Riding Shotgun – Be Proud
As we travel the highways and by-ways of the Limousin family and breed we often cuss and discuss the cattle business, sports, politics, great cheeseburgers and most of the time, the promotion and marketing of Limousin cattle.
Through “Riding Shotgun” we invite you to join us in the right-hand seat, so that we can let you in on what we find to be our marketing pet peeves, shortcuts and some of the favorite habits of top-flight professional producers. Grab a cup of coffee and take the ‘shotgun seat’—we are pleased to have you riding along.
On our first trip we visit our oldest and most ignored pet peeve, THE FARM SIGN. Name a progressive business you use daily that doesn’t have an awesome sign? A signature if you will, that gives you not only the location of the business, but also, more importantly, a solid first impression.
If you are a professional seedstock producer you need a progressive, well-maintained sign for your business. It serves several purposes. First, it says, “We’re Here,” this is the place. If you are looking for us or Limousin seedstock, look no further…you have found us.
Second, it gives prospective buyers an impression of your entire operation. As they are coming down the drive, they are forming an image in their mind about your operation and your product. No sign, a faded sign or a falling down sign can all convey the same message to your client, “We’re only kind of in business, not fully engaged.”
Is the buyer deciding in the driveway that maybe he needs to look somewhere else or are they convinced this is “THE” place and if the cattle match the professional look, he is all in. Prior to shaking your hand, he is already adjusting his buying options and deciding to give more for products from a place that “gives a damn.”
It also follows that you as drive around your place every day, think about what your potential client sees when he comes on the place. Is it neat and functional? Or is there trash and machinery scattered everywhere. That old saying is true “You only get one chance to make a great first impression.”
One of the best parts of the registered seedstock business is that you are not only a geneticist, but also an animal caretaker and in the end a “MARKETER.” Don’t raise an excellent product only to drop the ball at the front gate. Being forced to wear every hat is one of the most difficult parts of the seedstock business—most of you weren’t trained to market. That’s OK, that’s why we want you to “Ride Shotgun” with us. We love to market and from time-to-time we’re going to invite you to lean in and eavesdrop. We promise not to talk politics or religion; however, we may talk sports, great steaks, old scotch and fine wine—but rest assured we will talk seedstock marketing.
See you on the road.
CONTACT THE AUTHOR
Mark A Smith
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 515-229-5227