| Version Date Fri. 8-14-99-99 6:46 AM |
1 - Introduction, of Speaker- their staff?
2- Information relating to Rousseau’s Sporting Goods and Awards, Inc.
3.A Introduction of seminar-
4 - The Elements of E-Commerce.
5.Email / for everyone
6.Web site for Dealers
7. Dealer Web pages -key points
8 -Web site for Manufacturers
9- Distributors
10-Sales Representative
11. Launch and learn, Launch and fix, Launch and change
12. Its about power---
13. Its about content--
16. Its about Internet communities, --
16A.Its about buying and usin
16B. Intranets, chat rooms for industry professional. Even you the single rep, small business.
17 Marketing Your Web site
18Credibility
19 Advertising your site.
20 Treat the E-Customer just like those that call or walk in.
21 Understand the powers and possible power structure changes that are taking place.
22 New power for sales reps
23.New power for dealers
24 New power for the customer.
25 New power for Distributors
26 New power for manufacturers
27 Less power for manufacturers and distributors.
28 . Free profits for dealers, a mammoth break through in new era marketing for Quik-Tek.
29 Free profits, virtually 0 labor.
See http://www.r-sports.com/book.html also.
See about us: http://www.r-sports.com/Store/read.html
See Chart of Domain Cluster: http://www.r-sports.com/sports/DomainCluster.pdf
1 - Introduction, of Speaker- their staff?
About Steve Rousseau
2- Information relating to Rousseau’s Sporting Goods and Awards, Inc.
About Quik-Tek Software and Internet Services- web page services, software products.
Make this section quick. Put this on the handout. Make the slide for one www and one email.
3.A Introduction of seminar-
We can make a difference, now for ourselves in E commerce. Use of the Internet for all purposes is sweeping the planet like a mighty tidal wave. The buying public is jumping on board in huge numbers, doubling at least once a year. E-commerce------ the business of doing business online, including financial transactions, and all parts of the shopping process, is also growing at the "Speed of Thought" (Bill Gates). The Awards industry is not immune to this. E-commerce is resulting is awards sales in ways not foreseen just 1 year ago. Cutting edge new marketing techniques only 3 months old stand to revolutionize this and related industries. We can also make a difference in our business if we learn to work smarter, and notice I said not harder. We do this by embracing all facets of the emerging digital Estate (Chuck Martin), and then charge into the Net Future (Chuck Martin). This will help us to be as prepared as we can be for The Road Ahead (Bill Gates).
Present the main points on the slide in quick outline form Define the term e-commerce
Make a relation to traditional forms.
Opening: E-Commerce for (Awards) dealers
4 - The Elements of E-Commerce.
Ok I assume this will be the list of parts.
5.Email / for everyone
Sending, receiving, attachments, forwarding, sending web pages,
Email through your pager, Respond to email promptly. Communicate with those that are helping you, (your ISP, web site producer, IT Pro, openly and freely.)
Email is the greatest thing since the cellular phone and the fax machine. Unlike the other 2 mediums, it cost very little, and is completely free from a number of sources including, Hotbot, Juno, Hotmail, and numerous others. As a matter of fact, companies openly compete to try to get you to use their free email service. They did not give a way fax machines when they first came out nor do they now.
They still do not give away cellular phones for free, with out strings attached. However, you can now get email through your cellular phone.
In many ways email is far better than the other 2 devices. You can read it, and respond to it at your leisure. You can send detailed pictures, even web pages, Corel Draw files, logos, engraving jobs, word documents, pictures etc.
You can attach files, and forward messages or complaints about products to manufacturers. (Saving rewriting letters, addressing envelopes, saving postage, and then sending the message in seconds instead of days. E-mail is a first step in our becoming a real-time digital business.
You should treat E-mail just like telephone calls, dispose of junk mail you are not interested in, respond quickly and professionally to others.
