Politicians Are Like Car Sales People… – Marketing
Politicians Are Like Car Sales People...
Jane Mark and Phil Basten
Well, another election has come and gone in the US and no matter which way you voted there are some important marketing lessons to learn.
First, you need to put aside the campaign rhetoric and focus on the strategy and tactics and there are a number of clear winners for both sides.
The Dems and the GOP
On the Republican side. The tactic to put the question of Gay Marriage as a referendum in 11 battleground states was a master stroke. Get people to vote on the small issue and they will follow suit on the larger issues.
Its like selling real estate. Top real estate sales people dont sell houses. They sell a room and the rest of the house goes with it. They look for potential client reactions to a room they see and zoom in on that. If they sell that room to the prospect, then question of getting them to sign a contract on the house becomes as simple as, "Your pen or mine"
How can we apply this to selling a product or service on the internet
Look for the most important benefit you offer and build your heading and sales letter around that. Sure there maybe other benefits and you need to highlight those further down the page, via bullets, but focus your sales message on the primary unique selling point.
As a famous direct Marketer, Seth Godin, once said, "One monkey, One banana." Most people have the attention span of an African gnat. Try to get them to focus on more than one thing at a time and you will lose them and the sale.
On the Democrat side, the decision to make the war on a Iraq a central issue was an equally powerful strategy which may explain why 55 million people voted for the Democrats.
It was thought by the pundits that this was playing to the Republicans strength, but this was true only as long as they could make it central to the war on terror.
The moment the Democrats were able to separate the two and make it a referendum on Iraq alone, it became a winner for them, especially in light of the 911 Commission report, which showed clearly, no wmd and no direct ties to Al Queda.
What can we learn from this
Know your competition, know their strengths and weakness and clearly explain how their weakness are your strengths.
The way you do this is to create a powerful USP unique selling point. Something about your product or service, or what you do that makes you stand out in the crowd. Something that sets you apart from your competition. Something you do much better than them.
Focus on this single issue and drive it home repeatedly to your website visitors, ezine readers and existing customers.
The other lesson to be learned here. Dont believe everything you read, hear and see. Both elections and the internet are full of peoples opinions. Do your homework, look at both sides and above all use your mind and think.
Try to analyze your ideal customer. Picture in your mind who they are, what they are like, what their financial status is, have they bought similar products before. If you dont know who your target market is, how can you target them
In the late 1990s the principle of the Harvard Business College outlined his belief as to the reason business exists.
The purpose of business is to: KEEP & GROW customers.
We looked at this and thought this definition was too narrow. We felt that in order to keep and grow customers, you first had to find them so we added the word find to the above formula....
The purpose of business is to: FIND, KEEP & GROW customers.
But this still wasn
Used Car Auctions: Dos and Donts – Auto
Used Car Auctions: Dos and Donts
Thomas H. Miller
This is Part 1 of a 4 part series on how to buy a car at an auction
So you are looking for a car or truck, but youre tired of running around town and finding other people selling their "headaches" through the local classifieds, or dealers offering "cream-puffs" for inflated retail prices. All you want is a good vehicle for a good price. Period. Does such a deal exist Yes, indeed! Repossession auctions are becoming more and more popular across the country. I have been attending them for over 20 years, and have purchased many cars and trucks at bargain prices - everything from a brand new car still with the window sticker on it and 3 miles on the odometer for $1,100 below the sticker price, to a conversion van with 99,000 miles on it. Both of these vehicles are still in the family and running strong.
1. What Id like to do here is share my experiences with you, and give you some tips on how you, too, can find these bargains.
First of all, how do you find the auctions Your local paper is a good place to start. Many banks and other financial institutions such as GMAC list the times and places of their auctions in Sunday papers under "Auctions" or "Cars for Sale". Also, if there is a "legal publication" in your area, that publishes court proceedings, bankruptcy notices, etc., this is another source for repossession auto auction notifications. One other way to find them is to call your local banks and ask for the Installment Loan Department. They should be able to provide you with details on their particular auctions. Many even have regular mailing lists, where they will automatically send you a notification of their auction and even a listing of what vehicles will be included. While some institutions restrict their auctions to dealers only, most will allow the public to attend and bid. Once you have found an auction, be sure to get all the details BEFORE you go. Youll need to know if there are any minimum bid requirements, what type of payment they need, and what type of paperwork they provide to the purchasers. Many auctions will sell everything to the highest bidder, no matter how low the bid is. Still others may have a minimum bid they must get, or they "buy back" the car and save it for the next auction. Most institutions retain the right to bid, so be aware that you may be not only be bidding against other people interested in the vehicle, but also against the auctioneer!
