can do is get lazy and allow a machine to be its customer service manager.

Another thing you'll notice about Wolff is the sharpener support system we've built. If you have a question, we are only an e-mail or 800 number call away. We have multiple people here ready to help.

WOLFF'S NEWEST SUPPORT TOOL
What you may not be aware of, is Wolff's Hira-To loaner machine program. When you buy a Wolff Hira-To Flat Hone Sharpening System it's quite an investment. Wolff understands that you use this machine to make money, and if your Hira-To ever needs service, we want you to be able to continue making money when you send it in. That's why we have loan machines on the shelf we can send to our Hira-To owners if the need ever arises.

Thus far, because of the quality of the Hira-To, only one customer has had to utilize this service. When he called to tell us his machine was out of commission, it was dropped by accident, he was amazed we offered such a service. He was back up and running the next day while we fixed his machine.

Wolff is dedicated to its customers! When you purchase a piece of equipment from us, we support you. When you're ready to make a large purchase like a Flat Hone System, ask any of the other suppliers you may be considering if they have a program like this. If not, this is just one more reason to buy the Wolff Hira-To.

TAKE A LOOK AT THIS BLOG POST

I haven't had time to put a post together today because of a number of meetings, but I did get to look over some of the Blogs I follow and wanted to point you toward one. It's called the Entrepreneurial Mind and author had some good insight in his post about the economy. Take a look:

http://www.drjeffcornwall.com/2008/10/a-slow-motion-version-of-the-p.html

Image: myeye

QUESTION ABOUT THE FDA

I received an e-mail from a sharpener last night. He was asking about a shear that was mentioned on one of the online forums. He said it was FDA Registered and was asking if any Wolff shears are registered with the FDA. They are not. He also asked if FDA Registration means the product is approved by the FDA.

To answer the latter part of that question, registration does not mean approval, but that does not mean the product doesn't do what the manufacturer claims it does. As for the the first part of the question, a manufacturer can register with the FDA by filing an "establishment registration” and/or a “medical device listing" with the FDA, which comes with a fee.

If you'd like to find out more about what's involved with registering a devise or product with the FDA, there is a good write up about the ins-and-outs of it on the Inergetix Website. To see the article, click here. In this article they mention that you can search the FDA Establishment Registration and Device Listing Database online to see which companies are registered, here is a link to that site:

http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/SCRIPTs/cdrh/cfdocs/cfRL/rl.cfm

To search the database, just enter the company name in the Establishment Name Box and click search. I searched the company "Ondamed" named in the article I linked to above and found the two registrations the article mentioned. Go to the link above and try it yourself. (Click on the picture if you'd like a larger view)

I hope this answers the question. If any of you ever have any other questions about Wolff products, please drop me an e-mail or give me a call.

A QUESTION FOR EVERYONE

I just wanted to ask a question of everyone. I had an incident a few weeks ago where UPS damaged one of my boxes I sent to a great customer of mine. The side of the box was busted open and three clipper blades were missing. When she called me about it, we agreed together that the blades were older so I credited her order for 3 blades at $15.00 dollars each. On top of that, I also sent her an apology letter with a $25.00 off coupon to use with her next order. I haven't heard from her since this happened and will be calling to see if I've lost her as a customer because of this.

My question to you. How would you have handled this? If you have some other suggestions, please take a moment and post a comment below or send me an e-mail at Jim@wolffind.com. I honestly though this was a fair deal. I'll find out of it was when I call. :) I'll let you know what happens.

Image: oberazzi

BIRDS OF A FEATHER

One of my favorite things to do is spend time with like-minded people. People that love sharpening, people that love business, people that love marketing and sales. Yesterday, I had the pleasure of having lunch with one such individual, Olivier Blanchard.

Olivier writes The Brandbuilder Blog. It's one of my favorites, one of the few I visit every day, and I encourage you to visit Olivier's blog too. For someone like me that does much of the marketing at Wolff, The Brandbuilder Blog is a Godsend. I'm also fortunate that Olivier lives in my area, so I get the added benefit of a personal relationship as well. There's nothing like setting aside a couple of hours from time-to-time to trade ideas with people you respect and that aren't afraid to challenge you to improve your business and yourself.

But why am I telling you this? The reason is, I was reminded yesterday just how important networking is, and how encouraging it can be to sit down with someone that's on the same page as you. This is why sharpeners need to spend time together. We need each other! One of my favorite things I hear from sharpeners that attend shows like the Wolff/ Huff Show coming up this weekend, is not how great the classes where, but the stories of relationships sharpeners develop with each other. Many have made friends that last far beyond the show, and these friends often become cheerleaders for each other as they each grow their businesses.

So I encourage you to do two things. First, if you've never attended a show where sharpeners meet together, consider setting aside some time in 2009 to do so. Second, look for like-minded people in your area that love business and have an entrepreneurial spirit like you do. Look for others that will help you stretch and grow.

Image: emdot