You should also communicate pertinent email data to the ITP that you are associated with. (Information Technology Professional- could be you web page designer, consultant,). Your ITP can use this information to help you chart a course, and change course when deemed appropriate. We are all making and learning new things on the fly, and in real-time every day. You will discover things that will likely help others to help you. You must let them know.
Now, not even Microsoft, Adobe, Netscape, Sun, Corel, or Oracle know what course the Internet will take tomorrow. All of the Bigs’ have been wrong on their projections at least once in the last 2 years.
The Internet is also now a power within its self, completely immune from dominance from one entity or a group of entities.
Governments in free societies will not regulate the Internet, now or in the future. The US Government and congress will not be able to regulate the flow of information through the Internet.
Telephone companies will not either. The Internet will be a significant factor in free people still under communist rule in Red China.
It is a part of our lives now, and in the future.
OK for the slide. Get this down to a couple of points. Keep it organized and relevant to audience. Ask your self what do they need to know. Always come back to an e-commerce idea.
6.Web site for Dealers
Computers and access to the Internet are fast becoming a commodity in the USA and around the world.
With public libraries, virtually everyone now has access to a computer and the Internet.
A web site for individuals, organizations, songs, movies, dogs, cats, businesses, sales agents, etc, has become an accepted, and expected means of expression in today’s society. A web store is open for business 7x24- 24 hours a day, 365 days per year. In the past, a good web page by a dealer/retailer has been perceived to be too complex and /or expensive. However, instead of costing thousands of dollars, this global marketing device is now obtainable with products for sale via a secure server, for easily under $100 per month.
Furthermore, a dealer can also easily disengage, should he decide to with very little effort. Once running, a dealers web site is certainly the cheapest mass medium to advertise in, and with out question, is a sure, fast and economical way to market his store half way around the world, in seconds.
If you don’t have a web page yet, many of your customers/friends, etc, believe you will soon.
Ok that gets things moving. Make relation back to e-commerce.
7. Dealer Web pages -key points
Gives the dealer an initial Internet presence. A digital home. In the sports and awards industries, (including screen printers, and monograms) a web give a dealer a key opportunity to excel in a fast emerging new medium, The Internet. The dealer web page should have pertinent content if you wish to do e-commerce. Buyers are generally not impressed by pictures of your dog, kids, and cats. They do want to know, your name, your address including city, state, and zip code. Your phone number, fax number, and email address. (Some thought should be put into possible leaving fax number off)---- It is ridiculous not to put at least the basic information about your company on the web site. You should also have a list, with hyper links, to agencies, associations, and others that give viewers an opportunity to learn more about you, and actually investigate you online to assure your credibility. Some of these links include, a hyper link to the ?ARA, which also has a hyperlink back to its member web sites. ---, Your local chamber of commerce, your local taxing authority, (City of Whatever), The local better business bureau, in particular the BBB Online program, ------- You should have selected links to a modest amount of manufacturers you buy from. (
Your web site should tell a bio on you and your company. (You did not just fall off a truck and stick up an Open for business sign) It should show off the best products you sell and/or produce, your services, and should show off well the products you best feel, along with your ITP, that you stand to do best trying to sell over the Internet.
Ex. I do not believe you will sell many trophies over $500. You can sell lots that are prices from $5-25.00 each. When appropriate, dealer web sites should link to Manufacturers, and sales reps, sometimes with or without strings attached.
Make sure you define each item. Get this down to as few basic points on the slide. Work on the example to make the point as clearly as you can.
8 -Web site for Manufacturers
A web site for manufacturers would have most of the same information as dealers. Confidential dealer pricing in general is now the current suggested practice. It should have list of all sales reps, their phone number, email address, web address. It should clearly list all details and policies for dealers to purchase their products, etc. It should list minimum order quantities, delivery expectations, return policy, list all warehouses, It should have dealer application form, or credit application online, done both in html, and PDF. (Portable document format.) The web site should clearly state that they do not sell direct to the public if that is the case.
