It takes time to master the questions and answers of selling. But if you want instant answers, we'd be happy to sell you a magic sales answer ball.

That's sarcasm. This is not. Marketing is complex. With a little work, though, you can have people calling you about your product. That's the goal. Your image is your brand. It should be recognizable and people should be aware of its existence and purpose. People love to buy, but they hate to be sold.

Marketing a business operation is absolutely one of the most important things to being successful. Many things dictate the amount of marketing you are able to implement.

• Your belief in your product
• Your own capabilities to promote the product
• Your budget

Your Belief In Your Product
First of all, you must have the will to promote your business. Many people, particularly in the equine industry, feel that if their product is good enough, it will sell itself. I'm not going to argue with that. I believe that myself. However, consider this: Many times (not always) it is the business with an inferior product that advertises the most. You, as a horse breeder, trainer, boarder, etc. owe it to consumers in your industry to inform them of other options.

If only in your area, fine. If only in your state, great. If nationally, well, now your talkin'.

The key to successfully marketing is not necessarily the amount of money you spend. It is having a plan, being consistent, and looking professional.

Your Capabilities and Budget
We are going to cover these together because they go hand in hand. The more capable you are, the less money you'll have to spend. Don't take offense, but capable, in this context, does not replace willing. Just because you are willing to design and layout your ad for the Quarter Horse Journal, does not mean you are capable. First impression of your image is everything.

The following marketing options are divided up into three levels. Level 1 requires the most work on your end, but the least amount of money. Level 3 requires less work on your end, but the most amount of money. Regardless of your budget or your capabilities, ease into marketing by beginning with the first level and moving from there. Stay where you are comfortable and you feel that you are in control. Build your confidence and measure your results.

Level 1:
This is an excellent place to start for any operation. You may quickly outgrow this level, but spend some time here to ensure that you are comfortable here prior to moving to the next level.

• Your Business Name
  Why: Consistency is important. People will begin to recognize your name when there is consistency with all things related to you.
  How To: Your name should identify you and your purpose. When people are exposed to your business name, they should know immediately what service or product you provide. Remember that you will see it the most. So if you like something that we wouldn't necessarily recommend, that's OK. Use it. You know your customers better than we do at this point. Some examples from good to best:
  Horse Ranch, Inc., Jones Ranch, Jones Quarter Horses, Jones Performance Horses, Jones Cutting Horses
  Be consistent with the use of your name and use it as often as you can.
• Print business cards.
  Why: When you meet prospective customers, offer them a business card to reference in the future and remind them of your meeting. People lose pieces of paper, but for some reason, they hold onto business cards.
  How To: If designing these yourself, stick to plain, text-only cards. The card color versus the font color should be very contrasting. Black and white is great. Provide only pertinent information such as the business name, your name and contact information. If you have a Web site, it better be on there. If you have an email address, it also should be on there.

• Accessible Phone Number
  Why: Having a phone number registered in your business' name enables the public to look you up either in information or on the Internet.
  How To: Set up a phone account specifically for the business, or change your current listing registration to the business name.
• Get Involved
  Why: By being involved locally, you invite people to get to know you. It is amazing how your personal connections result in business. (Sometimes in ways you would never expect) Word will travel around your area, introducing you to potential customers.
  How To: Participate in local sponsorships or host Extension field days. Contact your county extension agent and tell them you are interested in hosting a field day on information related to your offerings. Extension agents can typically be found in the phone book, or contact the state extension site. For Texas, it is http://texasextension.tamu.edu.
• Compete
  Why: If you, or your trainer, can't be competitive on your horses, how can you expect anyone else to be. Compete locally, or nationally. Allowing people to see your horses in show shape lets them see you at your best.
  How To: Call your breed association or performance association and get a schedule of events that will be taking place within your desired area. Events need to be chosen to best show your horses ability and aptitude.
  • AQHA
  • APHA
  • USDF
  • NRHA
  • NCHA
  • There are many, many more. If you would like more information regarding your particular area of interest, call RanchForeman, Ltd. at 210.222.8200. We are always more than happy to help you in any way we can.

• Get a Logo
  Why: Business image is so important. If you are a graphics professional, get started. If not, leave this to a professional.
  How To: Search your area listings for logo designers. RanchForeman provides logo design services as well. Let us know what you are looking for and what kind of business you are with. If we can help you, we will. If we can't, we'll put you in touch with someone who can.

