Business Boot Camp

From Don Barnes, Fort Worth, TX

Caboots should continue to specialize in their high end custom boots also they should raise their prices to match the craftsmen superb custom work.

From Don Barnes, Fort Worth, TX

I would agree with your comment if Caboots wants to compete with Justin and all the other commodity boot manufacturers. But I don't think that is Caboots core strengths, they are craftmens and artist. I would leverage and promote to the fullest degree.

From Kameron Thorne

You asked a few questions in your article about Caboots.

1. How should the company market its diverse brand?

Because they are so diverse, the diversity needs to become part of their USP (Unique Selling Proposition). Their uniqueness sets them apart from their competitors. Hollywood Tycoons to Truckers. They need to tell their story. Once the consumer understands their history, quality will win out over name brands.

As a Business Coach myself, I would Test and Measure each product to find out which product yields a higher profit and which one is easier to replicate. If we found that their $200 boot made the most sense, I would have them specifically market that boot and really concentrate on the best seller as the bread and butter. 70% of the time would be used to market and produce this product. The process would be streamlined. The other products would separated out into a luxury product line and would be charged a much higher price.

From Kristy J Ragan

Our society is trending towards everything customized to each individual’s specifications. Can you allow for individual customers to specify characteristics prior to production which would make the boots one-of-a kind “customer” designed?

From Lauren, Sharon, MA

In responce to the article, an idea to further improve sales is to send boots for free to famous celebrities such as actresses, heiresses, singers…etc. If people saw them wearing your boots, whether on television or in the tabloids of magazines, people who are really into fashion, especialy the younger generation, will all want to buy a pair. This is the best way to advertise the boots without spending tons of money and making them extremely popular. Start out by going to LA or NYC, two of the bigegst fashion capitals of the U.S., and market them there where people are into the latest trends. Once they buy them, everyone will want them because they are considered the hottest thing out there! (ie. uggs)

From Rob Cummings Hilton Head Island, SC

1. Devise a really good method to get accurate boot measurements. Perhaps you could use the "step-in" forming materials boxes that orthotic makers use.
2. Get the boots made to measure accurately the first time.
3. Provide excellent turn-around time (let's say 8 weeks).
4. Be sure the website is clean and cledar.
5. Utilize the advisory board with people from all disciplines of life.
6. Provide really superb service.

Rob

From Dave Kaminski

This is in response to the request for "Makeover" advice in regards to
Caboots, featured in your May 2008 issue.

The fastest way for them to increase revenue/profits, is to focus on
converting the web site traffic they are ALREADY receiving…instead of
focusing on other growth avenues.

And the best way for them to do this…particularly with the company
history…is to use web video.

For instance, the most recent statistics show that 12% of web site visitors
will buy a product…if they first see a video on the site that features
that product.

By comparison, only about 1% of visitors buy from a "text only" site. Does
Caboots even know what their web site conversion rate is (visitors divided
by buyers)?

Probably not. But even if they simply improve their conversion rate from 1%
to 2%…they are doubling their revenue/profits.

Like I said, in their case, web video can be extremely effective. They
could do a video featuring their employee's…"this is Michelle, she'll be
processing your order"…."this is Arturo, he's our master boot
maker"…they can demonstrate their boot making process…"here's how we
make your boots"….they can demonstrate their product line…"here's a look
at some of our custom made boots"…plus…they can demonstrate their
history, ties to Hollywood/celebrities and more.

The key phrase I used throughout that paragraph is "demonstrate", which is
what web video is about. It will give Caboots the opportunity to market
themselves in a way that is simply not possible with pictures and text…or
any other traditional marketing method for that matter.

As for their videos, they should keep them between 30-60 seconds long…and
never go longer than 2 minutes. Again, this is because of statistics, which
show that marketing videos are watched an average for 20 seconds….while
all videos on the web are watched, on average, for 2 minutes…before the
viewer clicks to something else.

And they don't need to hire a production company to make their videos…not
with the tools available to the general public today. For a few hundred
dollars…and a few hours worth of time…they can create web videos that
rival what professionals would charge thousands of dollars to produce.

I hope this information finds it's way to Caboots…and helps them as well.