The Web site should have list of all products and services, including drop shipments and policies thereof. It should have pictures of all products, and parts with description, along with a downloadable PDF version. It should have a list with hyperlinks for web pages and email, of all dealers, on a by state and country basis.
It should have relevant industry and business hyperlinks. It should have some links to 3rd party distributors and manufacturers when deemed useful. It should be an open book, for dealers and end consumers to view on the outside, as well as on the inside. On the inside, it should be born from a cooperative effort, which included virtually all employees. - (Digital Nervous System- Bill Gates)
Similar comments to those above
9- Distributors
Like manufacturers and dealers distributors should have an open book online also. They should also have html and PDF catalogs and dealer information forms online. They should have products, policies, specials, dealer listings, and MORE content if possible. Content relating to industry news, events etc. Distributors represent several manufacturers and other distributors; their site should give much more content than manufacturers. This also, starts a path of changing power from manufacturer to distributor. . ((Bill Gates-Road Ahead-Friction Free Capitalism- P.181 "middlemen who provide added value will not only survive, they will thrive, because the information highway will make their services available to customers everywhere".
Make it clear whether you are endorsing Gates or just using his stuff as a take off point.
10-Sales Representative
Sales Reps web sites should offer as much or more content than distributors. Especially if he sells several lines of products. (Like sporting goods reps.) His site should be a mini-portal in that respect. ((Bill Gates-Road Ahead-Friction Free Capitalism- P.181 "middlemen who provide added value will not only survive, they will thrive, because the information highway will make their services available to customers everywhere".
At this point draw the three parts of the industry together. What do they have in common? What do they have as differences? How can the common elements be used productively in e-commerce? How can the differences work to the advantage of the firm?
11. Launch and learn, Launch and fix, Launch and change
Everyone can plan a different way to launch a web site. The most important thing is that it gets its initial launch. With the Internet being so dynamic, so new, and changing so fast and often, I suggest you launch your site as soon as possible, and learn. Learn from customer reaction, employee reaction; get feedback from vendors, others and IT Professionals. Study other in kind sites. – Then, fix or have your IT pro fix problems you find or that occur. You will find problems. There will always be problems. Some will have to be fixed or modified as best it can with practical necessities considered. – Launch and change your web site as needed. It is like changing out a retail display every season, or changing an old advertising campaign from time to time. You also have to change to meet market needs and challenges.
Your site should stay current.
Use a reference or two to standard development cycles: linear, non-linear, rapid-prototype, spiral, or what ever
12. Its about power---
13. Its about content--
16. Its about Internet communities, --
16A.Its about buying and usin
Use the internet- Buy something online, now, Amazon, EToys, an auction. Ask one or more of your vendors, to please email you all these weekly specials, and stopping tying up your fax machine with endless faxes. Try to send a special customer an email, with a special, maybe even email him a web page with a special deal. Make notes of his reactions. You will find he will be pleased you are trying to make shopping more convenient.
16B. Intranets, chat rooms for industry professional. Even you the single rep, small business.
Stop loosing ground. Its like your business is on an elevator, you’re eon the 10 floor, and going down. You can stop and get off at any floor you wish. However, every floor you go down is another you may have to walk back up to the top. In other words, your fortunes, possible failures, etc are all you your hand, and by just punching a button, you can change a loosing situation into a progressive situation almost instantly.
You might want to do this in terms of market segmentation and specialization
E commerce
Picture of product distribution charts. Here???
Make it something different. The whole talk should have this as a focus. Maybe consolidate your main points?
17 Marketing Your Web site
Traditional Distribution- Manufacturer>Jobber/WholesalerDistributor/Retailer>Customer
JPG1, JPG2, JPG3=BookInsert1.JPG, etc.
What the world sees as the new distribution channels
My view, combining some in some industries, Changing The Future:
What you plan to sell, OTB, Open to buy, OTS, Open to sell, Price of products, quantity of products for sale, online specials, shipping considerations.
