Well hello all,
Glad you could join me again. I am trying to collect all my thoughts and experiences from the recent ISRI conference and somehow cobble it into a ball of meaning and insight, but there is JUST SO MUCH. If you were in attendance you know what I mean; it's a huge conference with a huge exhibit area, right on the Las Vegas strip, in the heart of casino country... let's just say the environment is intended to be nothing short of overstimulating... But even through all of that, this year more than the couple of years before, I got the distinct feeling that people were there FOR BUSINESS. This was not a pleasure-cruise, this is money at stake
I was there to support our exhibit and provide demonstrations, so I was pretty much working the whole time while at the booth for Verichek. There was a diverse range of people and interests represented there, beyond metals analysis, of course. I came away with some new ideas for better addressing some under served markets with my products, which is always a good thing for business, and I heard from a lot of people about what is important to them.
It wasn't always "well you know, what I find important in the metals business..." though that did essentially happen a couple of times. But the very interesting things were what people responded to unconsciously... the way they wrinkled their brow or pursed their lips when certain things were mentioned. If you watch people carefully, you can see the wheels turning.
And for the first time in maybe the last 3 or so years, the price was not THE primary concern. Oh sure, they wanted to know what the price was, but the ballpark numbers didn't evoke the response they did a year ago, though they are essentially unchanged. The slight widening of the eyes wasn't there... the uncomfortable shift of weight.
The discussion didn't lead with price and the questions weren't about how we could whittle away the cost or throw in extra warranties or finance it on a 200 month lease, it was much more...substantial... than that.
Finally the conversation is returning to performance and value, the things they should have been all along!
When people begin to understand the value of an instrument beyond the price of the instrument, it becomes apparent that the value is greater only IF you apply the device in an effective manner. The small scrap yard that doesn't see but a few hundred thousand per year in revenues may not think an analyzer is of enough value, but if they dig deeper they find that they can add value to the equation in other ways, perhaps offering metal analysis services to even smaller yards for a fee, or sharing equipment among yards to spread the cost and still obtain the benefit of having an analyzer to accurately identify and value their products.
One thing everyone seems to be realizing though, their competition is analyzing materials and making it pay. If they can save a penny more because of accurate valuation of their materials, or offer a little more to their customers, they are going to win... sometimes staying competitive is the best reason; there is no standing still, if you aren't moving forward you're falling behind.
Have a great day and I will see you next time!
Monday, April 23, 2012
Friday, April 13, 2012
Back From Boulder...
Hello again!
I just got home and off of the road from a trip to Boulder Colorado, for a web-demonstration of the Oxford Instruments PMI-MASTER Pro mobile spectrometer. I had a great trip and the prospects seemed very impressed with the operation! Not that is of great interest to you, but the reason I bring this up, is that in our current, massively connected lifestyles, it is becoming easier and easier to gain information and exposure to the products we need to stay competitive, without the expense, hassle and risk of moving equipment and people around the country to see an instrument operate. (you can see a recording of the demonstration if you like. Go HERE to see the you-tube video)
I am a firm believer that education is the most important part of my job. There is a lot of information out there, and much of it is terribly inaccurate, if not willfully misleading! At first, the people I interface with don't know if they can trust the information I provide or not (I certainly hope they do, but it is completely reasonable for them not to!) so being able to see for yourself goes a long way to clearing up misconceptions and erroneous assumptions that we all make in our heads, and helps us verify that what we are being told is true.
With metals analysis, the ability to see important elements, like carbon for instance, with precision is such an important factor. The ability to SEE that reproducibility is a prime motivator for the people who desire analytical equipment. Sure, precision specifications are provided, but there is something almost magical about seeing the PROOF, right there in front of you, especially when it's your own, familiar materials being analyzed. There are many other reasons as well, but my experience has taught me that this is generally the main factor, with ease-of-use, configuration flexibility, and even prestige following closely behind.
Just as a little exercise, imagine you are out shopping for a mobile spectrometer for your company. You search the web, you see this model, you see that model, you read the features, check the bells and whistles, you check on pricing. Geez... they all seem to be close in performance and investment. Which one will you feel most comfortable recommending to your organization; the ones displayed in the handsome, polished fliers you downloaded, or the one you saw analyze YOUR materials accurately and precisely? I know where I put my trust; in the claims I can VERIFY.
