It?s One Thing for People to Buy Your Product or Service, but It?s Another for Them to Tattoo Your
It?s One Thing for People to Buy Your Product or Service, but It?s Another for Them to Tattoo Your
William Harley and Arthur Davidson, both in their early twenties, built their first motorcycle in 1903. During their first year, the company's entire output was only 1 motorbike; however, by 1910, the company had sold 3,200. Movies such as Easy Rider made Harleys a cultural icon and soon the company attracted people who loved its bad-boy mystique, powerfulness, rumbling voice, distinctive roar, and toughness. It sounded like nothing else on the road, and even Elvis Presley and Steve McQueen longed to ride one.The Harley-Davidson Motor Company has had its ups and downs, and at times, the downs seemed as if they would end in bankruptcy. In the sixties, Honda, Kawasaki, and Yamaha invaded the American market, and when sales at Harley-Davidson dropped drastically due to decreasing quality and increasing competition, the company began to look for buyers and was finally sold. However, the new owners of Harley Davidson knew little about how to restore profitability. The quality became so bad that dealers had to place cardboard under bikes in the showroom to absorb the oil leaking.Daniel Gross, in Forbes Greatest Business Stories of all Times, recounts how in 1981, with the aid of Citibank, a team of former Harley-Davidson executives began negotiations to reacquire the company and rescue it from bankruptcy. Among these executives was William Davidson, the grandson of the founder Arthur Davidson. In a classic leveraged buyout, they pooled $1 million in equity and borrowed $80 million from a consortium of banks lead by Citibank.Harley's rescue team of loyal executives knew that the Japanese motorbike manufacturers were far ahead in regard to quality management, and they made a bold decision to tour a nearby Honda plant. Paradoxically, the Japanese had learned Total Quality Management from the Americans, Edwards Deming and Joseph Juran. The new business concept outlined by these two pioneers was a new management approach that, interestingly enough, had been rejected by American manufacturers. As a result, they offered this approach to Japanese manufactures that were eager to learn and implement it. Therefore, soon after their tour of the Honda plant, the Harley Davidson Motor Company decided to put into practice this originally rejected approach.After implementing just-in-time inventory (JIT) and employee involvement, costs at Harley had dropped significantly; this meant that the company only needed to sell 35,000 bikes instead of 53,000 in order to break even. Their lobbying at Washington also helped, and import tariffs were raised temporarily from 4 to 40 percent on Japanese bikes. This extra breathing space was something that the U.S. motorbike company desperately needed for its recovery.The combination of visiting a Japanese motorbike manufacturing plant and lobbying in Washington for import tariffs was a daring move on behalf of Harley's executives in their attempt to bring back profitability and growth to the company. Another important strategic move was the company's unique marketing and branding campaigns. Studies showed that about 75 % of Harley customers made repeat purchases, and executives quickly recognized a pattern that refocused the company's overall strategy. Simply put, they needed to find a way to appeal to the extraordinary loyalty of customers, which they found in creating a community that valued the experience of riding a Harley more than the product itself.The sponsorship of a "Harley Owners' Group" has been one of the most creative and innovative strategies that has helped create the experience of this product. Without realizing it, Harley executives had pioneered a new paradigm that would be increasingly embraced by other industries in their quest to increase profitability by converting their product into an experience. The company started to organize rallies to strengthen the relationship between its members, dealers, and employees, while also promoting the Harley experience to potential customers. The Harley Owners' Groups became immensely popular; it allowed motorcycle owners to feel as if they belonged to one big family. In 1987, there were 73,000 registered members, and Harley now boasts to have no less than 450,000 members.In 1983, the company launched a marketing campaign called SuperRide, which authorized over 600 dealerships to invite people to test-drive Harleys. Over 40,000 potential new customers accepted the invitation, and from then on, many customers were not just buying a motorcycle when they bought a Harley; instead, they were buying "the Harley Experience."Harley-Davidson offered its customers a free one-year membership to a local riding group, motorcycle publications, private receptions at motorcycle events, insurance, emergency roadside service, rental arrangements on vacation, and a host of other member benefits. Branding the experience, not just the product, has allowed the company to expand how it captures value, including a line of clothing, a parts and accessories business, and Harley-Davidson Visa card.If you were to scan the list of companies that delivered the greatest returns on investment during the 1990s, you would discover Harley-Davidson. Only a few companies have been successful in inventing entirely new business models, or profoundly reinventing existing ones. Harley-Davidson went from supplying motorcycles to antisocial raiders to selling a lifestyle to the aging bad boy wannabes caught in their midlife crises. Traditionally, Harley-Davidson bike owners came from the working and middle classes, but as quality and prices of the bad-boy-bikes rose, and with energetic marketing, the company soon attracted a different class of buyers-currently one third of Harley buyers are professionals or managers, and 60% are college graduates. The new customer segments of Harley are the Rolex Riders or the Rich Urban Bikers. Hell's Angels do not run in the same group anymore. Now there are groups of accountants, lawyers and doctors. Women also account for a significant portion of the new riders, and there are women-only riders clubs spreading all over the globe.The future looks bright for the U.S. motorbike company. According to The Economist, overall U.S. sales increased over 20% in 2000, and more than 650,000 new motorcycles were sold in the U.S. in the same year, up from 539,000 the year before. Bike buyers spent an estimated $5.45 billion on new bikes in 2000.Stay alert and get it early. The new branding paradigm is to sell a lifestyle, a personality and it is also about appealing to emotions of your customers. Increasingly, it will be more and more about creating an experience around the product. Brand managers and executives will need a new set of lenses. The rules have changed as well as the opportunities to maximize profitability and create value in the process. Nonetheless, the majority of companies continue to follow traditional ad campaigns and they seem to ignore the fact that the media has fragmented into hundreds of cable channels, thousands of magazine titles and millions of Internet pages.Consumers are no longer sitting ducks for commercials; they are looking for new experiences. Whether it is the bad-boy-aura of the Harley riding experience, the exquisite coffee experience in Starbucks caf
Ten Ways to Make Your Book Outsell Another – Book-Marketing
Ten Ways to Make Your Book Outsell Another
Wouldn't you rather write a book that sells well than be stuck with unsold inventory? When you plan ahead with the 10 tips below, you will sell thousands rather than hundreds of your unique and important information or inspirational products.