Site name- VDOM is best, directory page is still a good investment, helps test waters, Site name and address can be different. Lets reserve your domain name now!!! Over 17,000 VDOMS sold every day at .COM We do not believe new extensions will ever replace .COM.
Look as big, or bigger than you are? Be honest. Never misrepresent. (Remember, we are starting to get repeat orders, and new word of mouth orders from old internet contacts, some orders filled over a year ago. Does this sound familiar.
How to use a storefront in the new digital frontier. Self service online--. Almost, and real self service online.
18Credibility
BBB Online, Chamber of Commerce link, ARA link, NSGA, others, Why BBB,
Government regulation
19 Advertising your site.
Immediately, get new business cards, throw all others away, or neatly print web address on all. Put web address on all Purchase Orders, Work Orders, and other forms, all flyers, and all advertisements, including yellow pages, radio, etc. Put web address on your building if possible. Think, you have promoted yourself before, this is no different.
20 Treat the E-Customer just like those that call or walk in.
They feel they deserve the same attention.
21 Understand the powers and possible power structure changes that are taking place.
The Internet is not just another way to advertise products. It is completely changing the structure of the economic system, as we know it.
22 New power for sales reps
With the concept of becoming a mini – portal site, sales reps can now seize a large chunk of new power in influence by projecting his lines, and products over the internet. Take for instance the single manufacturer, who represents one line or product. His influence and draw power of viewers is one based on the likely content of his web site. The sales rep, with likely 3, 8 or even as many as 15 lines, can project many more pages of content; the stuff surfers adore, thereby magnifying the influence of their site. In addition, this also projects the rep outside the boundaries of his traditional territories. Consequently, where he links or has pages that project dealers that he sell to benefit.
23.New power for dealers
now, more than ever before, true full line dealers have a window of opportunity to really distance themselves from many competitors by fully engaging the internet.
24 New power for the customer.
25 New power for Distributors
26 New power for manufacturers
27 Less power for manufacturers and distributors.
28 . Free profits for dealers, a mammoth break through in new era marketing for Quik-Tek.
29 Free profits, virtually 0 labor.
Never trust anyone who says that!!!!!!!!!!!!
No up front cost of goods- Dealer sells product over web site. Supplemental web page is put up on his site at no charge. Buyers pay by credit cart. Dealer gets money right away. Manufacturer or distributor/ drop ships product to customer, sends invoice to dealer, dealer pays bill with in 30 days. Maybe by credit card. Dealer got cash up front, never brought in inventory, had the use of money, for 2 or more weeks, all at keystone or close to keystone prices. Wow, what a deal.
A virtual warehouse of products for sale.
Data Mining
For dealers - will give you customer profiles, on who they are, when, why, what, how much they buy.
For Manufacturers and distributors-great help in product and marketing development. This along with other high powered software, will help continue to shorten the time of new products making it to markets.
For its effect on shoppers- massive controversy. The feeling by some is that it invades people’s privacy.
Coming now and more so In the near Digital Future:
Flex Pricing--When operational, will be based on real-time data recall about the global pricing
Environment, including but not limited to:
Customer demand, cost of goods, labor, service required, competitors prices, and
Supply of resources.
Self Service - in the store, and warehouse environment, after self-service online.
Micro transactions- the recipe site that may make millions from $3.00 recipes.
Compiled by your local Chef turned drywall technical
Real-time modifications –product, price
Glossary
Index
IT
ITP
HTML
WEB
ONLINE
E-commerce
Dealer
Distributor
Manufacturer
Sales Rep
Rep
Auction Site
Secure Server
Before speech,
Ask 1. How many in audience use Internet?, 2. How many of you use email on a regular basis? 3. How many have a web site of any kind? 4. How many have a dot COM web site. 5. How many have bought a product or service over the Internet in the last 6 months.6. How many have sold something over the Internet in last 6 months?
Steve Rousseau, Internet consultant, ITP
Below, and article that needs to be updated, for book, with links put in. from webzine.