Sincerely,
Dave Kaminski
Web Video University

From R. Stone- Dallas, TX

Wow -good to see this great team on your website!
I'm a loyal CABOOTS customer and longtime boot wearer. I’ve purchased 20 pairs of boots from this company over the last 10 years and have had the pleasure to visit. I‘ve purchased boots from others as well but keep coming back to CABOOTS. Priscilla is quite famous for her knowledge of fit. I think the best advise is the story of this company. Get that story out there! The history and absolute care taken for each boot order is wonderful.

I disagree that customer service is a weakness. I've been wearing boots for 30 years and have traveled the world as a lecturer. I know how long it takes to make a pair of quality custom boots. Its a hand made craft. In fact I think a testament to their customer service is the fact that their customers know their names. That other customer admitted quality was assured by Joey, the owner himself! That doesn't sound like bad customer service to me! I've watched the boot business change over the years and just like other manufacturing in this country more and more getting shipped to China or elsewhere. It’s no wonder with the fast food mentality of most Americans. (Try calling China and talk to the head of any of those companies!) If I ever had an issue with my boots it was handled with pride and they stuck behind their product and made it right. That is GOOD customer service in my book! Bottom line is they care about their customers and work diligently to get the orders right. That's good old- fashioned American customer service!

I'll be back again and again as long as I'm wear'n boots! Keep up the good work and get that story out there- As far as I'm concerned you deserve to be famous!

From Ben Roswell, GA

I have to say that I know Frank Farris and I would be careful to not pay him up front. In my experience, when you pay him up front the project never gets completed. Good luck on Caboots.

From Johnny Angelone

As an experienced-repeat client of Caboots, who found them through the internet, you missed one of their predominant weaknesses-Customer Service!

I ordered 2 pair of the “Skull and Cross bones” boots for my wife & I for Christmas, hers didn’t quite make it on time- January, mine showed up in March, with defects and had to be sent back, which Joey and crew did agree with but the corrected pair didn’t show up until almost September -11 months from the initial order. Thinking this may have been a onetime issue due to the size14 boot and inconsistent materials, I proceeded to order another pair of their “Vegas” boots…same issues, same time frame for delivery….I almost gave up on them.

Now in defense of Caboots, the quality of the final product was good- Joey did stand up and make sure of that, the frustration and difficulty I had as a customer of theirs was the complete lack of customer service in communicating with me, as to our/their progress and their difficulties- be it product/color or simply the way the boots came together. I was the only one reaching out to my new best friend April @ Caboots every 4-6 weeks to see where we were at and most of the time she had to get back to me or I was told someone would…which most if not all of the time no one ever did. They had no follow up and no communication, making my customer experience not so good. I always receive comments on my boots from friends who want a pair like them or a pair of custom boots, but I am not comfortable referring them to Caboots based on the lack of customer service and if I do, it’s always with a disclaimer…..

The new website looks great, I hope their marketing plan works well, but the bottom line is, all that will provide initial results and sales, but from a person such as myself who doesn’t mind spending $$$ on multiple pairs of boots, unless their customer service doesn’t get better, I won’t continue buying from them and neither will your newly acquired clients….there are too many other options!!!

I do like the boots and would love to see your families legacy continue to grow!

Best of Luck and do follow through on that Advisory Board….

From John Saunders

Dear Joey and Priscilla,

It's hard to take time (or to find time for that matter) to respond
to anything outside of one's own endeavors–whether for business or
for personal interests. However, I found myself oddly intrigued by
the article on Caboots and their write-up/makeover in FSB. First of
all, I attribute my interest in the article to my new-found fetish
with boots. My wife bought me a $400 pair of Lucchese boots for my
40th birthday. I bought them reluctantly, and actually didn't get
around to wearing them until four or five months later. I finally
convinced myself that I could wear them late at night to the movies
where nobody would see them on me. To my surprise I really liked
them. In fact, I liked them so much that I wanted to wear them every
day. My wife wouldn't let me because they cost too much, so I bought
me a $200 pair to wear to work. Now that's all I wear. (I'm sure you
wanted to know all of that)

Back to the article> It's difficult to compile any sort of meaningful
opinion that would actually be of any use for another entity–
especially in an email setting. There's just too many companies out
there and it's hard to look any deeper than what amounts to a just
quick, uneducated opinion. But after reading the published article
and viewing the video posted on the internet, I felt like throwing
out some thoughts that came to mind. Let me preface by saying that
none of the comments are meant to be short or over-critical. The mere
brevity of the comments might throw it that direction, but I'm
certain to have completely omitted the positive features that makes
your company successful. So since this isn't an English essay or a
formal business plan, here are some thoughts in no particular order:

