| Tell People Why You are Special |
| Written by Brian James | |
|
Melbourne wood craftsman John Najjar uses beautiful old timber to make furniture. Some of his magnificent 'rectory' tables are well over $5000! Visitors to his factory/showroom have to pass stacks of old timber John has collected from all over Australia. Most of the timber looks old and worse for wear, but to John every piece is a rough diamond waiting to be discovered and transformed. When I spoke with John on a rainy Saturday morning his passion for wood or timber was infectious. He's a big bear of a man and excited about every piece of timber he collects and the finished product. John took me into his factory amongst all the machinery and work in progress. I know nothing about timber or the process and I became fascinated as he enthused about the painstaking journey from old plank to beautiful tabletop or cabinet or door or shelving. The challenge for John is that some people don't appreciate the value or why his finished 'works of art' are thousands of dollars. He needs to tell people, like he told me, about what makes him so good or his furniture so special. It's the same for everyone who is looking for publicity or thinking about marketing to get their point of difference across. Here's what I suggest to John Najjar from Hammerwood Woodworx in Brunswick (Melbourne). Tell All Tell people what goes into the process. The will value it more because they learn about the stages. Now, every other timber craftsman might be doing the same process, but you should be the first to explain your process. Add some romance to it. Here are some of the things that John does to make his pieces, which by the way, I think are too cheap. The Famous Timber *He travels far and wide to collect his timber. It might be in a barn or at a demolition site or in somebody's garage. *It might be a plank or piece of old flooring or half a tree. Most will be old, sometimes hundreds of years and look weather-beaten. The Process *When John selects a piece, he will make sure it has dried out. He will look at the wood for its character - he can tell that from looking, touching even smelling. Old is Good *Once selected it will be 'dressed', that is put into a machine which removes the top layer. John likes to use Australian machinery. One of his machines, for large pieces of timber, is 80 years old. It weighs a tonne or two. It needs a paint of coat. It looks a little low tech, but its three rollers gently sand John's precious timber and elegantly expose the grain or 'character' of the wood. Ugly Betty *This old piece of machinery is a 'point of difference'. It is the only one of its kind still working anywhere in Australia. I reckon he should call it "Ugly Betty" or something and build a story around it. *If timber needs to be glued together, say for a table, then it is placed in another machine which laminates or glues the pieces together. Special Fillers *Because the old timber sometimes has chunks out of the top, it needs to be filled. John has a special natural clear filler, which when sanded and dried enhances the character. Hand Finished *Although John has three machines which automatically sand timber, John insists on finishing each piece of furniture by hand with a small hand held sander which again reveals more character in the wood. Organic *To complete the process, and there are probably a few more steps I have missed, John applies a protective clear coating. This is John's special coating which is organic, contains no chemicals and leaves a beautiful glean. John's Background *Then there's John himself as a point of difference. He's Lebanese. He started as a motor mechanic then became a carpenter, then a builder. As a builder he was often asked to build pieces of furniture out of old timber. He realised he loved doing this more than building. He started collecting distressed timber from around Melbourne, then around Victoria and Australia. Old Suppliers *John is passionate about Australian wood. He has an encyclopedic knowledge about it. Some of his suppliers are craftspeople in their seventies. One fellow supplies John with brass plaques. When he retires, there will be no more of his specialised plaques. His brass tack supplier is closing down, so he bought up the entire stock of tacks. Turning Raw staff into Diamonds *John has interesting people working with him. Some have had troubled backgrounds. He gives them a job and a craft. He changes lives with his woodwork. *John has an array of interesting clients. There are plenty of stories. They will all give John and his team at Hammewood Woodworx a point of difference and reinforce the painstaking work that goes into each valuable work of art. The Media Love Hooks and Angles All of these above points or 'hooks' could be included in a letter or media release to the media. Remember, they are always looking for a story which is news or new - whether it's the human interest, innovation,business, success or even historical angle. The Media want angles. Give them plenty of angles and you have a better chance of success of being featured in a story and have potential clients banging down your door and maybe ordering a magnifcient door! John Najjar's company is Hammerwood Woodworx, 293 Victoria Street Brunswick. PH 03 9 388 0021 Johns website is hammerwoodwoodworx.com.au He's a chip of the old block! |
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