1. Write non-fiction first. These books are 90% of total book sales. After non-fiction success, you can use your profits to partially finance a fiction project.
2. Write short books to start. Short books in any format, like eBooks, booklets, guides or special reports are faster, easier, and cheaper to write than full-length books of 200-300 pages. They can be as short as five pages (special reports), to eBooks that can be 5-100 pages (even longer).
3. Market to a book-buying audience. Women buy far more books than men, about 75%. If your message benefits women, you'll do well in sales. If your book solves a problem it will sell more. It's best to see the need and fill it rather than have an idea-then look for an audience.
4. Choose your cover and title with care. Image is almost everything. You have four seconds to impress your potential buyer. Be clear, use metaphor and make sure your title elicits a picture or an emotion. Keep your title short, preferably 5-7 words. What solutions and results does your book promise? See more free articles including "Titles Sell Books" on www.bookcoaching.com.
5. Expand your book into a series. Think of the huge success of the Chicken Soup Series. They have one cover for all the titles. The latest count is 68 million. Think of spin-off products that relate to your book. Some people prefer to learn by listening to a cassette. You may also want to serialize your eBook, sending one part or chapter a week through an autoresponder.
These formats actually help you sell more books. Other spin-offs include coaching, consulting, speaking, seminars, columns, or videos.
6. Impress your potential buyer within eight seconds with your back cover copy. The biggest mistake authors make is putting their title on the back cover. Since it's already on the front cover, you need to instead, put your sparkling headline at the top. For example, "Imagine 1000's Buying Your Book Next Month!" It must hook your readers, stir up their emotions, and hit their desire.
In 75 words or less, include the benefits your book offers. How to get more money, heart-centered relationships, more fame, and more health. Less stress and time spend in a project. Include from 3-5 bullets of benefits, what specifics your book promises its readers.
Finally, testimonials are the number one way to turn your potential buyer into a "take-out-their-credit-card-buyer." For information on how to get testimonials ask a book coach.
7. Create your written marketing plan before you finish chapter one. This plan covers your first year's launch period and lifetime plan. You'll want to market at least two years. Inexperienced authors wait until publication and lose a great deal of sales.
Your plan could include how many books you want to sell, your 30 second tell and sell, book reviews, news releases, the Online articles to market your book, the book signings, talks, electronic newsletters, and a book Web site. Without a written plan, an author creates vague results.
8. Put as much time into marketing as you did the writing of your book. Your goal is to have people read and learn from your unique message. Why plant a garden if you don't harvest it? John Kremer, book marketing guru, and author of 1001 Ways to Market Your Book, says to do five things each day. Five calls, five press releases, five online contacts or a combination of tasks. The book coach says spend 6-9 hours a week on online promotion.
9. Include online marketing to sell more books. While you can sell your books on other sites, such as Amazon.com, you will eventually want your own. You will make much less with Amazon and you have to pay for shipping too. An author without a Web site is like a person without a name. As an entrepreneur, your site needs to attract visitors and sell your products and service. Here you include testimonials, benefit driven headlines, and your sales letter to get your visitor to become a customer.
10. Start promoting your book several ways. If press releases, book signings, and back of the room sales dim, include online promotion such as writing and submitting how-to articles to top ezines and web sites. When you use his virtual marketing machine-the Internet- you will keep your book dream alive--getting it into the hands of thousands of readers rather than a few.