Regarding your website:
By default the internet is messy; being part of the mess won't help .
I visited your website and I agree with Frank Farris when he said the
site had conflicting messages. You should emphasize what makes your
company special. I think the approach needs to be much simpler for
the customer. The home page should create the wow of your product–
kind of like the cherry blossom boots in the FSB article (by the way,
I'm a size 11–10.5D in Lucchese–in case those boots ever need a
home. Ha ha!). The current home page picture is nice because it adds
a human touch to things–feelin' comfortable. But again, focus should
be on your niche, initially distanced from the e-commerce side of
things (see "product" comments below). I don't think the home page
should reflect the presence of the shopping cart. The quantity and
placement of hyperlinks could also be simplified (less is more). I
think the link to the kid's boots really cheapened my web-browsing
experience. I instantly felt part of the interned conglomerate and
lost the feeling of "custom" that I was so hopeful about with your
company. That can be a hard thing to regain in the short-lived world
of internet clicking. I think this could be overcome by creating a
link that, by design, informed the customer that they were leaving
the "custom" arena, but still linking to a reputable source–albeit
Caboots may still be the source, there ought to be a way to
disassociate it from your main site. I think the categories are a bit
scattered and mixed up. Some of this may be solved by redefining the
product line (below), but overall it seemed a bit overwhelming. These
are hard issues to unravel because 1) there's no volley for my one-
sided opinion; 2) I'm assuming certain changes in the product line;
3) I have a bias as to how far removed or how available a certain
option should be from the a particular product before it is relevant–
introducing too much too soon adds confusion to my purchasing
decision. Etc…

Regarding your product:
After reading the article, browsing your website and viewing the FSB
video, I was left with the impression that your niche was more along
the lines of custom, custom, custom. There are a lot of boot
companies out there, but you seem to be best poised to capture a
market for custom-tailored boots. And that doesn't mean that
everything needs to be checkered and striped. You would certainly
offer a conservative and traditional line, but it seems the overall
genre should smell of custom fit and hand-made. I felt that your ties
with celebrities was interesting, but I have mixed feelings. It could
have a negative effect on the overall perspective because different
celebrities command different genres. Having Cher or Tom Cruise don a
pair of your boots could add a wealthy pizzaz to things; promoting
that Kiss, MTV or Lucha Libre maniacs have worn your boots kind of
puts the flare of a costume party into the mix. I've been in a
costume store before (as well as watched WWW wrestling and Lucha
Libre) and it isn't what I want to feel like at your store. Is there
a way to tactfully separate the two? Probably so, but I would be
careful how it is embedded in the overall sales approach. There may
be some merit in slimming up what you offer so the customer doesn't
get lost in just a bunch of boots. That's a loaded comment, I know,
but I think in redefining your product you may find that it could be
trimmed up enough to help you focus more on what you do best. Hard to
do with a stroke of a keyboard! Etc…

