The following new product information was submitted by exhibitors of the upcoming 2011 SEMA Show. For Show registration, updates and more, visit www.SEMAShow.com.

Dynocom Industries (Booth #20717)
New for 2012–The all new AWD-5000-FX Series dyno incorporates linkage which ensures that the front and rear rollers are always spinning at precisely the same road speed. This process eliminates the possibility of activating a vehicle’s traction control system and also ensures that a vehicle’s torque management system is operating under the assumption that the vehicle is not skidding, turning or slipping.

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Performance Automatic's deep aluminum 6R80 transmission pan for ’08–’11 Ford trucks and SUVs.

Performance Automatic (Booth #21744)
Performance Automatic will introduce its new Deep Aluminum 6R80 Transmission Pan for ’08–’11 Ford trucks and SUVs.

The rugged cast aluminum construction not only adds strength and structural integrity to the trans but helps dissipate heat and keeps the fluid cooler due to the extra three quart capacity. The pan also comes with a drain, so normal servicing becomes easy.

The extra fluid this pan accommodates also allows the torque converter to lock up better with some added horsepower or when towing and help the transmissions efficiency when the pressures are turned up. Whether your vehicle is used as a daily driver or for towing, the Performance Automatic 6R80 Deep Aluminum Pan will help extend the life of your transmission.

The PA68403 is a direct replacement and is easy to install with simple hand tools.

The PA68403 – 6R80 Deep Aluminum Pan fits ’08–’10 Expedition, Navigator, Explorer, Mountaineer and Explorer Sport Trac; and ’09–’11 F-150.   

Performance Automatic's deep aluminum 6R80 transmission pan for ’11–’12 Mustangs.

Performance Automatic will introduce its new Deep Aluminum 6R80 Transmission Pan and dipstick/filler tube kit for all the ’11–’12 Mustangs. Not only do we supply a dipstick and filler tube that the factory excluded, we produced a pan that holds approximately three extra quarts of fluid.

The rugged cast aluminum construction not only adds strength and structural integrity to the trans but helps dissipate heat and keeps the fluid cooler.

The pan also comes with a drain and the ability to fill and check your fluid level, so normal servicing becomes easy.

The extra fluid this pan accommodates also allows the torque converter to lock up better with some added horsepower and help the transmissions efficiency when the pressures are turned up.

The PA68402 is a direct replacement and is easy to install with simple hand tools. The PA68402 – 6R80 Deep Aluminum Pan and Dipstick/Filler Tube Kit, fits all ’11 and ’12 Mustangs.    

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Roadwire's myTop transforms the Wrangler into an open-air adventure with a simple push of a button.

Roadwire (Booth #12417)
The first-ever, power-operated convertible top for the iconic Jeep Wrangler will make its highly anticipated debut in the Roadwire exhibit, booth #12417, at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. According to a recent company announcement, the all-new myTop transforms the Wrangler into an open-air adventure with a simple push of a button.

Hand-crafted in the United States, myTop incorporates an array of top-quality features, including Haartz Stayfast fabric, a sturdy but lightweight aircraft-grade aluminum frame, as well as motors constructed to the same specifications as F-14 fighter jet canopies. In addition to windows that are twice the thickness required by DOT, Roadwire utilizes only the finest hardware available: grade 8 bolts, case-hardened nuts and washers, self-lubricating bronze bushings, and powdercoated gears.

Designed to fit all 2-door Wrangler JK models from ’07–’12, myTop will be launched initially in Los Angeles and Austin, Texas, with nationwide rollout slated for year’s end.  Roadwire authorized installers will be trained and certified on installation procedures. Once trained, installation should take approximately two hours.

To highlight the myTop launch, Edmondson said two models will be featured in the Roadwire booth and another in DUB magazine’s display in front of the South Hall.

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Movers & Shakers: More News From the Specialty-Equipment Industry

Bosal North America Appoints Rascke Product Engineer for ACPS Division
Bosal North America Inc. appointed Brent Rascke as the product engineer for its Automotive Carriers and Protection Systems (ACPS) Division. Raschke will be responsible for product and vehicle application development and testing for Bosal's tow-hitch program. He will also be responsible for development of the company's aftermarket exhaust and windstop programs. He has been a project engineer at Bosal since early 2010 and is based out of Bosal International - North America's research and development facility in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Before joining Bosal, he was a product manager for Valley Towing Products from 2009 to 2010.

