Best way, to reach businesses

[crackah]

Hey, if your offering a service to small businesses, what do people thing the best way of doing that would be?

Yellowpages? calling them? spam faxes lol (we get stacks), or maybe google marketing.

Thanks.

[ltressel]

Hi Crackah-

In my experience, networking i.e. attending local business functions, cold calls (takes thick skin), and dropping by target businesses armed with brochures or presentation folders that has info about my business services.

I hope this helps.

LT

[teabenny]

My mother's hotel group (not hers as in she owned it, just worked there!) used to do mailouts - a cover letter and brochure - to two or three hundred potential clients at a time. I know, because I was the one licking the envelopes for $5 an hour!!! Grrr. Anyway, it's less confronting than cold calling and probably less counterproductive since you're not annoying people as much. I'm not sure about the results, but the fact that they did it pretty regularly (my poor tongue) might indicate some success.

[crackah]

Ok thanks.

I was thinking about getting someone to go around armed with brochures, and pay per client we get? worth it?

[richkid]

if you could find someone willing to do it - it would be.

I am currently doing a targetted mailout for my website design business. I have had a fair bit of success doing targetted mailouts for my brothers builders marketing business, so I thought I would try one for myself.

It goes out today, so it will be interesting to see how it goes. I put a more detailed explaination of my mailout on my blog.

[crackah]

okay, cool. where you get your list from?

[richkid]

I just do mailouts of about 50 at a time, from the yellow pages.

[teabenny]

Sounds like it would work. More cost-efficient than "cold-visiting", since you're reaching more people at once. And you can put it on the recipient to contact you if they're interested, THEN visit them to close the deal.

[crackah]

Ok thanks. anything else i could consider?

[lhlalyam]

Some ideas.

1. If you do your own hand outs, you get to meet some of the people face to face.

2. hire some students to hold up signs with brochures - Signs could say "Say No To Bell Bottoms"

3. Hire model looking students to hand out wrapped candy with a small business card attached to each candy.

Lhlalyam

[lhlalyam]

Some ideas.

1. If you do your own hand outs, you get to meet some of the people face to face.

2. hire some students to hold up signs with brochures - Signs could say "Say No To Bell Bottoms"

3. Hire model looking students to hand out wrapped candy with a small business card attached to each candy.

Lhlalyam

p.s. nice website