In episode 152 I spoke with Chris Lefteri from FixIts, who talked about his unique product.
On 9 March 2023 Chris was on BBC’s Dragons Den.
In this short episode, I speak with Chris about what it was like, what it involves and whether he’d recommend it as an experience!
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Transcript
Welcome to the Bring Your Product Idea to Life podcast.
Speaker:This is the podcast for you if you're getting started selling
Speaker:products, or if you'd like to create your own product to sell.
Speaker:I'm Vicky Weinberg, product creation coach and Amazon expert.
Speaker:Every week I share friendly, practical advice as well as inspirational
Speaker:stories from small businesses.
Speaker:Let's get started.
Speaker:So just a few weeks ago, in episode 152, we spoke to Chris from Fixit
Speaker:all about the challenges of creating and selling a unique product.
Speaker:What neither Chris or I told you at the time is that Chris had actually.
Speaker:Already recorded an episode for Dragon Stem and that episode went out last
Speaker:th of March,:Speaker:And I caught up with Chris to find out a little bit more about what it's like
Speaker:to appear on the show, how to prepare, and whether he would recommend it.
Speaker:So whether you've seen last night's episode or not, or if you haven't, I
Speaker:suggest maybe having to watch it first.
Speaker:It's a great episode.
Speaker:Um, Sit, sit down and listen to this very short, um, episode of Chris, where he
Speaker:explains a lot more about the process.
Speaker:So, hi Chris.
Speaker:Thank you for talking to me again.
Speaker:Hey, Vicki.
Speaker:Good to speak to you.
Speaker:So we were all very excited to see you on Dragon Den last night, and as
Speaker:you can imagine, I have some questions if you're happy to share with us.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:Um, and I would love to start with when and why did you decide that
Speaker:was something you wanted to do?
Speaker:Um, and actually they approached me almost a year ago, um, to ask if I'd
Speaker:like to apply it, and I think it would've been crazy not to have, um, at least
Speaker:attempted to, to get into the den and, um, I mean, it's not something that
Speaker:I particularly relish, you know, the thought of having to present to five
Speaker:people in a very intense scenario.
Speaker:Um, but I couldn't really turn it down.
Speaker:It's too big an opportunity.
Speaker:Absolutely.
Speaker:And do you know where they found you?
Speaker:Um, on social media?
Speaker:On social media?
Speaker:And it's, um, incredibly long process.
Speaker:I have to say, before you actually get into being filmed on the den.
Speaker:Many, many steps that took maybe two months, I would say, um, of, you
Speaker:know, submitting, auditioning, um, you know, uh, sending in documents.
Speaker:Um, it's a very, very long process.
Speaker:Oh wow.
Speaker:So, so you are doing all of that before you even get to sit
Speaker:in front of the, the Dragons?
Speaker:Oh, absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker:. I mean, it's a case of having to, to get through a series of steps.
Speaker:Um, it isn't a case of submit your, your product and your
Speaker:idea, and then it, it's accepted.
Speaker:It is a series of steps.
Speaker:Um, and, and actually once it was finally accrued the point of which
Speaker:we filmed, um, Was very short.
Speaker:So that critical point of, um, of rehearsing and preparing the pitch and
Speaker:you know, what that table looks like with all the products was very short.
Speaker:Oh, wow.
Speaker:That's, that's quite intense, isn't it?
Speaker:Incredibly intense.
Speaker:Incredibly intense.
Speaker:. And what kind of things are you asked to prepare?
Speaker:So before you actually, you know, we see you on television in front, in front
Speaker:of the dragons, what sort of things are you been asked to provide and prepare?
Speaker:I'm just thinking for anyone who thinks, oh, I might like to have a go at that,
Speaker:what is it that you need to have?
Speaker:Yeah, I mean, I think you have to be very clear on what your product is.
Speaker:And, um, I mean, and it's obvious that there are, that there.
Speaker:Projects, products that are very topical.
Speaker:Um, the, the, and I was very aware of that and, and obviously I, the,
Speaker:you know, fixes is about, um, you know, reducing waste by, uh, you
Speaker:know, people repairing their stuff.
Speaker:So the.
Speaker:I mean, one of the first things you do is you submit an online application, which
Speaker:it says you know, what is your product?
Speaker:Um, and, and then you have to do, I think, two auditions that are online.
Speaker:Um, and at that point you really hone your story because, I mean,
Speaker:it's not very often that you have to pitch your, your business.
Speaker:Um, and you have, I think two, two minutes, three maximum,
Speaker:if I remember correctly.
Speaker:You can't overstep that.
Speaker:Um, and um, and then once you go through that, that process, and then
Speaker:that's approved by the producers, then there's a whole series of, uh,
Speaker:documents that have to be completed in terms of the business, in terms of.
Speaker:Uh, uh, you know, sales and figures and, um, yeah, and that has to be approved.
Speaker:And then finally get on a train to go to Manchester and have fun, you know,
Speaker:waiting behind the scenes for your turn.
Speaker:Wow.
Speaker:Well thank you for explaining all of that, that, yeah, it does sound super intense.
Speaker:And do you get any feedback when you are sort of doing your auditions?
Speaker:So obviously that's to researchers or producers.
Speaker:Do you get any feedback on what your position.
Speaker:Pitching or how you are doing it, or no, not, not really, not not from the b bbc,
Speaker:I mean, um, you know, they were, they were very supportive throughout the process.
Speaker:Um, uh, I, I, I got lots of feedback from people that I knew, friends,
Speaker:um, who had experience, you know, presenting people who ran theaters.
Speaker:Um, I pitched it to my neighbors and.
Speaker:I, I realized, and I went through six different versions of the pitch
Speaker:before I even got to writing the pitch.