Performance Plus Adds Entertainment Giveaway to Annual Food Drive
Performance Plus has added incentive to motivate customers to donate to its annual food drive to benefit needy families in the Long Beach, California, area. The company will hold a drawing for the "Great Entertainment Giveaway," which is comprised of a 65-inch Vizio Class Theater 3D HDTV, a Sony Blu-Ray home theater system and a Nintendo Wii system with 14 games and four controllers. Raffle tickets are $1 each, or one ticket can be obtained in exchange for a non-perishable food item brought in for the food drive. The store is located at 3910 Cherry Ave., Long Beach. The drawing for the prizes will be held on November 20 during the company's "Hot Rod Happening," a parking lot celebration that includes free food, live entertainment, a bounce house for the kids and more.  

Gregory Parker joined Perfect Equipment Inc. as North American marketing manager.

Gregory Parker Joins Perfect Equipment as North American Marketing Manager
Gregory Parker has joined the team at Perfect Equipment Inc. as its North American marketing manager. According to a recent announcement from Perfect Equipment, Parker has worked with many of the aftermarket industry’s top brands, helping with market research, branding, media placement and online consultation. Parker is also involved with SEMA, having previously served as the Chairman of SEMA's Young Executives Network, chairman of the SEMA Silent Auction Committee, chairman of the SEMA Pinewood Derby Committee, a member of the SEMA Cares Committee and the SEMA Scholarship Committee.

Dennis Grau Appointed to California/Nevada/Arizona Automotive Wholesalers Association
Dennis Grau was appointed to the California/Nevada/Arizona Automotive Wholesalers Association’s (CAWA) Advisory Council representing Exide Technologies. His office is based in Phoenix, Arizona. He was appointed by Chair of the Board, Mary Davis, NGK Spark Plugs of Sacramento, California. “We are pleased to welcome Mr. Grau into the leadership of CAWA  and look forward to his participation and contributions to the association and the industry we represent out west,” said Chair Davis following the appointment. Davis went on to say that “we are pleased that he has stepped forward in volunteer service to the association.”

S. Kellie Colf Named Director of Sales & Marketing for eTool Developers
eTool Developers has hired S. Kellie Colf as its director of sales and marketing. According to eTool, Colf will work collaboratively with all team members in the areas of business development, account management and marketing. “Kellie was a natural pick for our team,” said Luanne Brown, President of eTool Developers. “Kellie is has an incredible grasp of the industry and of the work that we do here. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her new position, and we are confident that her contribution is going to help us take our company to the next level.” 

Go Natural CNG Celebrates New Facility
Go Natural CNG announced that it will open an additional sales and installation facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma. To celebrate the addition of the new 7,000-sq.-ft. location, a Grand Opening celebration open to the public is set for Tuesday, October 25, 10:30 a.m., at 4116 S. 88th East Ave., Tulsa, Oklahoma. Go Natural's partner, AutoSource Motors, will share the new Oklahoma facility. While Go Natural CNG focuses on turnkey solutions for fleets, the goal of AutoSource Motors is to create the area's largest offering of publicly available ready-to-go natural-gas-powered cars, trucks and vans.

The Goodguys will hold its Super Sunday Get-Together on Sunday, November 27, in conjunction with the 1st annual Fall Del Mar Nationals.

Goodguys Super Sunday Get Together Set for Del Mar Nationals
The Goodguys Rod & Custom Association's Super Sunday Get-Together promotion is set for Sunday, November 27, in conjunction with the 1st annual Fall Del Mar Nationals, November 25–27, at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, Del Mar, California. The Goodguys Super Sunday Get-Together welcomes all years, makes and models of American-made or American-powered cars and trucks. All Del Mar Super Sunday Get-Together participants are welcome to participate in all phases of the event including the show and shine as well as the AutoCross. More information is available at www.falldelmarnats.com.  

