123: Selling A Hardware Product on B2B Platforms

Gil Bar-Lev is the founder of Homeroots, a North American Business to Business product marketplace that connects new innovative furniture products with furniture stores, distributors, and buyers. Earlier in his career he was the one who brought together Amazon and Toys R Us, back in 2002. Today Gil is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can successfully build a hardware product business, then how to start and scale selling through B2B marketplaces online.

Today you will hear us talk about:

Have passion about what you love in your hardware product startup

If you develop a product, go all in.

Never give up, if you are passionate about your product

Figure out your target audience

Create differentiation, or an improvement

Willingness to listen

Pivot if needed, after listening to customers

It’s hard to get feedback

The quality of a new hardware product is critical.

Stay competitive by keeping quality high

The industry in business-to-business sales could be multiple times the size of the sexy sales channels like direct to consumer.

The first order is so amazing

Don’t price to low originally, as you may lose a lot of interest from bigger buyers as you created too little margin

Leverage relationships with these buyers when you start getting connected

Encourage a feedback loop and channel

Don’t get defensive of feedback, try genuinely to help.

EPISODE LINKS

Gil Bar-Lev / HomeRoots Links:

Website: https://www.homeroots.co/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gilbar-lev/

The Product Startup Podcast Links:

Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent

Mako Design Links:

Website: https://www.makodesign.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/

Kevin Mako Links:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/

Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/

About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry’s leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!