A multitude of rod building topics have been discussed on this wonderful site since I began building rods less than one year ago. Many of you have graciously afforded me with qualified answers to my “Over-Thinking” questions for which I am deeply indebted, and sincere thanks! Although hoping and expecting to continue to learn with each build, I am quite comfortable with my ability to produce quality, if not somewhat unique, fishing rods. While the mechanics are rather straight forward, and the design requires a bit of forethought if not artistry, one aspect of rod building has me perplexed,,, selling it.
What have you veterans acknowledged as your biggest sales tool, especially when starting out, prior to the luxury (earned may be a more appropriate term) of repeat business? Without contaminating your opinions with the avenues personally taken thus far, I would appreciate your views and wisdom. While I have no intention of competing with the likes of Doc Ski, I would love to be afforded the best method of exposing my rod offerings to those who might be interested.

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

Mark,
Everything I build I would rather keep than sale. I know it will work, it will work the way I want it to and the way I designed it to. If someone else uses it they usually want to buy it or at least have one like it. I don't care if I sell it or not. I will make a rod for someone because they asked me to and will take no money until they have it in their hand and only if they want it. Some want to make their own and I will help them to do that. My only problem is trying to build a rod for a certain condition that I have never fished before, but if given enough information I can do it. I guess the main thing is to just talk to fishermen and see what they can afford and a rod type that can be built for them and their price range. Most guys can't afford or won't spend the money on the best components so you need a quality line of components to make rods they can afford. I can spend $230 on a blank or sell a rod for $200 with less expensive components that will meet their criteria. The selling points are; better components, quality work and design the client has a part in or input.
Lance S.

Mark for what it's worth .I started building for myself many many years ago & occasionally someone would ask where my rod came from & when they were told that "I made it" & a few times I had offers to make one for them Because I wasn't all that experienced I was happy to break even .From there it was a gradual progression to the point I had to make a decision to continue building rods for a living .As I was just starting a family my wife wasn't that impressed with the idea of relying on orders coming in. Also I was just starting to move up the ladder with my employer so I decided to stay with a regular income.This was the correct decision to make as time has shown. I kept making the odd rod here & there until work commitments made too many impacts into my time. Eventually I moved house to a small coastal village on the southern edge of Sydney .Then history started to repeat it self with other anglers asking my son where his rod came from .Then orders started to flow again but I had to keep a cap on the numbers I could build .My son has even taken his reel of a rod he was using & sold the rod whilst fishing .Any one who asked my son or me about a rod was given a business card which my & my sons phone numbers .These days my son builds more rods than I do as the eyes & hands are not what they used to be .As I'm now retired I have plenty of time & the cycle is starting all over again with my 5yr old grandson trying his hand at the wrapping .I never wanted it to become an onerous task so I deliberately put a limit on the numbers I would build at any one time .I believe if I had made the choice to build rods full time I would not have the money to still live in the paradise that I have called home as million dollar plus homes are the norm .

Regards Baz

Bundeena
NSW Australia

I found that speaking with local fishing clubs about fishing rods in general helped me quite a bit. Present the basics and speak to the 'upgrades'. For example: the advent and improvements over time of guides with inserts (bring samples with you attached to a "comparison stick". Be ready to discuss the differences between fiberglass and graphite blanks - and their usefulness under different fishing conditions. Tailor your presentation to your audience - it does no good to present information on bamboo trout rods to people who troll for pelagic species. Have good looking business cards ready to pass out. They don't have to be flashy but do need to present what you do... Do not forget repair work. Repair jobs on a time / dollar amount (for me) bring in quite a bit more money,

Get a "presence" on the internet. Spend money to make money. Get a professional to help you with this.

Always fish with rods you've made no matter where you go. People will ask - unfortunately not as many will purchase.

Spend time with a customer. Ask detailed questions about reel seat sizes (hand sizes); ask what they don't like about their current fishing rods and discuss what you can offer by way of improvements; ask what techniques they use (you can also learn a lot to improve your own fishing skills).

I did not jump in with both feet - I built / repaired rods for many years and looked to this as a post-retirement enterprise - I transitioned from hobby to work 5 years before I left my real job. That gave me extra money to put towards setting up a good shop work area (actually now two - one "dirty" area for turning/shaping and one "clean" for thread work and final epoxy) with plenty of light; lots of storage; good equipment and a carry-over customer base from the hobby days.