Marine Corp. Veteran and Roadwire Team Up to Benefit Wounded, Deceased Military Personnel
Roadwire and Marine Corps veteran nicknamed "Mighty Mouse" Prosen have teamed up to raise awareness and support for veterans and families of wounded and deceased military personnel through a feature-vehicle display at the 2011 SEMA Show. The display is the result of a chance meeting between Prosen and Roadwire Vice President Dave Edmondson that took place at the 2010 SEMA Show. It was there that he noticed Prosen’s customized, 800hp Screaming Yellow Mustang GT. Displaying the modified Mustang at car shows and other events around the country has helped Prosen raise more than $60,000 on behalf of organizations such as S.O.S Support Our Soldiers Inc., Freedom’s Children and Wounded Warrior Project. 

Inaugural North American Festival of Speed Takes Place November 4–6
The inaugural North American Festival of Speed takes place November 4–6 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. According to facilitators, the event is designed as an end-of-the-year motorsports festival. The speedway's newly added Neon Garage will serve as an area where fans can interact with vendors, racers and teams. The are five separate races series/events that will take place at the North American Festival of Speed: Pirelli Drivers Cup; Lotus Cup USA; MotoIQ Pacific Tuner Car Championship; Radical Challenge; and Time Track Invitational.  The event also features a vendor midway, vehicle manufacturer displays and driver autograph sessions. Additional information is available at www.speedfest.us.  

Congress last week passed three long-stalled Free Trade Agreements (FTA) with South Korea, Colombia and Panama. South Korea is the United States' seventh-largest trading partner with $88 billion in two-way trade, making the newly signed Korea-U.S. FTA—known as KORUS—the largest enacted by the U.S. since the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement.  

Bilateral car trading has been a major point of contention in U.S.–South Korea trade relations and, consequently, a major sticking point in negotiations on the KORUS FTA. In 2010, U.S. automakers exported fewer than 14,000 cars to South Korea, while South Korea exported 515,000 cars to the United States, according to trade experts. South Korea has since pledged to open its market to U.S. vehicles.

The KORUS FTA includes a “low-volume seller exemption,” which would allow each U.S. automaker to sell up to 25,000 vehicles per year in South Korea built to U.S. safety standards without any additional modifications. The European Union (E.U.) has recently signed a similar FTA with Korea, which will become effective in July 2012. 

Other U.S. FTAs approved at the same time include U.S.–Colombia and U.S.–Panama. 
Colombia is the third-largest economy in Latin and South America and the U.S.-Colombia FTA will provide significant new access to Colombia's $166 billion services market. Panama is one of the fastest-growing economies in Latin America whose GDP is expected to jump with the completion of the expanded Panama Canal in 2014. 

Doing business in these markets and have questions? Contact Linda Spencer at lindas@sema.org.

The automotive sector in Russia has been enjoying strong growth over the past few years and car and truck sales there are forecasted to grow at approximately 20% this year alone. The largest automakers and international OEMs are building assembly plants to meet the increasing Russian demand for high-quality automobiles.

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration is organizing an Automotive Parts and Components Business Development Mission to Russia, April 22–28, 2012.

Companies are also invited to participate in a free webinar entitled, “The Russian Automotive Sector—New Opportunities for U.S. Suppliers,” November 17, 2011. You will hear from both private-sector experts and U.S. Commercial Service experts from the U.S. Embassy and U.S. Consulates in Russia.

Find out more information and register.

 

	Jon Goldman

By Jon Goldman

What’s your biggest asset?

Careful. Most people in the auto accessory business tell us it’s their specialty parts and equipment. Wrong! Your biggest and most powerful asset is your marketing! It’s what gets people to take action and to turn lookie-loos into buyers. It’s the engine that drives your business.

And, like it or not, we’re all in the business of trying to motivate people to take action.

Whether you want prospects to come to your website, enter your store, order a specialty product or sign up for a service, we’re always trying to get people to take advantage of an offer. Some do it better than others.

In fact, I’ve spent millions of dollars learning how to do it the right way—and the wrong way. I’m about to share those findings with you right now in this special article so you don’t have to waste the money I did and you can begin to turn around your own marketing.

The problem is that it’s more difficult than ever to get people to take action, especially in this economy.

Budgets are getting squeezed. Consumer confidence remains at an all-time low. Dollar for dollar, income levels are no better than they were in 1969. Car and truck owners are more cautious about where and when they spend their money. Customers are much more selective about how they respond to offers online and offline.

Yet, you need to continue to find ways to grow profits and get your customers to take action.

Fortunately, I have some advice that will help.

