The solution, some companies are finding, is to allow customers to have their say and hope that it ultimately builds sales.

"We're a little different from other Internet companies, in that we have to build sales in a local market," he said.

This forms a foundation upon which to build sales and procurement business processes.

The company sees films as a way to build sales for its video games.

"We want to help clients build sales and profits," he added, with feeling.

For example, if you are launching a new product your aim might be to build sales as quickly as possible.

Since the technology is new, analysts said it was not yet clear how much it would build sales.

In 1979, he bought out his employer, eventually building annual sales from commercial and defense customers to nearly $2 million.

Whether they will help build customer traffic and sales over the long term, though, remains an open question.

Mr. Johnson built sales of the business to $6 billion in 2000, as estimated by the family, from $171 million in 1966.