It's all part of the game

Marketing, it is all just part of the game. When you look around it's important to look at people who have been successful in your business. For 2007 the New Mexico Department of Agriculture voted the New Mexico Pecan Company its top marketing company. Read the official release below:

New Mexico Pecan Company of Mesilla, New Mexico, is being honored as Marketer of the Year for 2007 by New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA).

New Mexico Pecan Company began operations in 1990 as an extension of Frank Salopek Farms to market shelled and flavored pecans from a retail perspective. The sales of the value-added pecans created new opportunities for New Mexico Pecan Company to expand their marketing objectives by attending trade shows both domestically and internationally. It was at these trade shows, meeting with foreign buyers, where New Mexico Pecan Company developed an innovative approach to sell in-shell pecans to the Chinese market. After lengthy negotiations with several Chinese companies, New Mexico Pecan Company sold their entire production to China, making this the largest documented sale of New Mexico pecans to China. The success of this initial sale opened the door for other New Mexico producers to explore this exciting market with confidence and long-term commitments.

“The Marketer of the Year recipients must demonstrate creative and innovative marketing with success in the market place. New Mexico Pecan Company has established national recognition for shelled and flavored pecans and expanded its market share throughout the region,” says I. Miley Gonzalez, New Mexico secretary of agriculture.

So what does this have to do with rodeo? Well do you want to make money at it or just piddle at the sport? How many people with talent and ability who tried to travel never made the big show because they ran out of money? How many who where slightly above average made enough to keep going because their sponsors helped them out just enough? Trust me if you talk to some of the greatest to ride they'll have stories about the guys who were very good and they still don't know why they never got that Gold Buckle!

Ok, ok so your half sold on the idea of marketing yourself, your breeding program or your event, but now what?
1) Simple, do a little studying! Go out and see who's being successful ask them questions, see what's working. Then check out the things you don't think you'd do and try to figure out why their doing whatever it is like that? Sometimes things seem silly, stupid or just plain wrong but that doesn't mean it is.
2) Next go out and develop a plan to be successful, ya ever gotten in a car driven someplace you've never been before and did it all on time without a map or asking questions?
3) Next get confidence in yourself, when you present yourself and your plan to others you need to have confidence that you’re selling a million dollar package! Heck when it comes to selling yourself you'd better get use to it because that's what the fans and sponsors want! Yes you will sometimes feel like that stereotypical used car salesman, guess what you are! Now get out their and talk to EVERYONE about sponsoring you. Don't think anyone is too small or too big, too local or too unrodeo. Money is money and advertising is advertising. Let's take a look at the recent sale of the PBR to Spire Capital. Where in the world do you think Spire Capital would have gotten the idea to buy the PBR? Is it a western company, maybe western New York City!
4) Now when you go to ask for the sponsorships, partnerships or any other ships, take care to how you approach them.
a. Are your clothes cleaned and pressed?
b. Are you in appropriate rodeo attire?
c. Hat cleaned? Boots Shined?
d. Do you have your plan neatly typed and double checked for spelling errors, do you show them in the plan how they will benefit from handing you a check or two?
e. Do you have your sales pitched practiced? Just like riding a bull, practice makes perfect!
So sure there is a lot to this marketing gag, but there are lots of benefits to it if you'll spend the time!