While most auctions will publish their requirements for payment along with the auction notification, DONT assume that thats all there is to it. Find out if they expect cash only, certified checks or personal checks. Also, many require full payment immediately after the sale, while others may require a non-refundable deposit with the balance due in a few days. All too often I have seen people make costly errors at auctions because they didnt understand these payment rules.
In this day and age of red tape, titles, liens, etc., the paperwork an institution provides is as important as anything else. In New York State, for example, if the institution sells the vehicle with "as-is" marked on the bill of sale, you may encounter a legal nightmare that involves a major full-vehicle inspection and an 8 to 10 week wait for a title search and registration procedure that will prevent you from putting the vehicle on the road for months. It is imperative, therefore, that you find out specifically what paperwork the institution will give you when you purchase a vehicle through their auction. If you plan on registering the car right away, tell them that and make sure you are satisfied that they will give you what you need. If in doubt, contact your local Motor Vehicle office ahead of time to insure that youll be able to proceed with what the institution will be giving you. Laws vary dramatically from state to state. Above all, make sure that all liens have been satisfied before you purchase a repossessed vehicle. Most banks and financial institutions will give you some type of form to verify this.
OK... now youve found the auction and understand the rules and requirements. The next step is finding the vehicle that fits your needs. In order to know what the vehicles value is before you bid on it, youll need a good resource of wholesale and retail pricing. One good source is the NADA "Blue Book". This book lists cars and light trucks by manufacturer and body style, giving you the current average wholesale and retail for each. I have used a book called "Edmunds Used Car Prices" for the past 15 years or so, and found them to be a very reliable source. Like the NADA book, it lists the cars and light trucks by manufacturer and year usually the past 7 model years, and provides the vehicles original list price, current average wholesale and retail. It also provides you with a list of popular options, and what they add to the value of the car or truck. Theres plenty of details in the book which I wont go into here. Just make sure you read the "How to Use This Book" section thoroughly before you start using it. Options such as air conditioning, power steering and brakes and type of transmission may dramatically affect the value of the vehicle. Also, excessive mileage for that particular year car or truck will affect the value. So, read the book and know how to use it BEFORE you get to the auction.
Visit my site at www.helpmebuyacar.bravehost.com
About The Author
My name is Thomas Miller, Im student here in Detroit, MI. I love to do research, I love to write and most of all I cars.
thomasmiller2005@aol.com
Car Insurance No Claims Bonus Explained – Auto
Car Insurance No Claims Bonus Explained
Andrew Bowen
No Claims Bonus is a term used to describe the number of years you have had Car Insurance without making a claim. Put simply, if you have had Car Insurance for 4 years and you have not made a claim in that time, then you have 4 years No Claims Bonus. No Claim Bonus is probably the single biggest factor affecting the cost of your Car Insurance premium. Every year that goes by without you making a claim is another year of No Claims Bonus. Generally speaking, the more No Claims Bonus years you have, the cheaper your premium will be for the car you need to insure. This is because Car Insurance companies can see that your history regarding making any claims is a good one. When changing provider, Car Insurance companies will usually ask you to prove your No Claims Bonus in the form of a renewal notice or a letter from your current Car Insurance company. If you have several years of No Claims Bonus but then make a claim, the Car Insurance company will usually apply its rules of how much to knock back your No Claims Bonus Years. Some companies such as Accept Direct http://www.acceptdirect.co.uk offer to protect your No Claims Bonus for an extra fee during the quotation process. Having full no claims bonus can also entitle you up to 75% discount on your car insurance premium.
Copyright c 2004 Accept Direct Limited http://www.acceptdirect.co.uk
About The Author
Andrew Bowen is the CEO of Accept Direct Limited. Accept Direct offer car insurance to UK customers through their website http://www.acceptdirect.co.uk