The Seats of Success: How Harley-Davidson Powered Itself to the Top
The Seats of Success: How Harley-Davidson Powered Itself to the Top
Innovation: If there is anything the Harley-Davidson Motor Co. is known for above all else, it is the never-ending stream of innovative designs and manufacturing techniques of its bikes that have surfaced over the decades. From the sidecar to the front pedal brake, the company prioritized the process of innovation. People who bought a Harley knew they were buying something on the heels of the future.
Exhibition: Harley and the Davidson brothers began racing motorcycles because they loved being atop their own creations and proving that they were the best. But, in doing so, the savvy entrepreneurs also saw the opportunity to raise their visibility and build a solid and reliable corporate reputation.
Dedication: If any of the children of Harley or the Davidson brothers wanted to see their fathers, they would have to pay a visit to the company’s factory. With the exception of Christmas, even birthdays and other holidays were spent devoted to their business. The four founders established a habit of hard work that became ingrained within the corporate culture.
Passion: Even if their company had not achieved the success that it did in their own lifetimes, there is little doubt that its four founders would have nevertheless devoted themselves to their bikes. Harley and the Davidson’s loved what they did and it was for that reason that they wanted their company to not only succeed, but also to be the best it could be.
Branding: The Harley-Davidson logo is almost instantly recognizable even to non-motorcycle aficionados. Through early attempts to create a loyal customer base, such as with The Enthusiast magazine, to the later development of the Harley Owners Group fan club, the Harley-Davidson Motor Co. has been one of the most successful American companies in history when it comes to having established an effective brand image.
The Harley-Davidson story is not just a story of success in the early part of the century. With 2005 annual growth standing at 6.6 percent, and income growth at 7.8 percent, the Harley-Davidson Motor Co. remains an industry leader. Hundreds of thousands of motorcycle fans continue to embody the passion for their machines as once did William Harley and the Davidson brothers. Today, the company is as much known for its bikes as it is for the loyal cyclists that sit atop them, which speaks volumes to the legacy that the four original Harley-Davidson entrepreneurs left behind them.
The Seats of Success How HarleyDavidson Powered Itself to the Top
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Harley-Davidson fans are known for the overt pride they take in their machines. A T-shirt that one devotee made reads: “Put your ass on some class.” Whether that motto has been officially sanctioned by the company or not, that is exactly what hundreds of thousands of bike riders around the world have done. With more than 33 models of touring and custom Harleys, which are sold by over 1,300 dealers, Harley-Davidson remains the only major American manufacturer of motorcycles, and dominates sales of the more heavyweight bikes. How did four young boys from Milwaukee turn their shed-bound experiments into a thriving enterprise and a cultural icon of America?
Innovation: If there is anything the Harley-Davidson Motor Co. is known for above all else, it is the never-ending stream of innovative designs and manufacturing techniques of its bikes that have surfaced over the decades. From the sidecar to the front pedal brake, the company prioritized the process of innovation. People who bought a Harley knew they were buying something on the heels of the future.
Exhibition: Harley and the Davidson brothers began racing motorcycles because they loved being atop their own creations and proving that they were the best. But, in doing so, the savvy entrepreneurs also saw the opportunity to raise their visibility and build a solid and reliable corporate reputation.
Dedication: If any of the children of Harley or the Davidson brothers wanted to see their fathers, they would have to pay a visit to the company’s factory. With the exception of Christmas, even birthdays and other holidays were spent devoted to their business. The four founders established a habit of hard work that became ingrained within the corporate culture.
Passion: Even if their company had not achieved the success that it did in their own lifetimes, there is little doubt that its four founders would have nevertheless devoted themselves to their bikes. Harley and the Davidson’s loved what they did and it was for that reason that they wanted their company to not only succeed, but also to be the best it could be.
Branding: The Harley-Davidson logo is almost instantly recognizable even to non-motorcycle aficionados. Through early attempts to create a loyal customer base, such as with The Enthusiast magazine, to the later development of the Harley Owners Group fan club, the Harley-Davidson Motor Co. has been one of the most successful American companies in history when it comes to having established an effective brand image.
The Harley-Davidson story is not just a story of success in the early part of the century. With 2005 annual growth standing at 6.6 percent, and income growth at 7.8 percent, the Harley-Davidson Motor Co. remains an industry leader. Hundreds of thousands of motorcycle fans continue to embody the passion for their machines as once did William Harley and the Davidson brothers. Today, the company is as much known for its bikes as it is for the loyal cyclists that sit atop them, which speaks volumes to the legacy that the four original Harley-Davidson entrepreneurs left behind them.
The Seats of Success How HarleyDavidson Powered Itself to the Top
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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