Ayers Concepts

These guidelines can also affect how you conceive, develop, and prototype your invention in a positive way!  Your concept development should include the plans of how you will eventually demonstrate and present the product.

The Guidelines

1. If you can explain your idea in a format of standard letter-size paper, that is usually good enough for an initial concept submission.  Feel free to fold the information into thirds and send in a business envelope.  It's easy to send and easy to have sent back.  Once there is further interest, more information will be requested.

2. Boil your idea down to it's simplest, most straightforward explanation.  Unfortunately, Americans do not have the patience to listen very long to understand something, that is why advertisers know they have little time to sell you an idea.  Well, toys are always new and changing -- they, too must immediately get the attention of the consumer.

3. If you make a video, does the product actually work in the demonstration?  If it doesn't, you have just demonstrated to the company why they should not take your invention.

4. Do not send copies of patents!  Would you buy a product in a store if someone only handed you the patent to the item?  No one will be impressed to see this document; they will trust that you have a patent if you say you have one, and only require to see it after they are interested, which means before decide to offer you any upfront money.

5. Do not send copies of market study reports!  ...escpecially not reports which were done by "Invention Wanted" companies.  Even though you spent thousands of dollars to get a report (which is mostly general information that you could have got at the public library, and so generic that the info could apply to dozens of other inventions which this rip-off company received that day), it is useless to show this report to anyone you want to get excited about your invention.

Two Other Great Perspectives Which Will Help Your Presentation

1. Perspective One -- CREATE THE INSTRUCTIONS.  A great way to visualize what the important features are are for a presentation is to imagine what instructions will need to be offered along with your product.   This will force you to explain the important aspects of your product to the consumer.  This will also force you to think through the execution of the item in its final form -- a great help for figuring out your prototype! 

2. Perspective Two -- CREATE THE TV COMMERCIAL.  What is it about your invention that you know will get people to buy it if they could see it in action?  How would you show it off if you only had thirty seconds?