Logos by RanchForeman, Ltd. Call 210.222.8200 or email info@ranchforeman.com

• Business Cards: Part II
  Why: Have a professional create business cards using your fresh new logo. Again, your business image is of utmost importance. Professional layout designers can give you the image you desire.
  How To: While you are having design work done, have a layout professional use the newly created logo and create a nice, sharp business card. Be sure to describe your personality to them as well as your business. The best business images reflect some aspect of the owner in the image perceived by clientel. You may contact RanchForeman for advice regarding these services as well.

Front	Front
Back	Back
Business Cards by RanchForeman, Ltd. Call 210.222.8200 or email info@ranchforeman.com

• Professional Photographer
  Why: Good photography will take your business to the next level. Professional horse photographs are worth their expense many times over. It is difficult to get a great picture of ANY horse.
  How To: Get recommendations in your area for a photographer. If you do not know someone to recommend a photographer, look through breed journals for good quality photography. Find the photographer’s information through searching the Web and make an appointment to have him come shoot a set of really nice horse photos.
  RanchForeman Recommends: Shane Rux Photography and Don Trout Photography
• Web Site
  Why: Your business will look more professional and appealing if you can develop an impressive Web presence. Also, there is more to it than just looking nice. Search Engine Optimization is a business all by itself. Be sure that your developer can get your site ranked well in the major search engines.
  How To: Using the above business image pieces, have a Web developer create a professional Web site for the operation. Have them create pages that will best showcase your image, your operation, your offering, and your contact information in a site that is eye-appealing and easily navigated. Again, be consistent with all of your other promotional material.

Web site by RanchForeman, Ltd.	Web site by Axial Arts, LLC.

• Magazine Ads
  Why: Magazine ads cover a large amount of people. Presenting your horses in a publication that your prospective clients respect will build your reputation in your niche of the market. Be sure to prominently display your purpose and your contact information in addition to what you are currently advertising. You don't have to advertise in the Journal. Start in local equine publications to get comfortable with the campaign and measuring your efforts.
  How To: Strategically place one ad per year. Decide what magazine will allow you the most exposure for your business. Check circulation numbers and geographic coverage from the magazine. Choose your ad month according to what is happening in the industry at that time. Have a professional layout designer create your ad.

• Consistent Image
  Why: Concentrate on forming a consistent look that people can begin to recognize. Association is the most basic form of learning. Consistency allows your audience to recognize you. If your colors are blue and red, people will begin to associate ‘Jones Cutting Horses’ with blue and red colors.
  How To: This is aided by consistent use of logo, colors, slogans, etc. If you arrive at a show, make an effort to have matching/personalized halters (and blankets in winter) on all your horses.

• Promotional Fliers
  Why: Print fliers about your place/horses. These serve as excellent handout material for your customers. When they visit either your operation or simply your set of stalls at a show, allow them to take something home with them that is both eye-appealing and informative.
  How To: Fliers should be created by a professional that best showcases your business image and operation. Find examples from fliers that you have seen and liked. If you do not have an example to choose from, look through breed or performance magazines and find a group that has impressive ad layout skills, call them and ask for samples.
• Magazine Ads: Part II
  Why: Magazine ads cover a large amount of people. Present your horses and /or business in the form of a monthly ad. Allow others to view your offerings, follow your progress and celebrate your wins with you. Don't forget to include your purpose and your contact information.
  How To: Run strategically placed magazine ads each month. Decide what magazine will allow you the most exposure for your business. Check circulation numbers and geographic coverage from the magazine. Have a professional layout designer create your ads using your consistent business image.
• Promotional Videos
  Why: Have videos created that are consistent with your business image. They should capture your featured products best qualities while informing the user of your overall purpose as well. Word of mouth is good. Still shots are better. Video is best. When visitors come by to view your horses, you may not want to saddle them up to show what they can do, especially with stallions in the middle of breeding season.
  How To: Find a professional videographer. Use recommendations or research the Internet. Check out www.equinepromotion.com. Always get samples of their work so that you can see their capabilities.
• Customized Vehicles
  Why: Customize vehicles and trailers to serve as moving advertisements for your operation. Allow your rig to be a moving billboard for you. Trailers take up a lot of room, utilize it.
  How To: This is an area where you can get very creative and have fun. Use a nice truck and nice trailer to have customized. Use the colors you have established as representative colors for the operation, as well as your logo and any slogan you may have. Check out Connossieur's Collection this month for more information on custom conversions.

