Article contributed by Franchise Direct
These are very hard times for the American automotive industry, but an exclusive franchise study by Franchise Direct has revealed that automotive franchises are doing well nonetheless. With Americans holding onto their cars for longer than ever before, their analysis of the Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDD’s) of 30 automotive franchises found that more and more drivers are turning to franchises to keep their car on the road.
The endemic problems in America’s car industry have been well-documented. But Franchise Direct’s study has found that the sharp decline of automotive industry, coinciding with America’s worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, has actually created some exciting opportunities for aftermarket and car rental and sales franchises.
The reality is Americans are not buying new cars as regularly as they once did. According to this new automotive franchise study, the projected new car sales for this year are 9.7 million units. This constitutes a 40% decline since 2007. Yet Americans continue to love their automobiles. The bottom line is that drivers are becoming more dependent on services provided by automotive franchises because they are choosing to get more life out of their car.
Aftermarket automotive franchises are best positioned to succeed, as consumers seek maintenance and repairs with greater urgency. Used car and rental franchises will also enjoy the benefits of this new reluctance to splurge on new automobiles.
There are also new niche markets developing for franchising to exploit. In the last few years, drivers have embraced automobiles with complicated engine control, microprocessors and high-tech safety and entertainment equipment. There has also been a movement towards ‘green’ technology in car manufacturing. As these technologies become more and more popular, a new market is growing for aftermarket franchises. Drivers no longer have the know-how to do this complex automotive work on their own and will turn instead to reliable franchise brands.
The great irony is that the global recession and the collapse of Detroit’s auto industry has opened the door for the recent success of automotive franchises. America’s love affair with the automobile is undiminished, but American’s attitude towards car buying has radically changed. This research shows that consumers are turning towards automotive franchises to keep their cars on the road. With the government’s stimulus plan providing economic optimism, it is an excellent time to consider franchise opportunities in the automotive sector.
Month: June 2009
The voice is important for a speaker as well as for an actor, is an important part of one’s instrument. Just like an actor, a speaker’s body and voice is an instrument. If you think about it as a speaker, or presenter, you are using just yourself whether or not your have slides. So it’s important to know at least one vocal exercise for clear speaking.
Muscles of Articulation
Without getting too bogged down with the science of the muscles of articulation and how the work, I’ll just quickly mention that they are as follows:
– the tip of the tongue
– the hard palate
– the soft palate
– the back of the tongue
– the teeth and the lips
Now, there are probably many professional vocal coaches out there who are ready to argue with me on these points and say that I should tell you what the correct categories are, whether they are active or passive articulators. But for the purposes of this post I don’t feel it’s necessary.
Some Quick Vocal Tips
Speak out loud: I’ve talked about the benefits of rehearsing your speech or presentation elsewhere in this blog. By speaking the words out loud your mouth gets used to saying the words and as a result you’re less likely to stumble over what you’re saying because your body has a physical memory.
Avoid dairy: Before you speak or present make sure you keep your dairy intake to a minimum. Dairy products have a tendency to produce excess mucus which can make you snort and constantly feel like you have to clear your throat.
Keep yourself lubricated by drinking plenty of water or herbal tea. Too much caffeinated tea can dehydrate you. If you’re drinking plenty of water before you speak remember to use the loo (rest room).
Hum before you speak: By gently humming, your voice gets to go hum and down it’s range and gets warmed up. As you hum try to imagine the sound resonating in the front of your mouth around your teeth.
Try humming a slow version of the nursery rhyme “Pop Goes The Weasel”. As a quick refresher here’s the lyrics as I know them:
“Half a pound of tuppenny rice,
Half a pound of treacle.
That’s the way the money goes,
Pop! goes the weasel”.
A quick search on the internet will help find the tune if you are unfamiliar with it. It’s quite a jaunty little jig, but you’ll want to slow it right down when you hum your way through it. Don’t push yourself, you’re not in a contest. There’s no prize for completing the exercises first. Be gentle.
Use tongue twisters: Tongue twisters are a good way to exercise your articulation muscles. Here’re a couple of my favourites:
“Red leather, yellow leather”. (repeat 5 times)
“Articulatory agility
is a desirable ability
manipulating with dexterity
the tongue, the palate, and the lips”. (repeat 5 times)
“The back of the tongue and the tip of the tongue” (repeat 5 times)
“The tip of the tongue, the teeth, the lips”. (repeat 5 times)
If you jump on to your favourite search engine and search for tongue twisters, you can find plenty in whichever language you choose. Just make sure you choose the correct pronunciation.
For instance, I had an American voice teacher at drama school whose pronunciation was different to the English students in the room. We had to make sure that we didn’t end up saying “yella” instead of “yellow”.
So remember that vocal exercises are as important for public speakers as they are for professional actors.
Jason Peck is a Humorist, Speaker and Consultant based in London, England. For public speaking tips and to learn how to add humor to your speeches and presentations to win over your listeners visit: Pro Humorist.
The franchise sales process is kind of a paradox: both sides want the other to like them, to show that they are perfect for each other. At the same time, both the franchisor and the prospect want to make it clear that they’re looking for the perfect partner.
In other words, franchise prospects want to put their best foot forward but make it clear that this is only one of several possible choices and the franchisor wants to impress the potential franchisee, but make it clear that they are very selective in whom they choose to allow into their system.
So what is it that franchisors look for in prospective franchisees? Most franchisors talk of “awarding” franchises, rather than selling them. The difference is that they won’t sell to anyone. You must be someone who values the same things as the franchisor and be financially qualified. The franchisor is taking a risk by letting you into their system – here are some of the things they look for, either through explicit questions or by watching your non-verbal “answers” to situations.
Are you financially qualified?