That's the main crux of my post today; verify the claims being made before you write the check. One of my prospects was relaying a story of a colleague he works with. They analyze materials in the field to determine proper welding technique and application of materials. They were told by the sales rep "Sure! This analyzer can analyze carbon steel NO PROBLEM!" And strictly speaking, it COULD analyze carbon steel... the salesman just "forgot" to tell them that the actual carbon WOULD NOT be part of the analysis.
They didn't verify the claims made. They spent many tens of thousands of dollars. They now have an analyzer that is almost useless for their true needs. They are reluctant to purchase more analytical capability because they have already spent so much of their budget. Maybe they can recover some of the investment by selling the analyzer, but they will never gain the VALUE from the analyzer.
I try to make it easy for the people I work with to verify my claims. If you are dealing with me, I will try my darnedest to provide you with accurate and verifiable information. I offer demonstration for the equipment I recommend, whether in-person or via web-sessions, so they can trust that they will see the value from the product applied to their operation. Don't trust anyone who won't stand behind their equipment/service/claims to at least that level. I sure won't,and you shouldn't either.
Well, I am getting ready now to fly to Las Vegas for the International Society of Recycling Industries conference and exhibition. If you will be at ISRI, please come and say hello at booth 1221! We may have some special offers we can entice you with, but we will definitely have equipment we can demonstrate for you.
Thanks for reading, and if you haven't already done so, sign up for my free newsletter HERE as I will be sharing tips, techniques, stories and information on upcoming specials and other useful information that may help you with your metals analysis challenges. It's spam-free and I don't share addresses.
Thanks for reading!
Until next time,
Walter
I just got home and off of the road from a trip to Boulder Colorado, for a web-demonstration of the Oxford Instruments PMI-MASTER Pro mobile spectrometer. I had a great trip and the prospects seemed very impressed with the operation! Not that is of great interest to you, but the reason I bring this up, is that in our current, massively connected lifestyles, it is becoming easier and easier to gain information and exposure to the products we need to stay competitive, without the expense, hassle and risk of moving equipment and people around the country to see an instrument operate. (you can see a recording of the demonstration if you like. Go HERE to see the you-tube video)
I am a firm believer that education is the most important part of my job. There is a lot of information out there, and much of it is terribly inaccurate, if not willfully misleading! At first, the people I interface with don't know if they can trust the information I provide or not (I certainly hope they do, but it is completely reasonable for them not to!) so being able to see for yourself goes a long way to clearing up misconceptions and erroneous assumptions that we all make in our heads, and helps us verify that what we are being told is true.
With metals analysis, the ability to see important elements, like carbon for instance, with precision is such an important factor. The ability to SEE that reproducibility is a prime motivator for the people who desire analytical equipment. Sure, precision specifications are provided, but there is something almost magical about seeing the PROOF, right there in front of you, especially when it's your own, familiar materials being analyzed. There are many other reasons as well, but my experience has taught me that this is generally the main factor, with ease-of-use, configuration flexibility, and even prestige following closely behind.
Just as a little exercise, imagine you are out shopping for a mobile spectrometer for your company. You search the web, you see this model, you see that model, you read the features, check the bells and whistles, you check on pricing. Geez... they all seem to be close in performance and investment. Which one will you feel most comfortable recommending to your organization; the ones displayed in the handsome, polished fliers you downloaded, or the one you saw analyze YOUR materials accurately and precisely? I know where I put my trust; in the claims I can VERIFY.
That's the main crux of my post today; verify the claims being made before you write the check. One of my prospects was relaying a story of a colleague he works with. They analyze materials in the field to determine proper welding technique and application of materials. They were told by the sales rep "Sure! This analyzer can analyze carbon steel NO PROBLEM!" And strictly speaking, it COULD analyze carbon steel... the salesman just "forgot" to tell them that the actual carbon WOULD NOT be part of the analysis.
They didn't verify the claims made. They spent many tens of thousands of dollars. They now have an analyzer that is almost useless for their true needs. They are reluctant to purchase more analytical capability because they have already spent so much of their budget. Maybe they can recover some of the investment by selling the analyzer, but they will never gain the VALUE from the analyzer.