• Stall Decorations
  Why: Acquire stall decorations to create a more noticeable presence when at an event. Representative decorations allow current and potential customers to recognize that you are present at the event.
  How To: Stall decorations can be as simple as a personalized curtain with your business name in representative colors, or as elaborate as a wooden saloon mock-up with neon lights. Contact professionals that make the curtains and place an order using your representative colors and logo.
  Example: Winning Colors Stall Curtains and Covergirls Stall Curtains. For more elaborate work, you may contact a custom carpenter in your area.

About the Contributors Tonni O'Brien is a veteran of the horse industry and editor of Equine Monthly for RanchForeman, Ltd. She is involved in all Business Image Projects taken on by RanchForeman, Ltd. in a graphical design and layout capacity. In order to contact her directly, email tonniobrien@ranchforeman.com. James O'Brien is also a veteran of the horse industry and develops RanchForeman, Ltd.'s namesake product RanchForeman Equine Software. He is involved in Business Image improvement projects in a Web design and implemantation capacity. In order to contact him directly, email jamesobrien@ranchforeman.com.

Owner:
Dustin and Quincy Allen

Concentration:
Roping
Reining
Starting Colts

Events:
AQHA
NRHA
NRHF
APHA

Location: Madisonville, TX

RanchForeman Member Since: 2005

Yes, you have heard the saying "image is everything" – marketing your ranch and its enterprises largely depends on your image as a ranch and what products you have that others want. Whatever you have to market - ranch horses, beef cattle, wildlife or even nature tourism - your products, for sale or lease, are dependent on the image you exhibit as a ranch.

Set Goals
Marketing starts with setting goals. Decide what you what to happen and where you want to be in your agricultural business. Short-term plans often are tentative and hard to evaluate, but they lead to long-term goals that reflect your hopes and dreams. These are what need to be identified to give momentum to your initiative for marketing. An example of a goal could be "To be well known for producing quality ranch horses with athletic ability and natural cow sense by the year 2010".

Goals that benefit the local community and the historical area can also be used as marketing promotions in themselves. Customers like to know that when they purchase a product that they are getting quality, value and even a piece of heritage. An example could be a quality ranch horse from a long-time ranching family in south Texas.

Identify your markets
Decide where you want to go before you start the trip. What are you trying to do with your operation? Would you like to maintain an existing ranch, enhance market opportunities, diversifying in other markets? You might want to develop a product to bring secondary returns to the ranch or even a premium such as a value added product.

Identify your target audiences. If you have no idea who you are trying to reach, you may never reach them. Most consumer groups are identifiable by research and even common sense. Find your niche in the market and stick with it. For instance, ranch horses need to be marketed to individuals that appreciate a good ranch horse. Selling a good ranch horse to a young inexperienced rider to participate in play days will not identify your horses with to the clientele looking for horses to work cattle.

Marketing Plans
Once you identify the target audience, you need to develop your image. This might involve a slogan, or even a logo, and what most ranchers are familiar with - a ranch brand. Find an angle you feel is the best way to approach the target audience. Two elements dominate promotional campaigns: confidence and exposure. If you are confident in the approach and get enough exposure, people will respond.

Work with the Right People
One way of getting exposure and credibility is to work with your local Extension professional. I am a county Extension agent with Texas Cooperative Extension. Extension is an agency cooperating with the state of Texas and local county commissioner's courts that offers practical, how-to education based on university research. Texas Cooperative Extension is part of the Texas A&M University System. I assist local producers with their agricultural educational needs. I have worked with many local producers in providing field days and seminars to provide valuable information on many different topics. You can provide access to others to your ranch for field days and learning opportunities for the public. Agents are always looking for progressive producers that want to host a field day on their ranch or farm as a hands-on educational event. In providing an avenue for a ranch field day, other producers will see your operation and gain an appreciation for your products. Showcase your products at the field day for every one to see and offer a short presentation of your ranch and its enterprises.

Technology has changed the way ranches market themselves. The Internet and Web sites are excellent, effective tools to market to clientele. Forums such as Ranchforeman.com provide excellent avenues to market your ranch. The folks at Ranchforeman.com can also assist you in identifying your audience and provide many ideas and assistance.