Let me begin by asking you a question: If I sold hamburgers, what would be the best way to sell them?

Most of our new clients say they would try to offer the best hamburger or the cheapest hamburger. Or they would add a secret sauce or other features to their burger to make them more attractive.

I see people make this mistake all the time.

They begin by thinking about the cool, innovative new product that just came out that they want to offer. I hear it time and time again. “Well Jon, we got this great deal on an accessory that no one knows about yet and we need to find ways to tell people about it.”

Or, here’s another discussion I hear: “Sales are down. We need to come up with a promotion to increase them right away!”

What’s wrong with this approach? The problem is that most people begin with the wrong end in mind. Always begin by identifying your market first—not the product. If I want to sell hamburgers, I would only want one thing: a starving crowd.

Give me a starving crowd, and I’ll sell hamburgers all day long.

So, the first step in creating motivational marketing is to first identify what I call your “hungry fish.” Start by asking the question, “Who?” Who are your hungry fish? Who wants and needs your products the most. Who is most hungry?

Then, you’ll want to figure out what are their biggest problems and what are they most passionate about?

Are they worried about getting another year or two out of their car? Do they want to stand out from every other Honda Civic owner or Ford F-150 truck owner? Are they passionate about restoring ’66 Mustangs? Do they just want to look good?

Once you answer those questions you can then build your marketing around solving those problems or appealing to their passions. Why? Because you’ll never be able to get more people to take action until you understand what really drives them.

In other words, motivational marketing is about tapping into what motivates your hungry fish.

Here’s a great example. Several years ago you may recall the anti-litter campaign, “Give a hoot, don’t pollute,” with a cute little owl. There were also TV ads with a Native American shedding a tear as he saw the discarded trash on what would have been a beautiful hillside. But in a strong, proud state like Texas those ads didn’t work.

The litter along its roadways cost the state roughly $25 million a year and that figure was climbing at an annual rate of 15%. Meanwhile, the state just didn’t have the money to spend on picking up trash. So they tried other ad campaigns. They tried appealing to Texans' self-interest with slogans, such as “Get Involved Now. Pollutions Hurts All of Us.” They also tried explaining how much litter cost the state. They tried sex appeal in their ads and even that didn’t work. Fines didn’t work either.

What finally worked? An innovative ad campaign entitled, “Don’t Mess with Texas!” It was perfect because it appealed to one of Texans' emotional hot buttons: pride. The Dallas Cowboys' Ed "Too-Tall” Jones served as a spokesman. So did Willy Nelson.

Within three months of the launch, 73% of people recognized the ad and were able to recall it. And within one year, litter decreased 29%. During the first five years, roadside litter decreased 72%.

Why did this ad campaign work when others didn’t? Because the advertisers took the time to drill down and identify their target market. It was mostly single, young men who drove pickups. They didn’t care about the fines or how much it cost the state to pick up their litter. But they also learned that these same young men were proud of their state and would most likely listen to iconic bad-boy celebrities, such as Willy Nelson and an All-Pro defensive lineman from the Cowboys.

There are three very important takeaways from this campaign.

First, the ad only worked when the advertisers asked questions about whom they were marketing to, as I just mentioned.

Second, they created an authentic story. The advertisers didn’t try to be too clever. They came up with an authentic story to tell. We spend a lot of time with our clients trying to determine their story so they can tell others what makes them different. Every business has a story that explains what it does, how it does it and what makes it special. And some of the best stories in the accessory business are the before-and-after stories you can tell in videos, testimonials, pictures and articles.

Third, they communicated the message in a way that would appeal to their target market. I call it “tribal language.” What you’re looking for is language to connect with your market that shows you share their values and goals.

But most marketers never connect with their hungry fish because they never bother to drill down and truly understand what motivates them. Once you do, you can create the next step in the process: irresistible bait.

The bait you offer is your best opportunity to hook your hungry fish. How? Offer them something so irresistible they would be foolish to pass up. There are basically three types of bait:

• Free stuff.
• Free services.
• Free information.

Generally speaking, free stuff and free services work best as irresistible bait in B2C markets. Free information, such as how-to guides with titles like, “The Top 7 Things You Can Do to Increase the Life of Your Fleet Vehicles” work best in B2B markets. They’re easy and inexpensive to produce and if it’s good content, your prospects will appreciate its value. As a result, they’ll be more likely to do business with you in the future.