Start marketing your book right now, even if you don't have a Web site. Research by reading articles, contacting professional book and web coaches, or take a teleclass to find out how to learn non-techie ways to start your lifetime book promotion journey. Master book marketing like you would eat an elephant--one bite at a time! Watch your sales grow!Judy Cullins, 20-year book and Internet Marketing Coach, Author of 10 eBooks including "Write your eBook Fast," and "How to Market your Business on the Internet," she offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, The Book Coach Says...and Business Tip of the Month at http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml and over 140 free articles. Email her at mailto:Judy@bookcoaching.com
IQ, Intelligence, and Brain Development- Another Breastfeeding Benefit-Toddler
IQ, Intelligence, and Brain Development- Another Breastfeeding Benefit
Modern parents want to do everything they can to help their children's brain development. Never before have there been so many products and books sold that claim to help parents stimulate their baby's brain, assist in brain development, and give baby an intelligence "edge".Recently, a variety of studies have come to light that tout the benefits of breastfeeding
on brain development and intelligence.What IS the connection between breastfeeding and intelligence?It comes down to a couple of important things, some of which are tangible and measurable, and some
that are not.The Importance of Fats and Other Essential NutrientsBreastmilk contains the ideal ratio of fats, amino acids and other nutrients that baby needs for
brain and nervous system development. These ingredients provide the ideal basis for the "hard-wiring"
component of a person's intelligence.For instance, Taurine is an important amino acid found in high concentrations in mother's milk.
(In contrast, it is almost nonexistent in cow's milk.) Taurine has an important role in the development
of brain tissue, among other things. A baby's body is unable to form Taurine on its own, so s/he is
totally reliant on his food to supply this.Another important ingredient of mom's milk are fats. Breastmilk contains high amounts of important fats,
such as DHA and ARA. These are very important components of brain structures, and research has shown that
breastfed infants have higher concentration of these essential fats in their brain and blood than do formula
fed babies.Some artificial baby milk manufacturers are adding Taurine and DHA to their formulas, but this does not make
these identical to mother's milk. Researchers have concluded that there is an important interplay between
all of the components of breastmilk that cause this effect, and that this effect can't be duplicated.Cholesterol is another ingredient found in high concentrations in breastmilk. It is needed to build tissue in the brain
and nervous system. Babies need cholesterol in the first two years of life. (Incidentally, there is evidence
that points to a connection between cholesterol in breastmilk and the ability to handle dietery cholesterol in
adulthood.)Studies comparing breastfed children and their formula fed peers in different ages and stages of life show time and
again that breastfed infants do better on various tests of intellectual ability. Some have shown these
differences persisting for many years.Even after the differences in socioeconomic status were accounted for or eliminated in these studies,
breastfed children still clearly come out ahead.In fact, one study showed that premature infants who were breastfed had significantly higher IQs than formula
fed babies, and when babies were fed a combination of breastmilk and formula, their cognitive scores were
directly related to the amount of mother's milk they received.Hormones- Both Baby's and Mom'sMother's milk has a high level of endorphins in the first few days after birth.
No doubt this helps the baby ease the transition to life outside the womb.When babies are stressed out, their tiny bodies are in "fight or flight" mode, and essential energy
is directed away from growth and development, which would have an obvious effect on the brain.Additionally, a nursing Mom is biologically a different animal than a non-breastfeeding one.For instance, when a woman breastfeeds, her body is flooded with pleasure hormones, one of which
is Oxytocin, the so called "love hormone", that is also present during orgasm.
This hormone helps her to feel relaxed and bonded with her baby.
Oxytocin triggers nurturing activity, which no doubt plays a huge role in baby's cognitive and emotional development.Since lactation suppresses the nervous system response to stressful stimuli, a happy nursing Mommy means a happy baby!What are some of the intangible benefits that breastfeeding has on brain development and IQ?Physical Closeness and Emotional HealthIn recent years a lot of emphasis has been put on "Emotional Intelligence". How does breastfeeding assist with
helping a child develop this?The closeness of breastfeeding is an important bridge between baby's intrauterine life and his new experience of being
out in the world.
Studies have shown that babies who receive lots of closeness with their primary caregiver, and lots of stimulating
eye contact and "conversation" are getting important brain stimulation that gadgets and toys cannot produce.That is not to say that a formula feeding Mother doesn't do this, but a
breastfeeding baby can't help but have lots of skin to skin contact and interaction with his Mother!Breastfeeding also gives Mom a chance to reconnect with her busy crawling baby or walking toddler, who
seems to spend all his time running from Mom.
Having several quiet moments during the day to kiss those dimpled hands, sniff that sweet smelling head, and tickle those
fat feet (that will be bigger than your own soon enough) is an important way for Mom and Baby to get that closeness.The late Dr. Lee Salk, pediatric psychologist, said that "The baby whose cries are answered now will later be the child
confident enough to show his independence and curiosity. But the baby left to cry may develop a sense of isolation and
distrust, and may turn inward...later in life, this child may continue to cope with stress by trying to shut out reality."The closeness of breastfeeding makes for a happier baby, one who is settled inside and who trusts that another human will
be there to meet his needs, instead of an outside gadget. Don't we want our children learning this important lesson from infancy?Of course, breastfeeding does not automatically guarantee that a child will be smart, but it can be a way to guarantee
that a child lives up to their full genetic potential for emotional intelligence, smarts and IQ!Carrie Lauth is a breastfeeding counselor who publishes a free newsletter for Moms doing things the natural way.
You can get your copy plus extra subscriber goodies at http://www.natural-moms.com