On plus side, it’s a pretty safe bet that Touareg doesn’t mean “won’t go” in Spanish and won’t offend Wiccans, Jaycees or Saharan nomads vehicle is said to be named for. But VW could have accomplished that by calling it Type 181, which is what Thing was called during its hitch in military. Perhaps Volkswagen thought that all good rugged locale names, like Tahoe and Santa Fe, were taken. The VW “Peoria” or “Levittowner” just wouldn’t have same caché.

Likewise, many of good predatory animal names are already taken. Some of best mythical beasts, like Thunderbird and Phoenix are also spoken for. Few people would be willing to take on a 60-month loan for a GMC Grackle, Mitsubishi Gerbil or Toyota Trout.

Perhaps automakers can enter brand partnerships with corporate sponsors, as some sports and entertainment facilities have done. The introduction of a Nissan Nike or Plymouth Viagra may not cause much of a stir at this point. With bland brands like Vitara, Spectra, Elantra and Optima becoming more common, one could assume that there are even worse nameplates yet to come. In just a few years, all good brand names could be taken and we’ll begin to see automakers settling for second-tier names:

15: Volvo Vanilla 14.Nissan Eeyore 13. Oldsmobile Earlybird 12.Lincoln Pimpmobile 11. Chevrolet Groin 10.Kia Uvula 9. Pontiac Schmontiac 8. BMW Strudel 7. Subaru Musty 6.Honda Pretense 5. Isuzu Achoo 4. VW Vin Diesel 3. Mercury Mongrel 2. Plymouth Scrota 1. Hyundai Albundai (for drivers who are married with children)

Another possibility is for automakers to trade on success of celebrities who have already built winning brands. I would expect that Cadillac Sinatra would be popular with both older buyers and younger fans of legendary singer. The Mazda Beyonce would be sleek, fun to drive, have a great sound system and a built-in celebrity endorsement. And it’s hard to imagine that a limited Elvis or Earnhardt edition of any pickup truck wouldn’t drive sales in South.

Passat? Bless you!

Elvis and evil warlords aside, bottom line is brand equity, and it doesn’t really matter whether Touareg is a successful sub-branding strategy. Even if individual VW models have names that sound like a sneeze or a rash, buyers seem to focus on magic of corporate brand.

Mere marketing mortals should probably assume that VW’s positioning, promotion and publicity formula for Touareg is on target. The vehicle probably will garner its own cult following, and Touareg clubs, meetings and Web pages will follow. But it’s not because of name. It’s because company has consistently excelled in developing awareness, recognition and loyalty necessary to build a premium brand. After all, any company that has taken purchasing decision from “Which car should I buy?” to “Which VW should I buy?” deserves checkered flag.

* Tone down your claims. A bold claim creates doubt in your prospect's mind and jeopardizes sale. Avoid using any claim that sounds exaggerated - even if it is true. Reduce any bold claim to a more believable statement.

4. Eliminate The Need To Make Decisions

Try to structure your selling process so prospective customers do not have to make decisions. Every decision they have to make interrupts buying process. It diverts their attention away from action of completing sale.

This can be especially hazardous when customers have difficulty making a clear choice among several options. Some will avoid risk of making a wrong choice by making NO choice ...and you lose a sale you already had.

That's why you should promote only one product or service each time you advertise. You can use separate promotions for each product or service. But limit your prospect's decision to only "Yes, I will buy" or "No, I will not buy". Don't risk losing them over a "Which One" decision.

Tip: Sometimes you can successfully combine 2 or more related products or services into a special combination offer. But limit your customer's decision to "Yes" or "No". Don't include an option to buy items separately.

Prospective customers must feel good about you, your company and your product or service before they will buy. Start using these 4 simple tactics to stimulate their good feelings and motivate them to buy.

Bob Leduc spent 20 years helping businesses like yours find new customers and increase sales. He just released a New Edition of his manual, How To Build Your Small Business Fast With Simple Postcards and several other publications to help small businesses grow and prosper. For more information: Email: BobLeduc@aol.com Subject: "Postcards" or call: 702-658-1707 After 10 AM Pacific Time/Las Vegas, NV