Free services work, too. These are additional services that you can bundle into an offer to make it more attractive. Examples include a free trial, a free 20-point assessment or free installation with a purchase.

We’ve also seen very good success offering free stuff. One of our clients offered its corporate customers free tire mounting and installation at their office as part of a special promotion that included an image of a rubber tree with tires growing from its branches. The marketing talked about the features of the new tires and encouraged prospects to call and order their new tires, unless they would rather grow their own tires from a rubber tree. Every 10 days they sent a new promotion. One talked about the history of the rubber tree. Another talked about how to care for one. And finally, they hand-delivered a 1-ft.-high rubber tree. Result: 40% of the recipients called for an appointment and purchased new tires.

Another client increased its response by 10 times on one promotion campaign. Typically, they got 120 responses on a standard campaign. But our campaign increased response to 1,111—an 826% increase!

How did we do it? We offered free stuff. Every new person who responded received a free polo shirt with a logo on it. Why did the shirt help increase response? Because we learned the hungry fish were proud to be associated with the organization and wanted to show off its logo. But we never would have known that simply offering a polo shirt with the logo would increase response unless we first knew what motivated our hungry fish. That’s the lesson.

Here are three steps you can take to help you turn around your marketing:

Step 1: Begin by asking “Who?” Who are your hungry fish? What’s their pain? What problems are they experiencing? What motivates them?

Step 2: What can you offer that solves those challenges or appeals to their motivations?

Step 3: Create irresistible bait to get your hungry fish to take action. Consider offering free stuff, free services or free information that’s so compelling and so irresistible that your hungry fish would be foolish to pass up.

4 Money-Making Marketing Ideas to Crank Up Your Sales

• Offer to pay your customers $5 cash for every referral who becomes a customer. Ask customers to simply submit a friend or family member’s contact information. When they make a purchase, send the customer a $5 bill.
• Partner with auto-repair shops in your area and offer to give them $10 on every referral who spends at least $50 with you. Our clients send a letter about the deal to service shops with a crisp $1 bill enclosed—their first of many dollars they can make together. There’s nothing like cash to grab someone’s attention. You can also offer discounts for mechanics at the shop too.
• Offer customers your own Big Bucks Certificates in addition to $5 or $10 cash for every referral who buys from you. The certificates can be redeemed for cash value on their next purchase.
• Don’t forget previous customers. To keep them coming back, clients offer customers who haven’t made a purchase in the last 8–12 months free windshield wipers, free water repellant treatment for their windshield or a free tire rotation with their next purchase.

Jon Goldman is president and CEO of Brand Launcher, a company that specializes in helping business owners and executives turn around their organizations and their lives. He will be a speaker at the SEMA Show and is also the author of "The Million Dollar Lumpy Mail Marketing System"—a resource for supercharging any direct marketing campaign. He’s the creator of "The 90 Day Launch System – How to Crank Up Your Business and Simplify Your Life" and "The Secret of the Watermelon" and he publishes a weekly e-letter called, "Your Business GPS." Don’t miss his live session, “8 Steps to Master Marketing,” Monday, October 31, at 11:00 a.m. at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Room N257. For more information about Goldman and these resources, go to www.BrandLauncher.com.

 

	Jon Goldman

By Jon Goldman

What’s your biggest asset?

Careful. Most people in the auto accessory business tell us it’s their specialty parts and equipment. Wrong! Your biggest and most powerful asset is your marketing! It’s what gets people to take action and to turn lookie-loos into buyers. It’s the engine that drives your business.

And, like it or not, we’re all in the business of trying to motivate people to take action.

Whether you want prospects to come to your website, enter your store, order a specialty product or sign up for a service, we’re always trying to get people to take advantage of an offer. Some do it better than others.

In fact, I’ve spent millions of dollars learning how to do it the right way—and the wrong way. I’m about to share those findings with you right now in this special article so you don’t have to waste the money I did and you can begin to turn around your own marketing.

The problem is that it’s more difficult than ever to get people to take action, especially in this economy.

Budgets are getting squeezed. Consumer confidence remains at an all-time low. Dollar for dollar, income levels are no better than they were in 1969. Car and truck owners are more cautious about where and when they spend their money. Customers are much more selective about how they respond to offers online and offline.