In Summary
Marketing your ranch and its enterprises are extremely important if you plan to succeed at your hopes and dreams. Through proper planning, goal setting, and gaining that exposure to the right audience, you can become very successful. Developing that image of credibility and marketing it to your clientele will not happen over night, but with lots of hard work and the right people helping, you can achieve those dreams.

About the author: Donnie Montemayor, is a County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources in Beeville, Texas. Donnie works for Texas Cooperative Extension in Bee County, Texas. He has worked in 5 different counties in South Texas assisting local producers with their educational needs utilizing university research-based information. For more information on marketing your ranch or on Donnie, visit bee-tx.tamu.edu or call (361) 362-3280.

Cowboys require a work truck. For some, they need a knock-around truck that they can bust through brush and go off-roading when necessary, yet still haul a load of cattle. For others, a less ‘physical' truck is needed. While all the towing power of a work truck is necessary, the interior and exterior may have more options for someone who stays mostly on the highway going to and from horse shows. This leads us to truck customizations or conversions. After visiting with Western Hauler owner, Larry Roberts, I want to share the knowledge he disclosed about having your truck ‘tricked out'.

After our visit, I was quite surprised how simple the process is on the truck owner's end. Basically, decide what you want on the truck, take it in and go pick it up in a few days. That's it. That's the most work you will have to do to get the truck of your dreams.

"That's what everyone says when they pick their truck up!" Roberts said. "They always say that it is the easiest vehicle purchase they've ever made."

To break it down a little more, you will visit with a salesman at the customization shop and get a plan together as far as what you want. There are literally thousands of combinations of options you can put on your vehicle. A conversion business can fix up the entire inside and outside of the truck, so let's start with the inside.

Interior
When a vehicle is purchased from the factory (Ford, Dodge, Chevy), the interior is nice, no doubt, but there are options available to you that you cannot get from the manufacturer. Specialty leather seats are one example. A customization business can recover your factory seats in practically any type of leather you would want, or replace the seats all together. A fold-out sofa-seat for the rear seat is a nice improvement to the classic back seat. Wooden consoles that go from the floor up along the ceiling can be added. Better than average stereo systems are more options, as well as many options for window tint.

Exterior
With there being more surface area on the exterior than the interior makes for more options. Creativity (along with budget) is the only limit when considering what to do with the outside. Starting from the ground up, you can begin with the wheels and either install inserts or replace the wheels. From there, you can go to the running boards. Up from there you get to the body of the truck. The bunch that I visited with is famous for the Western Hauler Bed. To get the new bed, the current bed is taken off of your vehicle and replaced with this multi-purpose converted flatbed popular with the individuals that do a lot of hauling. Additionally, custom paint jobs include a large selection of options. Once again, creativity makes the paint job, and you can decide how detailed you want that part of the customization. From custom striping to custom paint outs to full custom paint jobs with flames, or whatever else you fancy, can make your truck like no one else's in the business.

Accessories
Many options are available to add on to your truck in the form of accessories. Grill guards, headache racks, spray-in bed liners, and bumpers are a popular addition for trucks. Bed side protectors are another option and do exactly what the name suggests. Most of the mentioned additions can be painted to match the vehicle or accentuate the accessories. Auxillary fuel tanks are available for the individual that makes long hauls and appreciates the convenience of having to stop less to fill up.

Hauling Features
Most customization operations have the ability to fix your vehicle for hauling, from installing bumper pull balls to gooseneck hitches, along with all the brake controls, light sockets and wiring needed. The new features of the Air Ride are becoming quite popular among haulers with the stabilization and smoother ride features associated with it and are usually available at the full-service customization businesses.

Budget
A budget will have to be determined by you. The nice thing about the conversion shops is that they work with you to give you exactly what you are wanting. If your ideal conversion is too costly, it's no problem to take a couple of the options off the order.

"We offer individual options," Roberts said. "The customer just tells us what they want and that's exactly what we do."

Prior to starting the project, ensure that you are very clear on how much the entire job will cost, that way, you know exactly what to expect when you go in to pick it up.

Turnaround
When I visited with Roberts, their orders stay around four to ten weeks out, but the actual job will only take them about three to four days. With this group, you would place the order to get on the waiting list, and when they are ready for you, they will give you a call. You would simply have to bring in your truck for a few days, then come back to pick it up. Simple as that!