Speaker:I was prepared to stand there and say, this is my product
Speaker:and this is what it's about.
Speaker:And be very enthusiastic and be very clear, because that's
Speaker:very easy for most people to do.
Speaker:But actually the realization of, um, you know, you have a very
Speaker:limited amount of time and it's, you have to tell a very clear story.
Speaker:And I thought if I were paying for this and I were paying for
Speaker:an actor, I'd give them a script.
Speaker:So therefore I need to have a script.
Speaker:So I really had a script and I tried to remember that, you know, off my
Speaker:heart, , which you know, was a challenge.
Speaker:That must be absolutely terrifying actually.
Speaker:And then obviously they ask you lots of questions as well.
Speaker:They do.
Speaker:And I think what's very interesting is that you, you know, when you watch
Speaker:it on tv, you're seeing a very, very small segment of actually the, the
Speaker:time that you occupy in the den.
Speaker:Um, that I think maybe.
Speaker:I was there for an hour and a half perhaps, um, which goes very quickly.
Speaker:Uh, and you think, oh, you know, I've been in there so long when you finally leave.
Speaker:Um, and yes, they do ask lots of questions.
Speaker:Um, and obviously the, the.
Speaker:The editors, you know, filter out many of those questions.
Speaker:So what you see is, is not necessarily everything that's discussed.
Speaker:Um, and, and actually, you know, the, the, the dragon themselves have to make
Speaker:a decision and it really is on the spot.
Speaker:There isn't any prep, there, isn't they, you know, they're
Speaker:handed information about fix.
Speaker:Its beforehand.
Speaker:It really is at that point that you walk through the.
Speaker:The elevator door, that that's when they receive the product,
Speaker:that's when they listen to you.
Speaker:So they have to understand everything.
Speaker:Um, so yeah, it appears like it's a, it's a 10 minute q and a.
Speaker:It's not, it's, it's a very detailed series of questions.
Speaker:So given that, then, I guess you have absolutely no idea what
Speaker:they're going to ask you either.
Speaker:Cause that, that was a question I had.
Speaker:I didn't know how much the dragons were briefed on the products and the
Speaker:companies, and so whether they had any questions in mind, but it sounds like No.
Speaker:So you have to be prepared for anything?
Speaker:No, no, no.
Speaker:I mean, no, no, there's no, there's no, um, there's no, these are
Speaker:the questions we're gonna ask.
Speaker:So, I mean, you know, I also, I also did a presentation to my account.
Speaker:And I said, ask me the, the number questions, which is the hardest thing
Speaker:because, I mean, I think it's, it's, it's not really a re realistic scenario
Speaker:that if you are, if you're looking for investment, you turn up with, you know,
Speaker:having to remember every single number.
Speaker:You know, you have that in front of you, you can refer to it, but actually
Speaker:there, there isn't any of that.
Speaker:You have to remember everything, which was probably the hardest thing
Speaker:to remember all the numbers as you.
Speaker:Witnessing the show.
Speaker:I mean, on a very personal level, I was very happy when we walked out
Speaker:there den because it is incredibly, um, an incredible buildup.
Speaker:I mean, you have to appreciate it.
Speaker:The, you are walking through, you know, what you see is
Speaker:walking through an elevator is me walking through an elevator.
Speaker:But actually, Just on the day you are waiting.
Speaker:And that buildup, you know, it's like, you know, actors going on stage or it's
Speaker:like people, you know, waiting to give a speech or, you know, give a lecture.
Speaker:There is that incredible buildup.
Speaker:So on a, on a, um, personal level, I was just relieved.
Speaker:If I, if I tell you any more than that, then that does give away and
Speaker:I think it's very, uh, yeah, it's, it's a great, I think it's a great.
Speaker:It is a great episode.
Speaker:Yeah, I agree.
Speaker:And, um, okay.
Speaker:One final, final question then that you can answer.
Speaker:Would you recommend it or, or would you, and would you, if you
Speaker:know you had a time machine, would you, would you do it all again?
Speaker:Um, it's not the fainthearted.
Speaker:Um, and it's a lot of work.
Speaker:I, it really did consume me for weeks beforehand.
Speaker:Um, really did in, in terms of what you have to supply,
Speaker:uh, the, you know, in advance.
Speaker:Um, I would do it again.
Speaker:Uh, I'd love to do it again.
Speaker:I'd love to do it again because I would do such a better job, um, than
Speaker:I would have because I, you know, it's the first time I've been in
Speaker:any, any kind of situation like that.
Speaker:I've given lots of talks and been in lots of presentations.
Speaker:But actually to do it in that scenario, um, it was the first time, but I would
Speaker:relish doing it again and I would advise if you get the opportunity.
Speaker:Absolutely.
Speaker:Because it, you know, obviously there is that PR aspect of it, but, I think
Speaker:it, it really does focus you because you have to, one, you have to really
Speaker:explain your business and what the benefits are to people who don't know.
Speaker:And through doing that, you do understand much more about your business because
Speaker:you think, well, actually, the why, why am I doing this and what have I
Speaker:done and have I done that research?
Speaker:And, you know, what is my forecast?
Speaker:What is my six month, 12 month, five year plan?
Speaker:You know?
Speaker:So yes, Absolut.
Speaker:Brilliant.
Speaker:Well, thank you so much.
Speaker:You're welcome, Vicky.
Speaker:Thank you so much for listening right to the end of this episode.
Speaker:Do you remember that?
Speaker:You can get the fullback catalog and lots of free resources on
Speaker:my website, vicky weinberg.com.
Speaker:Please do remember to rate of view this episode if you've enjoyed it,
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