This is 3Bits & Change, an email about building a direct to consumer business on the internet. Today’s issue was written to loud overhead music at a Starbucks.
Good morning,
An invitation and 2 quick bits for Monday.
Knife making in Japan
I’m headed West this week. The frequency of posts to this thread will increase. Join me and journey to Japan to learn knife making.
From the first days of thinking about kitchen knife sharpening as a “thing,” I’ve wanted to voyage to Japan to learn. This trip with be a quick intro, about a week. With luck there will be a future multi-month opportunity. But, for now, I take the 13 hour westerly flight and get my feet wet.
Come along if you’d like! We’re headed to Kikuichi in Seki City, near Osaka, for our first stop.
Direct Mail Update no. 2
We did not quite break even on this last mailing before the holiday. However, neighbors keep bringing the piece in hoping for a trade. There are 5 peelers left.
This business of knife sharpening is an old-time-esk business. It’s so local in the minds of so many. There is work to do to expand awareness that professional sharpening can be as easy as one-tap (Apple Pay / Google Pay) and 3 mins of working with our magic mailing kit. We’ll keep at it.
Robo Letters, v3
A grocery update. I was thinking back to the most impactful early B2B marketing tactics we used when selling to hotels. By far, letters in the mail were the best performers when measured by starting conversations. Grocery is a little like hotels in service delivery - open the doors and staff the front desk (checkout). Go.
I’ve figured new ways to build contact lists. General managers of prospective stores are receiving letters written by robots this week. Their corporate staff decision making counterparts are receiving hand addressed envelopes with handwritten letters.
The first ~400 letters are in the mail. Now we wait to see what kinds of responses we’ll receive. I’m hoping for 5 conversations and one conversation to a test on this batch. Standby.
Sum
Join me on this next adventure to Japan. Direct mail… still “works.” We’re testing B2B lead generation by way of handwritten letters.
Change
Our data feed to YouTube is working again. #win
10 people came to a class with a cap of 8 people last Saturday. People want kitchen knife skills! We rolled with it.
Sterling knows how to sell kitchen goodies. So we have enough knives for class a new spreadsheet exists to manage stock outside my head!
We host a landlord at the shop tomorrow as a meet and greet and to discuss if a second Vivront makes sense in their building.
Our first prototype of a custom knife roll is ready for review.
New products have arrived from Laguiole. These are the legit ones, from France, not the WS ones. More kitchen on the way.
Opinel folders and other steak knives are now available in store.
Our flowers CSA partner will build a display/pickup solution. Yes. I was ruminating about how to solve that problem. Now, problem solved. #win
On Your Way
I genuinely hope you’re enjoying Spring! Breathe (before the polen is too heavy). It’s been a wild weather week here in MN. The ice is out on most lakes in our area. So wonderful. Happy Spring all!
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Order kitchen knives sharpened or give the gift of sharp at Vivront.com.
Can't wait to see all the insights from your journey.