Mark

Truth is that you will compete with Doc Ski and the rest of the planet. Truly. The first questions are not how to sell, but what to sell within the context of a business plan wherein you must make capital and time commitments. You advised that you do not intend to offer fancy thread work. So,what is it you can offer that differentiates you work from the rest of the world? Will you offer rod type variety (all things to all people) or highly specialize in a narrow type (limited by blank manufacturer, weight, salt or fresh water, fly or spin or bait cast only, etc.) What capital and time commitments can you make, and what return is acceptable to you? Great ideas above about sales techniques, business development, and client relations. But you might think first about the what to sell and investments necessary to produce it, and then ask the questions about market size, locations, sales techniques.

Join fishing groups on facebook. I always see people asking if anyone knows any local rod builders.

As mentioned above, fishing clubs are a good place to start. In my case, I am a member of one of the largest fly fishing clubs (Diablo Valley 400+ members) and I fish with many of the members, always using one of my rods which gives exposure, and I build and donate rods each year to our fund raising @#$%&. I also donate to other groups, like Project Healing waters, Cast Hope and FFFF.

Over time most of my business comes via word of mouth or personal exposure. I have had a small number of builds come via internet searches and this web site. My specialty is custom grips, of exotic woods, carbon fiber and other materials. Being unlike anything offered commercially, they set my builds apart and attract those who want both a good performing was well as distinctive rod.

I try very hard to find out from the client what he/she wants in the way of rod performance, Casting, fish species, water types, appearance, and budget. I find it helpful to find out what they like or dislike about their current rods as well.

I only build fly rods and it is not a business for support, I do it to subsidize many of my fishing adventures.

I also organize a number of group fishing trips each year to places like the Green River, Montana, British Columbia, Patagonia, etc. A fun thing I sometimes do on these trips is take a new build to fish and let the others try out. Then at the end of the trip, I @#$%& it off as "field tested!" These groups range in size from 4 to 12 persons, the @#$%& becomes a fun event, and sometimes the @#$%& losers will order the same rod.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/24/2017 12:07PM by Phil Erickson.

Most of my rod building is for my own use. I'll build a set of rods of the components I want for my use, then use the rods for a few seasons, sell them for material cost and build a new set...

I havent actually sold any yet. I told one friend that I was thinking about it, and he said you gotta hook me up. Intent is for a hobby but if I make some money, thats cool too.

Hello Ken B.2

Once you get building you will find you have more friends than ever.

Tight Wraps & Tighter Lines.

Bob,

New Bern, NC.

I build mostly for friends and friends of friends. Since I have retired my friend list just keeps growing. I guess I need to stop being so friendly or I won't have any time to go fishing.

Mark,

I build mostly bass rods and my business started as many have mentioned above. I built several rods for myself, loaned one to a friend in a bass tournament and he asked me to build one for him, which I did. He bragged about the rod to others in our bass club and things started to get busy for my rod building. I decided to start an "official" business. Paid over $3k for a website design, through which, I only sold 2 rods in 10 years. I decided to shut it down as the hosting fee did not justify the investment. I would estimate 90% of my rod sales come through return customers and word of mouth, the majority of which are members of my bass club. The best exposure for your rod building business will come through fishing organizations. The guy who taught me how to build rods conducted a rod building class in his garage for members of our fly fishing club many years ago. Little did I know at the time that it would develop into a rod building business years later. I believe I am the only person from his class that developed his instruction into a business years later. He will always occupy a special place in my heart for sharing his knowledge.

Join a fishing club of some kind, have business cards made to pass out to interested members, as suggested above, talk to other fishing clubs, it will take some time investment; but that is how you get your name and business out there.

'Wishing you much success!

Don Campbell
don@sensorfishingrods.com

I have lots of people see my rods and want one until I tell them what it costs. Then I get the whining about how they can buy a store brand rod a lot cheaper so I tell them "go ahead, this is just my winter hobby and I don't need the work that bad". I use mostly St Croix SCIII blanks I get from a nearby high-quantity builder so I don't have shipping costs. I thought about trying some cheaper blanks but by the time I pay shipping I'm probably not saving a whole lot, and customers may not be as happy as if it were a St Croix. Anyway, I have sold some to fellow fishing league members and avid fisherman who would otherwise buy a St Croix in the store, but they like to pick the components and dimensions to suit their style. I donate a couple to charity raffles and that gets my name out there. Like I said, I only build a small number so I don't need to go looking for more work that would interfere with fishing. :)

John Shear
Chippewa Falls, WI

If they say they can get it for nothing some where else they will always want cheap. It's like a ferrari vs a honda they will both get you from A to B, but thats not why you pay 200k more.

Anyone considering selling rods they build should consider carefully how they will handle warranty returns and the excise tax. If planning to just build "casually" and sell a few, it may not be worth changing a wonderful hobby into a marginal business.