USA Thermomix

[Essie]

Hey MacGuffin, I take your points on notice. Apparently though 11 years ago the same thing was said about Australia which is why the product was not here already. I myself was in the same frame of mind for many years "spend how much on what?" But someone does and then more follow including those late to the party like me when money purchased a few weeks ago.

But seriously though, the U.S.have the best sales people, if you get a network marketing team to consult, they will find a way to develop a culturally appropriate marketing plan....and the sheer population numbers mean that you don't have to sell to everyone just a really tiny  percentage to make it worthwhile.. Remember Australia only has 20 something million and New Zealand 4.5 million  and that has been a viable business here. As a distributor I reckon I would have to sell one or two and the word of mouth will do the rest. As for cost, our price was set when the Aussie dollar was US50c. The distributor here did not drop the price when the Aussie dollar value doubled. Now with the U.S. Dollar strengthening I don't think it will be $2000, but similar to European pricing. Product placement on a cooking competition or Martha won't hurt either,..in fact I have the plan, can I have the distributorship???

I think the bigger issues are around metric verus imperial measurement (although the with new TM5 and the screen. I bet that is sorted), power supply etc and any trade agreements to bring it in. But I am sure they will find a way.

[LillyPilly]

Make it aspirational. Get a celebrity chef to do the public demonstrations. Release a strictly limited number, when it's sold, you will have to wait for the next shipment (NOT like here where it was sold with none onshore). Price? The more you pay, the more it's worth.

I like the idea of making dual measurement machines for the American market. The thin edge of the metric wedge, 😎 mwahah.

[MacGuffin]

I like the idea of making dual measurement machines for the American market. The thin edge of the metric wedge, 😎 mwahah.

I have a science background and am very familiar with metric as a result. I still prefer standard for most things. It would seem I'm not alone. "Wedging" has been a fact of life here for quite a few years with no apparent "widening."

[LillyPilly]

MacGuffin, I still live in hope. Scaling recipes that use fractions is just so much more work. I feel like I need a slide ruler 

[MacGuffin]

Hey MacGuffin, I take your points on notice. Apparently though 11 years ago the same thing was said about Australia which is why the product was not here already. I myself was in the same frame of mind for many years "spend how much on what?" But someone does and then more follow including those late to the party like me when money purchased a few weeks ago.

But seriously though, the U.S.have the best sales people, if you get a network marketing team to consult, they will find a way to develop a culturally appropriate marketing plan....and the sheer population numbers mean that you don't have to sell to everyone just a really tiny  percentage to make it worthwhile.. Remember Australia only has 20 something million and New Zealand 4.5 million  and that has been a viable business here. As a distributor I reckon I would have to sell one or two and the word of mouth will do the rest. As for cost, our price was set when the Aussie dollar was US50c. The distributor here did not drop the price when the Aussie dollar value doubled. Now with the U.S. Dollar strengthening I don't think it will be $2000, but similar to European pricing. Product placement on a cooking competition or Martha won't hurt either,..in fact I have the plan, can I have the distributorship???

I think the bigger issues are around metric verus imperial measurement (although the with new TM5 and the screen. I bet that is sorted), power supply etc and any trade agreements to bring it in. But I am sure they will find a way.

You can't depend on "the U.S. Dollar strengthening" because as soon as there's talk about how a strong dollar means a weaker [insert country/continent of choice], the powers that be take steps to weaken it (much to the chagrin of those of us who like to buy internationally). It invariably rises due to various market forces but it's not reliably stable for any length of time. You're talking like a hungry and hopeful would-be distributor who's eager to believe academic data that might not (and probably don't) reflect the reality of the US market. Even if "the U.S. have the best sales people" (and as someone who has sold, I'm not convinced that this is so), the sharp decline of in-home selling in the US indicates that it's a method that has lost favor here, and using it as an exclusive means to sell a high-ticket item probably won't work. I really do think the Thermomix could find a niche here but not exclusively through home sales, which is why I suggested that an established, adequately capitalized outfit like Pleasant Hill Grains, be given an initial exclusive if it's something that would interest them. Or, if one insists on demos, I believe The Bread Beckers, which caters to a serious cook/bake-it-yourself clientele who are willing to spend a lot on stand mixers (e.g. home-schooling families), might also be a good fit. They not only sell online but have a brick-and-mortar establishment from which, I believe, they host baking classes and such, that utilize the appliances they sell, on a regular or semi-regular basis. Hosting Thermomix get-togethers at their store might be right up their alley. Believe me, vendors like these know the American market a lot better than Harvard.

Incidentally, what do you mean by "power supply?"

[MacGuffin]

MacGuffin, I still live in hope. Scaling recipes that use fractions is just so much more work. I feel like I need a slide ruler 

I don't find it work at all. If I want to reduce or increase a recipe, I still have to divide or multiply it, regardless of units or if it's weight or volume. But why do you hope? Are you in the US?

[LillyPilly]

But why do you hope? Are you in the US?

No, but US recipes do dominate the Internet. It is a refreshing change when I search for Thermomix recipes.

I find it more awkward to divide say, 2/3 c by 8 than to do the same with mls. Actually, it's the insistence on cup measures that makes things most difficult. If I'm writing out a recipe I write the volume measurements in ml because it is so much faster to scale up or down. It would be easier if the U.S. cup was 10 oz. Can you tell I count on my fingers 😄?

[Azure111]

There already is an authorized US theromimix distributor located in Florida (they repair and service existing TM21 that were sold in the US by Vorwerk years ago before they pulled out of the US market).  This info is easily found using google. 

I would imagine if anyone is to get distributor rights in the US, those folks will have to give up theirs.  I doubt they would give distributor rights to someone outside of the US too.

[MacGuffin]

I doubt they would give distributor rights to someone outside of the US too.

I'd have to second that.

[gertbysea]

I am sure there will be more than one distributor and I would not be surprised at all if there was an Ausie connection and perhaps a Canadian connection as well as a European connection. Lots of people want in.

Gert

[courton]

From what I have heard, German HO is going to be involved in the distributership themselves.

[MacGuffin]

I am sure there will be more than one distributor and I would not be surprised at all if there was an Ausie connection and perhaps a Canadian connection as well as a European connection. Lots of people want in.

Hard to say. Canada wouldn't surprise me because they've done a good job of establishing the Thermomix and they have a much better grasp of the way business is conducted here than anyone else, including Europe and Australia. That's the route Bamix took when they were convinced to enter the North American market. Ocean Sales had that exclusive for quite a long time.

[Azure111]

I just hope that Vorwerk decides to enter the mass US market again with the Thermomix, as long that happens I don't really care what distributor they use (although I am not too fond of one of the Canandian distributors). 

I love my TM31 and enjoy showing it to other fellow Americans although they often express shock at the price.  I honestly do think that the new TM5 will be successful in the US using a different selling method such as through stores like Williams Sonoma.

I would love the opportunity to work for Vorwerk here in the US because I would get a lot of statisfaction in showing other Americans how to use the thermomix and seeing how amazed they would be with it.

It really shouldn't be so difficult for Americans to get the thermomix.  It is ridiculous. 

[MacGuffin]

I agree that it's ridiculous. And I suspect it WOULD be fun to show others and even make money on sales. I couldn't push it but helping to bring a product and someone for whom it's a fit is awesome.

[Azure111]

I agree that it's ridiculous. And I suspect it WOULD be fun to show others and even make money on sales. I couldn't push it but helping to bring a product and someone for whom it's a fit is awesome.

I wonder if there are any TM21 former American consultants that can chime in on the selling experience years ago.