Yet, you need to continue to find ways to grow profits and get your customers to take action.

Fortunately, I have some advice that will help.

Let me begin by asking you a question: If I sold hamburgers, what would be the best way to sell them?

Most of our new clients say they would try to offer the best hamburger or the cheapest hamburger. Or they would add a secret sauce or other features to their burger to make them more attractive.

I see people make this mistake all the time.

They begin by thinking about the cool, innovative new product that just came out that they want to offer. I hear it time and time again. “Well Jon, we got this great deal on an accessory that no one knows about yet and we need to find ways to tell people about it.”

Or, here’s another discussion I hear: “Sales are down. We need to come up with a promotion to increase them right away!”

What’s wrong with this approach? The problem is that most people begin with the wrong end in mind. Always begin by identifying your market first—not the product. If I want to sell hamburgers, I would only want one thing: a starving crowd.

Give me a starving crowd, and I’ll sell hamburgers all day long.

So, the first step in creating motivational marketing is to first identify what I call your “hungry fish.” Start by asking the question, “Who?” Who are your hungry fish? Who wants and needs your products the most. Who is most hungry?

Then, you’ll want to figure out what are their biggest problems and what are they most passionate about?

Are they worried about getting another year or two out of their car? Do they want to stand out from every other Honda Civic owner or Ford F-150 truck owner? Are they passionate about restoring ’66 Mustangs? Do they just want to look good?

Once you answer those questions you can then build your marketing around solving those problems or appealing to their passions. Why? Because you’ll never be able to get more people to take action until you understand what really drives them.

In other words, motivational marketing is about tapping into what motivates your hungry fish.

Here’s a great example. Several years ago you may recall the anti-litter campaign, “Give a hoot, don’t pollute,” with a cute little owl. There were also TV ads with a Native American shedding a tear as he saw the discarded trash on what would have been a beautiful hillside. But in a strong, proud state like Texas those ads didn’t work.

The litter along its roadways cost the state roughly $25 million a year and that figure was climbing at an annual rate of 15%. Meanwhile, the state just didn’t have the money to spend on picking up trash. So they tried other ad campaigns. They tried appealing to Texans' self-interest with slogans, such as “Get Involved Now. Pollutions Hurts All of Us.” They also tried explaining how much litter cost the state. They tried sex appeal in their ads and even that didn’t work. Fines didn’t work either.

What finally worked? An innovative ad campaign entitled, “Don’t Mess with Texas!” It was perfect because it appealed to one of Texans' emotional hot buttons: pride. The Dallas Cowboys' Ed "Too-Tall” Jones served as a spokesman. So did Willy Nelson.

Within three months of the launch, 73% of people recognized the ad and were able to recall it. And within one year, litter decreased 29%. During the first five years, roadside litter decreased 72%.

Why did this ad campaign work when others didn’t? Because the advertisers took the time to drill down and identify their target market. It was mostly single, young men who drove pickups. They didn’t care about the fines or how much it cost the state to pick up their litter. But they also learned that these same young men were proud of their state and would most likely listen to iconic bad-boy celebrities, such as Willy Nelson and an All-Pro defensive lineman from the Cowboys.

There are three very important takeaways from this campaign.

First, the ad only worked when the advertisers asked questions about whom they were marketing to, as I just mentioned.

Second, they created an authentic story. The advertisers didn’t try to be too clever. They came up with an authentic story to tell. We spend a lot of time with our clients trying to determine their story so they can tell others what makes them different. Every business has a story that explains what it does, how it does it and what makes it special. And some of the best stories in the accessory business are the before-and-after stories you can tell in videos, testimonials, pictures and articles.

Third, they communicated the message in a way that would appeal to their target market. I call it “tribal language.” What you’re looking for is language to connect with your market that shows you share their values and goals.

But most marketers never connect with their hungry fish because they never bother to drill down and truly understand what motivates them. Once you do, you can create the next step in the process: irresistible bait.

The bait you offer is your best opportunity to hook your hungry fish. How? Offer them something so irresistible they would be foolish to pass up. There are basically three types of bait:

• Free stuff.
• Free services.
• Free information.

