Equine sales

Top of the Mind Awareness in Equine Marketing: Familiarity Breeds Sales

One of the large challenges you face as an equine marketer is achieving what marketing professionals call "top of the mind awareness" of your horses and business.

What is Top of the Mind Awareness?

Top of the Mind Awareness, or "TOMA," is being the first supplier a prospective customer thinks of when they think about the horses, equine products, or horse-related services that you offer. Increasing your level of TOMA in your prospects' minds impacts your current sales of horses and services as well as your future sales.

Here are some examples of TOMA at work:

Example 1: You have TOMA of products with which you are familiar.

If someone asks you about farriers, the image or name that pops into your mind is probably that of your own farrier. You are most familiar with your own farrier, so he is on "top of your mind." Your awareness may be so strong that when you hear the general word "farrier," you picture your own farrier's face!

Most people maintain their own status quo--when they find their service providers to be satisfactory, they are in a comfortable position than selecting another and venturing into the unknown. You are a current customer of your farrier and, as long as you are otherwise satisfied, that familiarity helps to keep you a current customer.

Example 2: You have TOMA for products that you have never used!

Think about a type of product that you haven't tried. For example, the first time you think you might try feeding a joint health supplement, do any names come to mind? Cosequin, Corta-Flx, or another brand?

Even though you don't have first-hand familiarity with the product, you probably can think of one or more specific brands. The reason those brands come to the top of your mind is that effective marketing has put them there! You have seen an ad for the brand, or the product package, or heard its name in conjunction with the product's purpose. Odds are, you have been exposed to information about the product in several ways and many times. Your mind has associated that brand with the idea of "joint supplement," and stored it away in your memory.

How to Build Your Horse Business by Building TOMA:

Familiarity builds positive associations. In one psychological study, each subject was shown a random squiggly line. When the person was later presented with a set of squiggly line patterns and asked which they liked the best, most chose the line that they had seen before.

It works for squiggly lines, for products, and for business and brand names: The more familiarity, the more likely that something is preferred.

Think of ways to create TOMA with your prospective customers, put those strategies into practice, and become your prospects' instinctive first choice!

Copyright 2005 by I.M. Andrews/Equinnovation Equine Marketing/http://www.Equinnovation.com. For more articles, information, and tips on horse business topics and equine marketing, subscribe to the Equine Business Edge, the free newsletter for horse-related business owners and the equine industry, at http://www.equinnovation.com/newsletter.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=I._M._Andrews

Horse sales

Horses For Sale Are Obtainable at Any Price

A huge increase in horses for sale has resulted due to the current economic downturn. High-priced show horses are selling for a fraction of what their original value. Many owners are giving their horses away to shelters because they are no longer able to afford them.

Horses in every breed, and trained for any riding style, can easily be found. Price levels vary widely as well. Individuals must still be very cautious when purchasing this type of animal. It is an investment of sorts. Numerous issues should be considered during the decision process. In addition, many different sales sources are available to assist the buyer in finding the right horse.

The buyer should decide specifically how he intends to use the horse. For example, will he be ridden for leisure on sport? Will he be used in show jumping competition? These are just two examples, but clearly knowing how the animal will be used also helps one to focus the search. A horse cannot perform a large amount of diverse tasks. By being more specific on how a horse is to be used, the buyer can successfully find the best horse for their purposes.

A wonderful way to begin a comprehensive search is to look at internet websites specializing in selling horses. Most of these websites are visited by buyers and sellers across the world. These resources provide access to horses used for a variety of activities. Information can be sorted by specific breed, as well as by location. The potential buyer can organize prospects by price, breed or riding discipline. Even if the animal is ultimately purchased from someone who has not advertised on the internet, these sites still provide valuable information from which the buyer can start his or her search.

More traditional search methods also exist. Auctions usually sell horses at bargain prices, and are held on a regular basis. Horses should be purchased at auction only by those with extensive horse knowledge. Breeders and trainers are also very good resources. Breeders usually sell the animals that they have bred and raised. Trainers may or may not be in the business of selling horses, but have a lot of connections to sellers in the horse world. Breed associations usually list horses for sale in the classified sections of their newsletters or magazines.

Regardless of the method of locating a prospect, it is very important to ride or at least visit the horse multiple times. This provides a better understanding of the horse's temperament and level of training. Get a second opinion. Bring a trusted friend, colleague or trainer to see the horse. If possible, have this individual ride the horse as well. Trainers usually charge a small commission if a horse is purchased. The cost is well worth it to ensure that a suitable mount is identified.

A pre-purchase veterinary exam is recommended. This should include a complete stress test to rule out lameness. Some people like to have x-rays taken, but the efficacy of performing such a procedure is somewhat questionable. Certain individuals feel that x-rays are necessary to determine if there are any developing leg abnormalities. Others feel x-rays may falsely reveal issues that really are not problems.

A pre-purchase veterinary exam is recommended. This should include a complete stress test to rule out lameness. Some people like to have x-rays taken, but the efficacy of performing such a procedure is somewhat questionable. Certain individuals feel that x-rays are necessary to determine if there are any developing leg abnormalities. Others feel x-rays may falsely reveal issues that really are not problems.

Many horses for sale are available in every breed, riding discipline and price bracket. Check out our great guide on horse sales.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Karlo_Villanueva_Paolo

Foals for sale

Horse racing is a popular game all around the world and people love watching it. Do you know that horse owners spend millions of pounds on the training and development of a horse? When it comes to buy a foal for sale, one can easily understand the level of difficulty that most riders come across when evaluating a baby horse. Young horses look definitely cute, but they dont look like the mature horses that they will develop into. So, how to assess a foal, and ensure that you will be investing your money into a fruitful option.

There are numerous options as to when the good times are to look for a foal for sale. There are certain stages, in which a foal tends to look its best, and if you will get a chance to take a look at this time, you will definitely be getting a good foal.

According to experts, the first such time is around 2-3 weeks old. At this point the foal has outgrown most of the natural crookedness it may have had at the time of birth and has gained enough muscles and bones onto his body. While the foal may still be a bit unbalanced, generally by this time foals are reasonably level from front to back. By taking a careful look at them, you will get a clear idea about how they move, and do they have enough guts to face desired level competition.

The next such good time comes in and around 2-3 months of age. At this time, most foals grown out to their fullest. The only negative thing is that many foals are in the middle of shedding their foal coats, so they will look a little motley.

Although an experienced person can do a perfect examination of a foal at any time before the full growth takes place, it is important to first understand the entire growth process of foals and then make your final decision of a foal for sale. You can get enormous information on the growth cycle of a foal even on internet. 
Once they have straightened out, a large number of foals will have the leg conformation they will grow up with. Unless trimmed precisely, or surgically modified, most conformational flaws will not be grown out of. The foal's shoulder angle will stay more or less as it is, as will the neck to shoulder connection. While adding muscle can improve a weak connection, the bone structure remains the same. Likewise, a foal with weakly built hindquarters will not likely change the overall structure of the hind end. Muscle can be built up with time, but the bones remain aligned as they are.

Looking for a foal for sale? George and Gillian Newburn are based in the Ribble Valley, Lancashire and our aim is to produce well bred, good quality, Warmbloods sport horses for sale. We always have a selection of foals, yearlings, 2 and 3 year old horses for sale.
Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com