Everybody Wins
By Steve Rousseau
Nov. 19, 1997
Index
The Sport Industry
Online
Sporting Goods Store,
Reps, and Manufacturers "Score on the Net."
Every day, sales reps are making money off of the
Internet, a lot of money. Now, the money they are making
stands a chance of taking off into a great positive spiral.
Guess what? Most of them didn't know they were making
money from the Internet at all. At first, they didn't
recognize the potential of the internet.
The same holds true for manufacturers. They may have
the reps out gunned by having more internal information,
but, in many cases they too have no idea how much
business they are getting from the internet.
The sporting goods dealers of the digital estate know
some of these answers, and know to plunge hard and
heavy into the internet or they will be left behind, maybe
even obliterated.
A typical example comes from Rousseau's Sporting
Goods in Huntsville, Alabama. Web surfers in Hong
Kong found their web site. They decided to call and
check on the turnaround time for some baseball uniforms.
After a short talk, a quote was made, and the customer
ordered Major League Baseball - MLB Replica jerseys by
Majestic, replica hats from the Outdoor Hat Co., belts
from Adams Plastics, pants made by Wilson Sporting
Goods, and socks made by Pro Feet. As a result of this
order, Majestic and their sales rep, H.M. "Bubba"
Whittenton, Outdoor Hat Co., Adams' rep, Craig Hulet,
Wilson Sporting Goods, Pro Feet and their rep, James
DeBoer all made money. Not to mention UPS, who
shipped the order. They all won.
Then, Rousseau's lettered the shirts with numbers from
Sunbelt Lettering, and screen printed a sponsor name on
the shirts with ink bought from Freedom Screen Print
Supply. The screen used for the sponsor logo, was
coated with Chromoline CP2 clear emulsion, obtained
from Jones Sportswear's Screen Supply Division. Once
again, there was a host of winners from this one order.
Sunbelt Lettering, Freedom Screen Print Supply and their
rep Mike Collins, and Jones Sportswear all sold material
and made money from this one order. They all won.
The couple from Hong Kong also bought a copy of The
Team Manager so, Quik-Tek Software and The Center for
Automation and Robotics at The University of Alabama
in Huntsville,
Intelligent Systems Lab-ISL, also won. UAH and
Quik-Tek are royalty partners in the Team Manager
Software program for baseball and softball coaches.
The couple pre-paid for everything with their Visa credit
card, and Rousseau's deposited the money in their bank,
Southtrust of Huntsville. Visa and Southtrust also won.
Other winners included Traveller Information Services,
Rousseau's Internet Provider, and school children who
benefited from the taxes paid to the City of Huntsville,
Madison County, and the State of Alabama. Major
League Baseball also won because of licensing
agreements for the hats and shirts. Golden Rule Printing
and Disc Manufacturing also won. Golden made the Team
Managers boxes and inserts and Disc made the CD-ROM
Disc.
Industrial Contract Packaging won because they
packaged and shrink wrapped the software boxes. HPI
also won from the manufacture of the manual for The
Team Manager.
All these people won from this one order that was placed
after a customer happened across Rousseau's web site.
Yes, everybody does WIN.
Send comments, suggestions, etc. to
webmaster@r-sports.com.
Copyright © 1997 R-Sports, Div. of Rousseau's Sporting
Goods And Awards, Inc. Credits:
Other sites of interest. The Archives Index Future Articles and Columns
Sports Web Cast TEAM ANAGER for Baseball/Softball Coaches THE TEAM MANAGER
Web Sites The Dealers Forum Lines Wanted Reps Wanted New Products
1999 ARA Nashville Awards Show Cash In on our Business-Building Seminars!
Free to ARA Members; $99 for Nonmember Education Pass
The E-Business of Awards
Steve Rousseau
Steve is an awards retailer who also has a career as a Web site developer and Internet
consultant. Join Steve as he shares his tips and suggestions for participating in the next
wave of online commerce. Among the topics scheduled to be addressed include setting
up a Web site for dealers, suppliers and manufacturers, online E-comm