Generally speaking, free stuff and free services work best as irresistible bait in B2C markets. Free information, such as how-to guides with titles like, “The Top 7 Things You Can Do to Increase the Life of Your Fleet Vehicles” work best in B2B markets. They’re easy and inexpensive to produce and if it’s good content, your prospects will appreciate its value. As a result, they’ll be more likely to do business with you in the future.

Free services work, too. These are additional services that you can bundle into an offer to make it more attractive. Examples include a free trial, a free 20-point assessment or free installation with a purchase.

We’ve also seen very good success offering free stuff. One of our clients offered its corporate customers free tire mounting and installation at their office as part of a special promotion that included an image of a rubber tree with tires growing from its branches. The marketing talked about the features of the new tires and encouraged prospects to call and order their new tires, unless they would rather grow their own tires from a rubber tree. Every 10 days they sent a new promotion. One talked about the history of the rubber tree. Another talked about how to care for one. And finally, they hand-delivered a 1-ft.-high rubber tree. Result: 40% of the recipients called for an appointment and purchased new tires.

Another client increased its response by 10 times on one promotion campaign. Typically, they got 120 responses on a standard campaign. But our campaign increased response to 1,111—an 826% increase!

How did we do it? We offered free stuff. Every new person who responded received a free polo shirt with a logo on it. Why did the shirt help increase response? Because we learned the hungry fish were proud to be associated with the organization and wanted to show off its logo. But we never would have known that simply offering a polo shirt with the logo would increase response unless we first knew what motivated our hungry fish. That’s the lesson.

Here are three steps you can take to help you turn around your marketing:

Step 1: Begin by asking “Who?” Who are your hungry fish? What’s their pain? What problems are they experiencing? What motivates them?

Step 2: What can you offer that solves those challenges or appeals to their motivations?

Step 3: Create irresistible bait to get your hungry fish to take action. Consider offering free stuff, free services or free information that’s so compelling and so irresistible that your hungry fish would be foolish to pass up.

4 Money-Making Marketing Ideas to Crank Up Your Sales

• Offer to pay your customers $5 cash for every referral who becomes a customer. Ask customers to simply submit a friend or family member’s contact information. When they make a purchase, send the customer a $5 bill.
• Partner with auto-repair shops in your area and offer to give them $10 on every referral who spends at least $50 with you. Our clients send a letter about the deal to service shops with a crisp $1 bill enclosed—their first of many dollars they can make together. There’s nothing like cash to grab someone’s attention. You can also offer discounts for mechanics at the shop too.
• Offer customers your own Big Bucks Certificates in addition to $5 or $10 cash for every referral who buys from you. The certificates can be redeemed for cash value on their next purchase.
• Don’t forget previous customers. To keep them coming back, clients offer customers who haven’t made a purchase in the last 8–12 months free windshield wipers, free water repellant treatment for their windshield or a free tire rotation with their next purchase.

Jon Goldman is president and CEO of Brand Launcher, a company that specializes in helping business owners and executives turn around their organizations and their lives. He will be a speaker at the SEMA Show and is also the author of "The Million Dollar Lumpy Mail Marketing System"—a resource for supercharging any direct marketing campaign. He’s the creator of "The 90 Day Launch System – How to Crank Up Your Business and Simplify Your Life" and "The Secret of the Watermelon" and he publishes a weekly e-letter called, "Your Business GPS." Don’t miss his live session, “8 Steps to Master Marketing,” Monday, October 31, at 11:00 a.m. at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Room N257. For more information about Goldman and these resources, go to www.BrandLauncher.com.

With today’s global economy, increasingly complex supply chains and fraudulent practices, it is more important than ever for companies to consider risk-mitigation tactics that not only protect their business, but help improve cash flow and expansion opportunities. In order to offer SEMA Show exhibitors an opportunity to learn more about these issues, UPS Capital Insurance Agency Inc. will present an education session at this year’s SEMA Show on mitigating supply-chain risk.

With decades of experience in supply-chain management, UPS Capital Insurance Agency Inc. is sponsoring a session at the 2011 SEMA Show entitled, “Risky Business: Solutions to Mitigate Supply Chain Risk.” The sponsored session will be held Monday, October 31, at 9:30 a.m. in the Las Vegas Convention Center, Room N253. JoDawn Whitlock, vice president at UPS Capital Insurance Agency, will discuss ways to reduce risks that impact business and present solutions to improve cash flow and speed and protect payments.