Once again, enjoy! As will any customized project, it is the only one in the world that exists just like it.

About the Contributor: Western Hauler is a company that specializes in pickup truck customizations since 1982. Western Hauler is located in Ft. Worth, Texas. “There is no substitute” has be the philosophy of Larry Roberts, owner, since its beginning. For more information on Western Hauler, or to visit with Larry, contact them at (800) 776-6012 or visit http://www.westernhauler.com

It all began with a guy on a roper catching the eye of a girl on a reiner. Both very successful in their areas of the industry, Dustin Allen and Quincy Cahill knew that together, along with a happy marriage, they could also accomplish great things in the horse industry. Both veterans of the Quarter Horse world, they started Allen Performance Horses in 2004. Two and a half years later, they are turning out nice roping and reining horses, and starting working cow horses.

"Horses have been our passion for our entire lives," Quincy said. "We knew that we wanted to be in this business more than any other. There's nothing like being surrounded with the things you love, and making a living doing it."

After training out of the facility at Guy Stoops Quarter Horses in Hempstead, Texas for two years, the Allens put in their own training facility just outside Madisonville, Texas. They now have a 20-stall barn that stays full along with staff to help with daily duties.

"Dustin trains calf roping and team roping horses and starts two-year-olds," Quincy said. "He likes seeing them progress so he knows the direction to take them for their career."

Dustin makes his days starting colts, training performance horses, and tuning up show veterans. Growing up in Ringling, OK, on a cattle ranch, cattle events came naturally to Dustin. The ranch is where he began his roping career, which proved helpful when Dustin competed in the American Paint Horse World Amateur Tiedown Calf Roping in 1995 and captured the World Champion title. Since his title in '95, he has also attained numerous Top 10 titles with APHA and has been in the Top 5 of the AQHA Honor Roll.

Dustin continued roping through college rodeo at Oklahoma State University, while he completed his degree in Animal Science. After college, Dustin knew that to be a successful horse trainer he needed to learn from the best. He worked for JD Yates, Gary Wells and Sam Rose prior to going out on his own. Combining his ranching and roping experience with what he learned from these top trainers in the industry, he was confident in his abilities to train a horse from start to finish.

"A good foundation is key to a horse's success," Dustin said. "It is so much easier to teach them the right way to do something when they are young and not have to go back later and fill in the holes."

Quincy stays very active with the enterprise, but she limits herself to the business end/management of the operation and to riding and selling her own horses. She grew up showing all-around horses and reiners. Some accomplishments on Quincy's resume include AQHYA World Champion Reining and Western Riding and Reserve Champion Horsemanship. Her more recent success is with the National Reining Horse Association where she won the Intermediate Non-Pro title at the 2003 NRHA Futurity aboard Boomen N Seven. In 2005, she won the NRHA Gelding Incentive at the futurity with The Dualster, bringing her NRHA lifetime earnings to over $100,000. She currently rides with Todd Crawford of Blanchard, OK. Quincy gained a solid foundation for both her horse sense and horse-business sense from her parents, Bubba and Nancy Cahill, owners of Cahill Quarter Horses and both horsemen for over 35 years. Bubba made his career training horses for cattle events. Nancy is world renowned for her success with all-around horses and training of amateur riders, gaining her several AQHA World Championships and AQHA Professional Horsewoman of the Year.

"My duties are mainly to take care of the bookkeeping, billing and health record management," Quincy said. "As far as the horses go, I try to buy horses as two-year-olds, train them for the Futurity, and sell them as finished horses."

Horses at the Allen barn are being campaigned at NRHA, AQHA, NRHFA and APHA events, as well as some specialty stock show events, such as ranch gelding competitions. With the well-rounded set of abilities of Allen Performance Horses, we will be seeing much more from these two in the future.

"We want to grow a good clientele for Dustin through honest work ethic and a good reputation in the industry," Quincy said. "We know that it is hard to become millionaires in this industry, but we love what we do. A horse is an amazing animal, and it is not hard to remember that they are our friends."

For more information on Allen Performance Horses, contact Dustin at (940) 453-9890 or Quincy at (979) 220-6185, e-mail quincycahill@gmail.com, or visit Allen Performance Horses.