Regarding marketing:
This could be a very lengthy discussion because we're having a one-
way typed conversation. But the fact remains that if you've been able
to master the product, then marketing is the $64 question–who is
your target and how do you find them and then get your product to
them? Ask a hundred experts and you'll get a hundred answers–10 of
them might fit your mold. Here are a few thoughts:
A) I'm a skeptical purchaser, and sight unseen it would be pretty
hard to sink $400 or $700 into a pair of boots without walking around
in them first. I think I remember you saying that your sales were
mainly internet-based, so could there be a way to offer the customer
an opportunity to try a pair of boots? Do you have a generic pair of
boots–many sizes–that you could send out for trial? The customer
would pay, then credit upon return (they will get scuffed and worn,
but the demos would only get better with use, as with any good boot).
I can picture my "special" boot sizing package arriving, based on the
information I would have previously filled out on the internet. This
first demo could be free, and all efforts would have been made via
the internet so that I received the best sample. This first sample
would be shipped to me free, but if I required a second sample w/
changes I would expect to pay for shipping. A lot of product
volleying, I know, but we're just talking ideas here… My wife would
have purchased some boots from the last store we went in, but she is
tall and wanted a smaller (roper?) heel. Unfortunately, any changes
to a new boot purchase are considered "custom" and therefore, the
boot becomes not be returnable. Dilemma, once again. There has to be
a way to neutralize the apprehension of "custom" products over the
internet for the first-time buyer. I will say, however, that your
returns policy was helpful and it made me feel like we were working
together to get a great product.
B) Many of my co-workers seemed to show a lot of interest in the fact
that I was wearing boots to work. To some, it was almost like me
telling them it was OK for them to bring their boots to work as well
(coming out of the closet, so to speak). There are a lot of people
out there, and it could be a great avenue to find a way into
businesses and their employees. Even if they weren't "work" boots,
per se, you could still dig into the social life amongst peers. This,
in fact, may be a good category simplifier: Work vs. Play? I have had
a lot of companies come into the office environment with a strategic
and legitimate approach to office solutions–offering benefits for
employees (and I'm not talking about the annoying perfume salesman).
Costco wanted to offer business membership privileges to employees
that couldn't obtain memberships individually (they used to have
certain business perks, but they've changed that); my local bank
wanted to offer special banking rates & checking account setups,
including direct deposit benefits for all of our employees; etc. Is
there a way to promote boots amidst the workplace?
C) You could offer a custom design platform to your website, giving
the customer a chance to provide input for their boot design? In the
name of growth, if you had the right design interface, you could
actually stand to push a lot more product through the assembly line
if the customer did the layout for you. C&C router could do cuts (I'm
sure you can scramble the even cuts so their not exactly perfect)d,
but sewing is continued by hand so it maintains the look and feel of
hand-made. This would also reinforce the "custom" genre.
D) I did a Google search for Caboots and didn't get your link until
three pages later. I don't know how that all works or how much you
have to pay for the keywords, but that's certainly something to
consider when trying to snag a boot browser. Is it feasible to add
keywords of other well-known custom cowboy boot manufacturers in
order to steer traffic your way?
E) Your boots should sell themselves if they're as good as you say
they are. But boot clientele shouldn't be isolated to the boot lover
alone. I think your growth potential could be equally, if not more
suited for the boot converts. I'm a convert, and I think there are a
lot more out there–they just don't know it yet.

I hope at least one comment proves to be useful. Good luck in your
business endeavors.

From Steve Kelley, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Caboots needs to take a hard look at another El Paso bookmaker's playbook…Rocketbuster! They do a great marketing job and everyone with a pair of Rocketbuster boots, wants to buy another pair.

From WK McClain, New Haven, CT

Stay away from the Venture Capital people. They'll kill the business. Other comments are right on target.

WK McClain, New Haven, CT, President of AccuStandard, Inc, and a Caboots wearer for years!

From James, Sacramento, CA

As a former El Pasoan who grew up near the Sanchez's business address, I congratulate them on their success. After reading their story, I visited their website and have several suggestions:

1) Consider changing your business name. Caboots sounds like Cahoots which may be an intentional association, but really left me wondering what it meant. Since you are mostly internet-based, I would think that you would want to have a name that translates easiest to a variety of shoppers from around the world. Consider using your name "Sanchez" or even "El Paso or Texas" something that personalizes or localizes the product as authentic and based on tradition. Caboots should be Kaput.

2) Redesign your website. I tried to click through your links and found that your website may not be compatible with my browser (Safari). Make your website as compatible with as many browsers and ISPs as possible. I also think you would benefit from a makeover that showcases your products better, i.e. better boot photos with backgrounds that show off their colors and designs better. One particularly frustrating webpage showed silver conchos against a white background. Por favor!!!

If you would like some help with this I would be more than happy to give my advice.

Otherwise good luck and much continued success…

2)

From Mayra, Tehachapi California

Target tweens and teens, team up with clothing stores like American Eagle Outfitters. Have your boots featured in their Ad's, then host some sort of contest where these kids design their own boots. That should get you some exposure and give you a whole new following.

From Dawn Tyler Texas

Caboots needs to make a pair for Britney Spears who is always seen with a pair of the same cowboy boots on–she needs a new pair—your sales would go thru the roof if she was seen wearing your boots……

From Paul South Florida

To increase the coffers of the business,sell off dead-stock merchandise that is taking up space and money.

http://www.sellmyinventory.com

From John Follis, NY, NY

As one of the people who helped put Kenneth Cole on the map with this buzz-worthy campaign back in the 80's: http://www.follisinc.com/cole2.htm I'd suggest using the current "buzz" strategy — Social Media.

John Follis

Host, The Marketing Show http://themarketingshow.net
The Follis Marketing Report http://thefollisreport.com
Follis Marketing Therapy http://follisinc.com/therapy