Take a number

I’ve written a fascinating, insightful, important editorial note that will change how you look at the motor vehicles industry and revolutionize how you all do business. If you put down a $1,000 deposit, I’ll send you a copy in a year, or so, when it’s ready.

Not willing to wait that long?

All right, if you insist. I’ll be happy to share it sooner if you’re worthy of reading such a marvelous showcase of industry knowledge. Fill out an application, and I’ll share this culmination from decades of following this industry with the people I feel will best represent my brand going forward.

Sounds a bit silly and more than a bit arrogant, but manufacturing buzz and exclusivity can be very effective tools to market new and innovative products. When Google launches a product, it invites people to apply for services, as it did with the launch of Gmail. Video game producers offer exclusive content to people willing to buy new products months before they’re released, generating revenue and building excitement.

When you put money down, psychologically, you’ve made a purchase, even if you don’t have a product in hand and won’t have one for quite some time. If you’re a manufacturer whose product is at least a year away from launch, convincing buyers to place $1,000 deposits not only generates revenue, it keeps those customers loyal to you when competitors offer similar products before yours hits the market.

Telsa’s Model 3 unveiling this year (pg. 10) generated headlines and buzz for the company, and more than 325,000 people have put deposits down to buy the car that starts at $35,000. That’s $325 million in revenue for the money-losing maker of electric cars, funds that can be used to get ready for the vehicle’s production. That’s $325 million in revenue for a car that doesn’t go into production until late next year, and given Tesla’s history of product delays, that’s revenue for cars that likely won’t be delivered until 2018 or 2019.

If Tesla can fulfill all of those pre-orders in the Model 3’s first year, it won’t just be the most successful electric car launch ever, it will be one of the highest-volume vehicles sold in 2018 or 2019. So keeping those potential buyers loyal is key to the company’s success, so that early deposit strategy makes a lot of sense.

Ford, on the other hand, is a much more traditional automaker, one that typically tends to hype cars that are either available in showrooms now or will be within a few days. But the company is experimenting with limited edition exclusivity with its $400,000 GT supercar.

Rather than deposits, the company is accepting applications for the limited-edition specialty cars – only 500 will be made for the 2017 and 2018 model years, so Ford plans to sell them only to people worthy of owning such a car.

Tell people that they can’t have something, and they only want it more – whether it’s a bigger seat on an airplane, a special room in a night club, or a car so exclusive that people will line up to hand over their money.

Just like my keen insights into the future of the motor vehicles industry. Trust me, there are some really special ideas on the way. Just send in your cash, and I’ll get back to you on the details.