I had to pinch myself when I read the AHI title for the broadcast interview I did with with Jeff… “Marketing Superstar”..??? I’ve always joked that I couldn’t sell heaters to Eskimos.

In the past couple of years I have a learned a lot about the true meaning of Marketing. I had always thought of sales and marketing agents as having a gift for the “power of persuasion”. Although there is a place for that, I have found it to be a very small place in the big picture. I believe that the success we have witnessed in our marketing program has been ALL about preparedness meeting opportunity.

When you have a horse that you’d like to market, it is imperative that you be prepared before an opportunity passes. Here are a few steps to that preparedness…

1) Photos – “Artsy photos” are great for capturing someone’s attention, but in todays market, especially when catering to potential overseas buyers, you must have photos that show the actual features of the horse. We all know that a bad photo can kill a deal in a heartbeat, so if you aren’t sure if your photos are flattering, ask a friend or a professional what is the first thing they see when they look at your photos.

2) Video -  Video’s can be difficult to attain, but they are very helpful and sometimes imperative to a sale. I have noticed on my own Web Site that the sale horses we have listed with good video’s get about 90% more attention than the ones without. Again, overseas buyers will generally not purchase without a video.

3) Know your price – Choose a bottom dollar and a top dollar price BEFORE you publicly market your horse. There is nothing more frustrating to a buyer than a seller who won’t commit to a price. If you are marketing through an agent, discuss his/her commission scale and his/her opinion on what they think they can market your horse for. Discuss what is the least amount of money you would take (bottom dollar) and choose a higher amount that you would like to ask. Always leave room for negotiation. It makes the buyer feel like they are getting a better deal if they feel they can negotiate from your top dollar.

4) Seek Opportunities – Now that you have your photos, video and price, you must seek opportunity to get your horse seen. Obviously there are a number of ways to do that, word of mouth, web site ads, Web Blasts – aka E-Newsletters, print advertising, horse shows, placing them in a marketing facility, etc…

When you seek the opportunity, be prepared to respond. Have your pedigree, photos, video and price ready and respond quickly.

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Author: Riyan Rivero

Website: http://www.equineimagecenter.com

Other posts by Riyan Rivero

Riyan Rivero is a lifetime member of the Arabian Horse Industry. The daughter of author Jo West Lauter (JL Hardesty), an amazing wealth of knowledge and incredible asset to the Arabian Breed. Riyan has lived a life surrounded by the best in the breed both in horse legends and amazing horse enthusiasts since the early 70's. Riyan and Ricardo Rivero own Equine Image Center, a marketing and training facility based in Scottsdale, Arizona, responsible for marketing some of the Industries top show horses including, QR Marc, Arbiteur, Regal Actress, El Tino, and many more up and coming superstars.

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