You don’t have to have a six-figure bank account but you do need to a) show some resources of your own and b) show that you understand how to obtain money to cover franchise fees, start-up costs, and operating capital. You can do this through loans, friends, and partnerships. The last thing a franchisor wants to do is put someone in who doesn’t have enough capital to get over the initial customer ramp-up period. You make the cut if you show you understand how to obtain capital.
Are you self-motivated?
This seems obvious, and most potential franchisees would say that they are successful people who have always been self-motivated. Your house is on the line, after all, so of course you’re motivated to succeed. But this goes more to what happens when things are hectic or there are challenges unique to your area. Franchisors want to know that you’re motivated to seek help within the system (franchisees, business consultants, and other resources) – that you recognize this is your business. The franchisor has many tools and resources for you to use. But it’s up to you to ask for them and to implement them.
Do you have a passion for the product or brand?
Passion overcomes many obstacles. Franchisors want to know that you can be an evangelist of their brand, to promote the products and uphold the trade dress in your market. A passion for the brand indicates a franchisees willingness to overcome challenges, while still keeping the brand’s best interests in mind. Passionate franchisees are generally more successful than others who just “want to be their own boss.”
Do you just want to be your own boss?
Very often, potential franchisees will expound on how they would do things or offer tips as to how to make the system better. These tips are appreciated when they come from existing franchise owners, but most often are red flags during the franchisee selection process. A franchise system is just that – a system. Franchisors need to know that you are willing to work within the system and that you’re not just buying a franchise because you can get open faster and then do whatever you want (it’s your business…right? You can sell magazines and suntan lotion in your sandwich store if you want to…right?).
Good business partnerships are like good marriages and take just about as much work. If you do your research, and are honest during the application and selection processes, your new relationship will have a firm foundation.
If you’re out to impress the franchisor and you oversell yourself, there’s a good probability that neither of you will be happy with the partnership. Find what you love to do, then do it with passion.
This article is contributed by: Franchise Genius
FranchiseGenius.com is the largest, most comprehensive online directory of franchise concepts, with 1,700+ concepts summarized, and includes a franchise resource center full of objective and useful information.
Young Entrepreneur by Adam Toren: While getting traffic to your website is important, the most essential goal is turning that traffic into sales. If visitors are not buying your products or service, then it’s time to evaluate your website. There may be some roadblocks on your site that might be preventing visitors from becoming customers. Review these 6 essentials that a website sales page must have to ensure that it is positioned for profitability.
1. Less clicks.
How many times does a visitor need to click through your website to get to the product page? The less navigation tabs, the easier it is to land the sale because there are fewer distractions to take away from the viewer’s focus.
2. Convincing sales page.
Your sales page needs to be persuading in a concise fashion. Create a headline that will attract attention and encourage further reading. The copy that follows should show how your product or service will meet the customer’s needs. Illustrate why a visitor should buy from you rather than the thousands of others online offering similar products or services. Keep the tone causal and conversational. Use words that spark emotions and, where applicable, compare benefits to results. The sales page is where you need to establish trust and credibility with the visitor and show why you are far superior to all the rest.
3. Provide testimonials.
Testimonials from actual customers praising your product and service carry much more credibility than words in your sales copy. These testimonials can be either audio or visual, but it is essential that they are on the sales page and contain the customer’s name, hometown and photo in order for them to carry any persuasive weight.
More sales tips can be found under: Essentials For Turning Sales Page Visitors Into Clients
Categories
Marketing by Mommy bloggers
Marketing to Women Online: You want to reach moms? You want word-of-mouth advertising? You want moms to get on board with your brand or product and to tap into the influence they have with their friends and family?
Meet the mommy blogger.
Companies small and large are trying to climb on to the mommy blogger bandwagon. Advertising Age recently did a story about the phenomenon – Inside the Mommy Blogger Business.
Despite their lightweight moniker, mommy bloggers have become marketing business heavyweights. Now said to number in the millions, these online women have cobbled together content networks that rival some mainstream media companies. And they’re clearly a force that retailers underestimate at their own peril. In this “About Digital” report, we talk to a retail giant, an analyst, major publisher and a PR agency to better understand how various segments of the industry are adjusting to this phenomenon.
There’s a reason why mommy bloggers are gaining the attention and respect of advertisers.
eMarketer just published the results from the 2009 Social Media study from BlogHer, iVillage and Compass Partners. The study found that:
Of the female social media participants, 75% took part in social networking and 55% used blogs. Nearly 23 million of the social media users read blogs.
But many women went beyond merely reading: 12 million posted to blogs and 8 million published them.
In fact, women who used blogs were more than twice as likely to do so when they were seeking information, advice and recommendations than were women who participated in social networking.
When providing advice or contributing to a community, more women also turned to blogs than social networks.
“The scale of social media usage among US women continues to grow, and blogs remain the go-to resource for those who want to gather information, share ideas and get reliable advice,” said Elisa Camahort Page, COO of BlogHer.
There’s another reason why advertisers are reaching out to mommy bloggers.
In her book Too Busy To Shop, Kelley Skoloda talks about the importance of the “messenger.” Women listen to messages from trusted sources. An advertising message in a commercial is one thing. But that message delivered by a trusted credible source carries a lot more weight.
With the bombardment of consumer information, a more transient society, and significant time constraints, more women are turning to less conventional sources, such as blogs, social networking sites, and Web sites, to get trusted information and recommendations.
In fact, these interactive sites are becoming extended networks of friends and family. These virtual neighborhoods give women access to many other women who are in the same life stage as they are, making the topics and discussions very relevant to what they want to know and where they are in life.
The bottom line for advertisers and brands is this – women, especially moms are reading and interacting with blogs in record numbers. It’s where they are at.
Mommy Bloggers – Why Advertisers Want Them [Marketing to Women Online]