br> This is especially true in business to business marketing where the buying cycle, the time between when a potential customer first hears about a product and then purchases it, can be months or even longer. Most of your bull customers probably only buy from you once a year, so keeping them informed, and maintaining top-of-the-mind awareness, requires an advertising program. Advertising is also essential for developing awareness in breeders who are not regular customers, or who have never purchased from you. Successful aI encourage each of you beef cattle breeders to consider these four steps in your Beef Cattle Marketing program.

BUILD THE RIGHT PRODUCT
There is no question that the most important thing in seedstock marketing is to develop the right product. That product is cattle with the kind of genetics that satisfy customers, solve problems and make money. To do this a breeder not only needs good cattle, he must also define a primary market area and learn what the majority of potential customers within that area need and want. And this is not a one-time thing. Keeping up with customer demand is an ongoing proposition.

GET THE RIGHT ATTITUDE
Public relations is the next logical step in marketing. It can do things that are very difficult to accomplish with advertising. PR can personalize you and your business in a noncommercial way with someone else telling your story. Good PR involves knowing and gaining the respect of the leaders in your area who can help influence a cattle producer's buying decisions. Individuals like livestock extension specialists, feed and equipment dealers, youth leaders, bankers etc. Make sure that local newspaper, radio and even television reporters and editors know about you and your business, then give them something positive to report on. A new bull, your participation in a beef cattle convention or meeting etc. Host field days and other events that bring people to your place to learn about your cattle and your breeding program. Be active in local and regional beef cattle organizations. Use every PR vehicle available to establish your reputation as a solid businessperson, a serious cattle breeder, and one who is willing to help.

WORK THE PUBLIC RELATIONS
If you stop and think about it most businesses use this marketing approach. You often read about new model cars, tractors, farm machinery or veterinary health products, before you see them advertised. Once a product has been developed for a particular customer base, and the industry has been informed through PR, then advertising is the next step.

BUILD YOUR ADVERTISING PLAN
This is especially true in business to business marketing where the buying cycle, the time between when a potential customer first hears about a product and then purchases it, can be months or even longer. Most of your bull customers probably only buy from you once a year, so keeping them informed, and maintaining top-of-the-mind awareness, requires an advertising program. Advertising is also essential for developing awareness in breeders who are not regular customers, or who have never purchased from you. Successful ad

nt. And this is not a one-time thing. Keeping up with customer demand is an ongoing proposition.

GET THE RIGHT ATTITUDE
Public relations is the next logical step in marketing. It can do things that are very difficult to accomplish with advertising. PR can personalize you and your business in a noncommercial way with someone else telling your story. Good PR involves knowing and gaining the respect of the leaders in your area who can help influence a cattle producer's buying decisions. Individuals like livestock extension specialists, feed and equipment dealers, youth leaders, bankers etc. Make sure that local newspaper, radio and even television reporters and editors know about you and your business, then give them something positive to report on. A new bull, your participation in a beef cattle convention or meeting etc. Host field days and other events that bring people to your place to learn about your cattle and your breeding program. Be active in local and regional beef cattle organizations. Use every PR vehicle available to establish your reputation as a solid businessperson, a serious cattle breeder, and one who is willing to help.

WORK THE PUBLIC RELATIONS
If you stop and think about it most businesses use this marketing approach. You often read about new model cars, tractors, farm machinery or veterinary health products, before you see them advertised. Once a product has been developed for a particular customer base, and the industry has been informed through PR, then advertising is the next step.

BUILD YOUR ADVERTISING PLAN
This is especially true in business to business marketing where the buying cycle, the time between when a potential customer first hears about a product and then purchases it, can be months or even longer. Most of your bull customers probably only buy from you once a year, so keeping them informed, and maintaining top-of-the-mind awareness, requires an advertising program. Advertising is also essential for developing awareness in breeders who are not regular customers, or who have never purchased from you. Successful a

tension specialists, feed and equipment dealers, youth leaders, bankers etc. Make sure that local newspaper, radio and even television reporters and editors know about you and your business, then give them something positive to report on. A new bull, your participation in a beef cattle convention or meeting etc. Host field days and other events that bring people to your place to learn about your cattle and your breeding program. Be active in local and regional beef cattle organizations. Use every PR vehicle available to establish your reputation as a solid businessperson, a serious cattle breeder, and one who is willing to help.

WORK THE PUBLIC RELATIONS
If you stop and think about it most businesses use this marketing approach. You often read about new model cars, tractors, farm machinery or veterinary health products, before you see them advertised. Once a product has been developed for a particular customer base, and the industry has been informed through PR, then advertising is the next step.

BUILD YOUR ADVERTISING PLAN
This is especially true in business to business marketing where the buying cycle, the time between when a potential customer first hears about a product and then purchases it, can be months or even longer. Most of your bull customers probably only buy from you once a year, so keeping them informed, and maintaining top-of-the-mind awareness, requires an advertising program. Advertising is also essential for developing awareness in breeders who are not regular customers, or who have never purchased from you. Successful a

ablish your reputation as a solid businessperson, a serious cattle breeder, and one who is willing to help.

WORK THE PUBLIC RELATIONS
If you stop and think about it most businesses use this marketing approach. You often read about new model cars, tractors, farm machinery or veterinary health products, before you see them advertised. Once a product has been developed for a particular customer base, and the industry has been informed through PR, then advertising is the next step.

BUILD YOUR ADVERTISING PLAN
This is especially true in business to business marketing where the buying cycle, the time between when a potential customer first hears about a product and then purchases it, can be months or even longer. Most of your bull customers probably only buy from you once a year, so keeping them informed, and maintaining top-of-the-mind awareness, requires an advertising program. Advertising is also essential for developing awareness in breeders who are not regular customers, or who have never purchased from you. Successful a

br> This is especially true in business to business marketing where the buying cycle, the time between when a potential customer first hears about a product and then purchases it, can be months or even longer. Most of your bull customers probably only buy from you once a year, so keeping them informed, and maintaining top-of-the-mind awareness, requires an advertising program. Advertising is also essential for developing awareness in breeders who are not regular customers, or who have never purchased from you. Successful advertising has nothing to do with exaggeration and everything to do with communicating your message in a memorable, effective way.

You may not want to position your business as humorous, but you sure want to be seen as human and approachable; someone people would like to do business with. If more people in the registered cattle business understood this, the value of their advertising would increase dramatically. When producers advertise that they have "the best bull in the breed" or a bull "that does it all" they can be assured that many people don't believe it, even if it is true. Buyers who do believe the claim are likely to be disappointed because they expect too much. Advertising the same bull with more modest claims that highlight benefits will almost surely produce more satisfied customers and probably more sales.