“Managing a supply chain of high-value auto products can be very stressful due to the risk of loss, damages or non-payment,” said Kristin DeBates, corporate marketing manager for the UPS Automotive Segment. “UPS Capital Insurance Agency is one of the best resources to offer ways to reduce these risks so suppliers and manufacturers can focus on other parts of their business.”

Attendees interested in learning more about mitigating supply-chain risk can attend this session or stop by the UPS booth, #11827, for more information.

With today’s global economy, increasingly complex supply chains and fraudulent practices, it is more important than ever for companies to consider risk-mitigation tactics that not only protect their business, but help improve cash flow and expansion opportunities. In order to offer SEMA Show exhibitors an opportunity to learn more about these issues, UPS Capital Insurance Agency Inc. will present an education session at this year’s SEMA Show on mitigating supply-chain risk.

With decades of experience in supply-chain management, UPS Capital Insurance Agency Inc. is sponsoring a session at the 2011 SEMA Show entitled, “Risky Business: Solutions to Mitigate Supply Chain Risk.” The sponsored session will be held Monday, October 31, at 9:30 a.m. in the Las Vegas Convention Center, Room N253. JoDawn Whitlock, vice president at UPS Capital Insurance Agency, will discuss ways to reduce risks that impact business and present solutions to improve cash flow and speed and protect payments.

“Managing a supply chain of high-value auto products can be very stressful due to the risk of loss, damages or non-payment,” said Kristin DeBates, corporate marketing manager for the UPS Automotive Segment. “UPS Capital Insurance Agency is one of the best resources to offer ways to reduce these risks so suppliers and manufacturers can focus on other parts of their business.”

Attendees interested in learning more about mitigating supply-chain risk can attend this session or stop by the UPS booth, #11827, for more information.

Learn what to do from real-world case studies and which pitfalls to avoid when shipping product overseas. A panel of industry experts will provide a high-level overview of trends in international markets and best practices for international logistics, Monday, October 31, 2011, in the Las Vegas Convention Center, Room N253, from 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. No registration is required.

Stop by the Las Vegas Convention Center, Room N255, Monday, October 31, 2011, from 1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m. to learn about South America’s largest market in a seminar entitled, “Selling into the Brazilian Market: Insider Tips.” Panelists will include Eduardo Bernasconi, Fullpower magazine; Cassiano Colla, owner of Motorcrazy Co.; and Andre Ciasca, Pro Comp Brazil. No registration is required.

	Ed Pink Racing Engines CEO Tom Malloy (left), Ed "The Old Master" Pink, president, and EPRE General Manager Frank Honsowetz (right).

Nearly 20 SEMA-member companies have come together in support of a unique project that will benefit the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund (SMSF). Their products are being used to build a big-inch small-block Ford engine that will be auctioned off on eBay in conjunction with this year’s SEMA Show.

Noted engine-building facility Ed Pink Racing Engines, which can point to impressive wins in drag racing, IndyCar, USAC, vintage and off-road racing, will assemble and dyno test the engine.

The engine—which is being constructed entirely out of aftermarket components—is a 347-cid (4.125-in. bore and 3.250-in. stroke) SBF based on a Dart 302 block and Pro 1 aluminum heads. It will have 9.5:1 compression and is estimated to produce more than 400 hp on pump gas. It’s ideally suited for use in a street rod, Cobra kit car, classic truck, Mustang or restomod Ford application.

Participating firms (in alphabetical order) are: ARP, ATI, Champion, COMP Cams, Crane Cams Ignitions, Dart, Edelbrock, Fel-Pro, Hedman Hedders, Joe Gibbs Driven, Mahle, Manley, Milodon, Moroso, Powermaster, Scat, Speed-Pro and Total Seal.

Proceeds from the engine sale will benefit the SMSF, which is a recognized 501(c)3 charity, and has donated nearly $2 million in scholarships over the years to students (university, college or trade school) seeking a career in the automotive industry. More information about the program can be found at: www.SEMA.org/scholarships.

Ongoing information about the engine and specially prepared Dodge Charger and Avenger automobiles that are being auctioned to benefit the SMSF and the eBay auction can be found at http://is.gd/SEMAauctions.