I try to make it easy for the people I work with to verify my claims. If you are dealing with me, I will try my darnedest to provide you with accurate and verifiable information. I offer demonstration for the equipment I recommend, whether in-person or via web-sessions, so they can trust that they will see the value from the product applied to their operation. Don't trust anyone who won't stand behind their equipment/service/claims to at least that level. I sure won't,and you shouldn't either.
Well, I am getting ready now to fly to Las Vegas for the International Society of Recycling Industries conference and exhibition. If you will be at ISRI, please come and say hello at booth 1221! We may have some special offers we can entice you with, but we will definitely have equipment we can demonstrate for you.
Thanks for reading, and if you haven't already done so, sign up for my free newsletter HERE as I will be sharing tips, techniques, stories and information on upcoming specials and other useful information that may help you with your metals analysis challenges. It's spam-free and I don't share addresses.
Thanks for reading!
Until next time,
Walter
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Back from AFS Regional...
Welcome back for another installation of Know Your Metals!
I had a busy last couple of weeks! A lot of travel, trade-show attendance and calls and visits in LA California!
The most recent trade event was a small, regional AFS (American Foundry Society) conference with a small exhibit area for vendors (yeah, the booth-boy attends these neighborhood events too!) at the Red Lion in Seattle WA.
I was very happy to attend, as it gave me a chance to reconnect with folks I had lost touch with due to job changes. I really like working with the foundry and metal manufacture folks. They tend to be a "no-nonsense" group of people and that suits my professional style just fine! They seem to know what they want and can make the case to get it!
Making metal and mixing alloys is as much art as science I think... Some of these guys have such a knack for it, they can almost tell you what is in an alloy by the smell! Well, maybe that is an exaggeration, but they are pretty darned good at it!
Most of us have to rely on equipment like OES spectrometers to get the low-down on an alloy. Commercial metals really do need to be closely monitored for material composition, or a alloy won't have the right characteristics (strength, flexibility, machinability, what-have-you) to fit the intended purpose. Speaking of art vs. science, the one MAJOR exception is art metals.
Foundries for art-metals are typically only interested in the chemistry in-so-far as it effects the pour into the mold and the color of the casting... Dang they have it SO easy!
For the rest of us though, gotta have that chemistry!
How do you analyze your metals? What kind of equipment do you rely on? Let me know, I would like to hear about what you are doing to maintain your quality, but also what your challenges are!
This is a short one this week, I hope you have a great week and remember, now is the time to...
KNOW YOUR METALS!
Thanks for tuning in again! Until next time!
Walter
(P.S. if you want more information about me or the products I recommend, visit
http://know-your-metals.com/
and while you are there, sign up for my weekly newsletter!)
I had a busy last couple of weeks! A lot of travel, trade-show attendance and calls and visits in LA California!
The most recent trade event was a small, regional AFS (American Foundry Society) conference with a small exhibit area for vendors (yeah, the booth-boy attends these neighborhood events too!) at the Red Lion in Seattle WA.
I was very happy to attend, as it gave me a chance to reconnect with folks I had lost touch with due to job changes. I really like working with the foundry and metal manufacture folks. They tend to be a "no-nonsense" group of people and that suits my professional style just fine! They seem to know what they want and can make the case to get it!
Making metal and mixing alloys is as much art as science I think... Some of these guys have such a knack for it, they can almost tell you what is in an alloy by the smell! Well, maybe that is an exaggeration, but they are pretty darned good at it!
Most of us have to rely on equipment like OES spectrometers to get the low-down on an alloy. Commercial metals really do need to be closely monitored for material composition, or a alloy won't have the right characteristics (strength, flexibility, machinability, what-have-you) to fit the intended purpose. Speaking of art vs. science, the one MAJOR exception is art metals.
Foundries for art-metals are typically only interested in the chemistry in-so-far as it effects the pour into the mold and the color of the casting... Dang they have it SO easy!
For the rest of us though, gotta have that chemistry!
How do you analyze your metals? What kind of equipment do you rely on? Let me know, I would like to hear about what you are doing to maintain your quality, but also what your challenges are!
This is a short one this week, I hope you have a great week and remember, now is the time to...
KNOW YOUR METALS!
Thanks for tuning in again! Until next time!
Walter
(P.S. if you want more information about me or the products I recommend, visit
http://know-your-metals.com/
and while you are there, sign up for my weekly newsletter!)
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