# 227: How to Sell Your Invention Direct to Companies as a Promotional Product

- Show: [Product Startup](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup)
- Published: 2024-05-24
- Length: 22m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2024-05-24-227-how-to-sell-your-invention-direct-to-companies-as-a-promotional-product
- Listen: https://productstartup.com/podcast/227-how-to-sell-your-invention-direct-to-companies-as-a-promotional-product/

## Summary

Jeff Lerner, CEO of Misnomer and former Google marketing lead, explains how hardware startups can bypass traditional retail to sell inventions directly to corporations as promotional products. He outlines a strategy of identifying a specific 'champion' within a target organization who faces a problem your product solves, allowing that person to look good by bringing the solution to their team. Lerner emphasizes that these products must offer unique value—such as improving efficiency, aiding employee retention, or enhancing sales processes at trade shows—rather than being generic items like pens. He advises starting locally through networking groups and chambers of commerce to generate early case studies and validation before scaling to larger, faceless B2B transactions.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2024-05-24-227-how-to-sell-your-invention-direct-to-companies-as-a-promotional-product#t=0) Introduction: Jeff Lerner and Misnomer
- [2:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2024-05-24-227-how-to-sell-your-invention-direct-to-companies-as-a-promotional-product#t=160) Jeff Lerner's Background and B2B Strategy
- [5:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2024-05-24-227-how-to-sell-your-invention-direct-to-companies-as-a-promotional-product#t=351) Defining Unique Promotional Products
- [10:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2024-05-24-227-how-to-sell-your-invention-direct-to-companies-as-a-promotional-product#t=600) Value Propositions: Internal Efficiency and Sales Growth
- [12:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2024-05-24-227-how-to-sell-your-invention-direct-to-companies-as-a-promotional-product#t=720) Pre-Launch Planning and Differentiation
- [14:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2024-05-24-227-how-to-sell-your-invention-direct-to-companies-as-a-promotional-product#t=855) Acquisition Channels: LinkedIn, Trade Shows, and Local Networking
- [17:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2024-05-24-227-how-to-sell-your-invention-direct-to-companies-as-a-promotional-product#t=1036) The Power of Local Community and Case Studies
- [19:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2024-05-24-227-how-to-sell-your-invention-direct-to-companies-as-a-promotional-product#t=1156) Misnomer's Services and Conclusion

## Topics

- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Misnomer (company)
- Google (company)
- Mako Design (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [S2E37 Defied the odds:  A Physical Product Development Firm That Focuses on Startups & Small Businesses, Mako Design + Invent –Kevin Mako](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-08-23-s2e37-defied-the-odds-a-physical-product-development-firm-that-focuses-on-startu) (Being an Engineer)
- [Hardware Entrepreneurs: 3 Critical Mistakes You Must Avoid](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/predictable-designs-podcast/2022-06-21-hardware-entrepreneurs-3-critical-mistakes-you-must-avoid) (Predictable Designs Podcast)
- [Advice Line with Justin McLeod of Hinge](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-07-17-advice-line-with-justin-mcleod-of-hinge) (How I Built This)
- [S6E42 Ramzi Marjaba | From Idea to Approval: Persuasion for Engineers](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-10-17-s6e42-ramzi-marjaba-from-idea-to-approval-persuasion-for-engineers) (Being an Engineer)
- [Thinking like a Marketer: Reframing the Sales Mindset w/ Chris Luecke](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2021-02-23-thinking-like-a-marketer-reframing-the-sales-mindset-w-chris-luecke) (The Manufacturing Executive)

## Citing this page

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