8 Keys to a Successful Sale
by Karen Pickering
Whether it’s forced on us or we look forward to it, I believe we never stop learning. Hopefully we hunger to learn new and better ways to live and this desire propels us beyond fear of the unknown so we can embrace what lies on the other side of life’s lessons. I’ve learned to walk this road in every situation, from my humble beginnings with this magazine, to becoming a better horse woman. There is a wealth of information, we simply need to find it and implement what we’ve learned for greater success.
My lesson lately has been about selling things—it’s hard! The energy and effort it takes to put a good ad together is time well spent yet it offers no guarantees. One philosophy is to just throw information out there and see what sticks. Instead, I’ve learned it’s about visibility and consistency. You may have the nicest horse in the world but if it’s not what someone is looking for you may not get a sale. Enough people need to see what you’ve got. The horse will be the right fit for someone, that someone just needs to find him. Here are a few things I’ve learned in my recent journey of downsizing: 1) Value is in the eye of the beholder; 2) Selling takes time and patience; 3) Hard work betters the odds, but it’s no guarantee you’ll get what you want; 4) Good pictures and copy are a must; 5) There are too many places to advertise, choose well; 6) Know when to move on, take a loss or try later; 7) Everyone wants a deal; 8) I won’t ever do a garage sale again!
Good luck in your own adventures selling products or services. Let me know if I can help in any way. After 20 years publishing a magazine, I’ve learned a few things about buying and selling. Finally, enjoy the cover story this month. Our neighbors to the North have a great event in October called The Mane Event. Read about this fun, educational expo on page 6.
Quote: “Falling down is a part of life, getting back up is living.”
José N. Harris
Published in August 2015 Issue
Owner/Publisher Karen’s lifelong love of horses began at a very early age when she wore out a couple of rocking horses before convincing her parents to get her the real thing. That ill-tempered bay gelding, Brandy, was a challenge for the young horsewoman, but it drove her ambition to become a horse trainer. After attending Canyonview Equestrian College’s Horsemanship Program, Karen realized she needed work that was a little more lucrative than training, so she took a job with Customs Brokerage to pay the bills. There, she discovered an affinity for computers and a talent for creating informative, entertaining newsletters. The Northwest Horse Source began as such a letter in December 1995, with a distribution of 1000 copies for its 12 black and white pages. Now 29 years later, it’s an online magazine and website with a reach of over 10,000 per month and growing! Not bad for the results of one woman’s dream to work with horses!
Today, Karen remains involved with every aspect of the magazine and treasures the community of thousands who share a common passion.
