Finding Success in the Great Outdoors: How Bean Lived his Dream
Finding Success in the Great Outdoors: How Bean Lived his Dream
Planning: With his Maine Hunting Boot, Bean knew that he was creating a product that was meeting an age old demand. He knew, too, that it was not a demand that was about to go away. For as long as people wanted to spend their time outdoors, Bean wanted to be the one outfitting them and serving their needs. Thus, by reinvesting in his company and focusing on durable and classic products, Bean set his sights on long term success.
Service: In 1917, Bean opened what would become his flagship store on Main Street in Freeport. But, it would be no ordinary store. Bean decided that he wanted it to be open 24 hours a day to service his customers at any time of day or night. Thus, since implementing that policy, the store has been closed only twice – once on the day of John F. Kennedy’s funeral, and once when the state changed its blue laws. Bean’s commitment to his customer was the company’s number one fundamental principle when he first began, and continues to be so today.
Hands-On: Bean did not keep himself held up in his corporate office all day or restrict his involvement in the company to board meetings and executive decisions. Whether it was a new hunting jacket or new fishing tackle, Bean was right out there in the woods trying his products out. He was as hands on as it gets, and that is why customers knew they could trust what they were buying. If Bean, an avid outdoorsman, liked a product then chances were that they would too.
Networking: Everybody was doing it, wearing L.L. Bean that is. From the most adventurous athletes to high-profile politicians, it seemed as if the Bean brand was everywhere. And that was the result of a carefully planned strategy of non-stop networking on the part of its founder. In doing so, Bean’s growth was aided tremendously by positive word of mouth.
Marketing: L.L. Bean might be the company of choice for outdoor adrenaline junkies, but Bean was a simple man and he liked to keep things simple. His catalogues were filled with honest and practical text, while its images were real depictions of where his customers could find themselves in the outdoors. He wanted his copy, like his products, to be useful, and believed they would speak for themselves.
Today, L.L. Bean continues to be a global success, with stores as far as Tokyo. Its flagship store is one of the most popular tourist attractions in all of Maine and brings in millions of people each year. Bean may no longer be at the helm, but his impact on the company he founded and the industry as a whole remains strong.
Finding Success in the Great Outdoors How Bean Lived his Dream
Like this article? Share it with your friends
When Bean died in 1967, the executives at the company he had founded were not sure if they should publicize his death. Bean’s attachment to the company was such that most customers believed he himself still personally tested each product and tended to each of their orders. His successors feared that if people knew he was gone, that perception would be eroded and the company would lose ground. They considered keeping his death a secret, until a television news show got wind and broke the story. That was the importance that Bean, at 94, still had on his company. But just how did this outdoorsman create one of the most successful and innovative mail-order catalogue companies of his time?
Planning: With his Maine Hunting Boot, Bean knew that he was creating a product that was meeting an age old demand. He knew, too, that it was not a demand that was about to go away. For as long as people wanted to spend their time outdoors, Bean wanted to be the one outfitting them and serving their needs. Thus, by reinvesting in his company and focusing on durable and classic products, Bean set his sights on long term success.
Service: In 1917, Bean opened what would become his flagship store on Main Street in Freeport. But, it would be no ordinary store. Bean decided that he wanted it to be open 24 hours a day to service his customers at any time of day or night. Thus, since implementing that policy, the store has been closed only twice – once on the day of John F. Kennedy’s funeral, and once when the state changed its blue laws. Bean’s commitment to his customer was the company’s number one fundamental principle when he first began, and continues to be so today.
Hands-On: Bean did not keep himself held up in his corporate office all day or restrict his involvement in the company to board meetings and executive decisions. Whether it was a new hunting jacket or new fishing tackle, Bean was right out there in the woods trying his products out. He was as hands on as it gets, and that is why customers knew they could trust what they were buying. If Bean, an avid outdoorsman, liked a product then chances were that they would too.
Networking: Everybody was doing it, wearing L.L. Bean that is. From the most adventurous athletes to high-profile politicians, it seemed as if the Bean brand was everywhere. And that was the result of a carefully planned strategy of non-stop networking on the part of its founder. In doing so, Bean’s growth was aided tremendously by positive word of mouth.
Marketing: L.L. Bean might be the company of choice for outdoor adrenaline junkies, but Bean was a simple man and he liked to keep things simple. His catalogues were filled with honest and practical text, while its images were real depictions of where his customers could find themselves in the outdoors. He wanted his copy, like his products, to be useful, and believed they would speak for themselves.
Today, L.L. Bean continues to be a global success, with stores as far as Tokyo. Its flagship store is one of the most popular tourist attractions in all of Maine and brings in millions of people each year. Bean may no longer be at the helm, but his impact on the company he founded and the industry as a whole remains strong.
Finding Success in the Great Outdoors How Bean Lived his Dream
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 | |
 |
No article feedback found. |
| |
Leave Your Feedback |
 | |
| |||
Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
|||
Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
|||
|
For an online Car Loan Calculator and finance for a cheap car loan. Get approved on car loans or car finance in Australia with cheap bank car loans and finding a car finance broker. Commercial car loans including business car finance and car lease. Car Loan Calculator has information on finance companies and getting the right cheap car loan from banks at best car loan rates and a online car loan calculator for all finance in Australia. Get the best car finance with our help at Car Loan Calculator and Finance Ezi. - Visit Richard Jefferies's Website |
|||
Dianne CramptonDianne Crampton is an executive leadership coach, team culture consultant, author and president of TIGERS Success Series, Inc. Dianne has been helping CEO's and Executives connect their employees to their core values and goals for over 20 years using the trademarked TIGERS team culture process, which stands for trust, interdependence, genuineness, empathy, risk and success. To download a free white paper on behaviors that build strong teams and behaviors that will predictably tear them down go here. Dianne's contribution to the 2010 Pfeiffer Consulting Journal (an imprint of John Wiley and Sons Publishers) entitled TIGERS Hearted Teams is available in November 2009. Her new book TIGERS Among Us: 5 Winning Business Team Cultures And Why, Three Creeks Publishing will release in March 2010. To receive publishing discounts, subscribe to the free TigerTracks Newsletter here. - Visit Dianne Crampton's Website |
|||
David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
|||
Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
|||
|
To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us. | |||
|
 | ||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
 | ||
 |
| Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details. |
 |
 |
| Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media |
|
|
 |
"Learn straight from Evan how you can Make a Full Time Income (And More) from a Website"
Click Here To Learn More |
|
|
|
|
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
|
|
 |
 Why Banks Say No eguide Your Annualized Bus Dev Plan Interview Coaching Memorandum Template 2 Social Bookmarking Guide |
|
 | ||
 |
Top 50 Marketing Blogs
Top Blogs To Watch In 2008 | |
 |
Top 50 Franchising Blogs
Top 50 Franchising Blogs | |
| ||
 | ||||
| ||||
|
| ||||
| ||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
|
Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
|
|
|
| ||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||