Inventor Interview; How To Succeed In Inventing A Product
With all the hard work you put into inventing a product, you need to patent it to protect yourself. We all know the nuisance of having to take the time to clean, but with Joe Iannello’s new product taking care of your lawn mower is faster and easier than ever! With the Spray-N-Mow maintenance tool, time is saved in an effective way with safety in mind. This product will alter the way you maintain your lawn mower deck and the way you think of cleaning.
The process of marketing new products is not without it’s challenges along the way, and in this inventor interview it is apparent why not people can get an idea to go from a sketch on a paper, to a tangible product.
What is the product:
The Spray-N-Mow is a reliable maintenance tool that is used to assist the consumer in cleaning debris & grass from the undercarriage of the lawn mower deck safely, effectively and easily after each lawn cutting.
Joe Iannello designed, invented, patented & manufactured the Spray-N-Mow in the U.S.
How did you market your product:
Originally I went to local hardware stores when initially introducing this product to the public. In the years following I entered a radio contest hosted by a station called “mycoolinventions” (based out of St. Petersburg, Florida). I entered two local contests in which I placed in the top three in both, subsequently I was extended an invitation to enter two national contests. I was asked to send in my product to the station. I did so and it blew people away with how professionally the packaging and product was done. It is molded out of commercial grade, grease and gas resistant polymer, in addition to being fitted with a high quality brass insert that connects to the hose. I would go on to win both contests with 99% and 98% of the vote in each of the respective competitions. This great experience helped in marketing my product and would lead me down new roads I could never have imagined.
How did you get in touch with the inventor radio station:
The radio network contacted me via my website at SPRAY-N-MOW.COM. I then entered an inventors contests by completing and submitting their contest registration. After i gained exposure in these contests I talked to the HSN (Home Shopping Network).
How did you get in touch with the home shopping network:
The Home Shopping Network contacted me through the “mycoolinventions” radio network & Indentures International. When I was called I proceeded to fill out forms that included information about me and why I would like to be on the show. After this, I gave intricate details about my product and how it worked. when I sent them the physical product they were amassed, and told me not to change a thing.
Tell us a little bit more about the whole process if you will:
When I entered the “mycoolinventions” inventors competition I was put into two preliminary competitions. After I ranked in the top three in each of the respective competitions i went into two of their radio contests and won both with 98% & 99% of the votes. Soon after the “mycoolinventions” radio network wanted me to send them some of my products to see what all the buzz was about and to show HSN.
Do have any artwork that you can share with us:
I have a photo of the first working prototype which the manufacturer used to enhance the design of the product with my input.
What advice would you give to new inventors based on what you learned the hard way:
To follow through with the process from beginning to completion with the advice of the Patent Attorney, and use the experiences I learned from other inventors.
How would you do it any differently if you could do it over:
I don’t think that I would have done it differently. Although the process would be smoother and less complicated if I had the right tools such as advice from competent inventors who had the knowledge and expertise with respect to product marketing and pricing strategy.
What was the smartest thing you did:
I listened to individuals that had knowledge and experience with marketing specifically in radio and TV production.
