Are you still selling horses with printed classified ads and word of mouth as your only method of marketing?

Are you desperately searching for and creating duplicates of photographs of your horses for sale suitable for sending to an interested prospect?

Are you struggling with creating VHS tapes, duplicating them and then mailing them to prospective buyers?

If so, you are working too hard and not getting the results you deserve. You are also probably lengthening the time it takes to sell your horses. Many professional horsemen are still offering horses for sale at prices in the tens of thousands of dollars or more without a well made video or any video at all. Digital technology has made it so easy for you to create a video to have available for prospects to view.

VHS is dying as a medium for video. Digital camcorders allow for reproduction on DVD’s and for instant streaming video from a website. Prospective buyers are just like you; they want instant gratification. Think about your own buying habits. When you are ready to buy, don’t you want all of the information NOW to help you make a decision?

Sure you do. We live in a society expecting instant results. Think about drive-up windows in the food industry, plug and play technology and instant financing, registration and same day pick-up from the new car dealer.

Why would you miss an opportunity to sell a $20,000 horse because you don’t have a quality video ready to create interest?

If you don’t have a website to create streaming video, consider a service like YouTube or Google Video. Upload your video for all to see. Free. Have a look at this streaming video: Click here

I spoke with web designer Michelle Egide, creator of
www.PermanentAlien.com about the streaming videos of horses for sale she has put together for her clients’ websites. When I talked with her earlier this week, Michelle said, “Now people expect to see a video on line. A preview of the horse shows all gaits and gets you in the door for a prospect to consider.” She went on to say that a 2-3 minute long video is effective but some owners go overboard with the presentation length and content. She recommended being careful when selecting music since tastes vary. Egide likes background music that won’t offend like a Muzak version of a song.

She also recommends having some quality photographs to back-up the video. Take a look at Michelle’s web portfolio of samples of her work by clicking here.

Streaming video, digital video cameras and burning DVD’s can be much easier than you think. Find a skilled digital video camera operator and create your video. Edit the video yourself or hire a professional like Michelle to put a Grand Champion finish on it.

"The movies are the only business where you can go out front and applaud yourself." -- Will Rogers

"Between two evils, I always pick the one I never tried before." -- Mae West

"Artificial Intelligence - the art of making computers that behave like the ones in the movies." -- Bill Bulko

While visiting Vermont last weekend, I noticed many farmers still working on baling their first cutting of their hay crops. Much of the Northeast U.S. has been drenched with record rainfalls this summer season and making hay has had to wait for the sun to shine.

Mature hay certainly lacks the tenderness, color and protein that all farmers would like to see. That thought made me think of the story about the Vermont farmer.

A tourist from New York city says to an old timer in Vermont, “Say, isn’t it kind of late to be baling that hay?”

The farmer responds, “A-yaaa”

The tourist goes on, “Won’t it be low quality and tough for your animals to eat?”

The farmer responds, “A-yaaa”

The tourist, pressing his luck, then asks, “Then why are you baling it?”

The farmer responds, “Because it’s better than feedin’ snowballs to ‘em this winter.”

I work with Professional Horsemen who are struggling with the business half of the horse business. Just like a top performing horse has a strong foundation, so does a top performing horse business.

Call or e-mail and we can talk about your business and how I may be able to help you.

If you know other horsemen who would enjoy this newsletter, please forward it to them! I am on a quest to tell 1000 people what I do and I need your help.

Life is short,

Ride hard.

Doug

I will be presenting two talks about the horse business at the Certified Horsemanship Association's International Conference in Fort Collins, CO September 23, 2006.

Is your organization in need of a speaker about the horse business at its event? Contact me and let's talk about it!