This week, I the value in using all my resources. I recently joined P.O.W.E.R., an organization for women of excellence. As a member, I have the ability to target these women business owners with e-mails and to connect with them on a one-to-one basis. This feature has proven a good benefit of my membership. I can read profiles and find women that I believe I could help or women who could help my clients. I can get to know them. In addition, I am making important connections. Here are some tips for you to use your resources.
Tap Associations – Go to the memberships and build relationships. These people could lead you to profitable marketing opportunities. Even if they can't be your target client, they might know people who can be your target market. Building relationships with people in groups you already join will help you continue to build your sphere of influence and eventually increase your profitability and name recognition.
Go for Broke – Business consultants and marketers will tell you to avoid cold e-mails or cold calls. They almost never work. It is easier to get clients through warm introductions than a cold call. What do you have to lose? Try the cold calls or the cold e-mails. This week, I found a list the Tampa Bay Business Directory. I searched through the list and found a video production company. I figured that my e-mail would probably be deleted or ignored if read. However, I sent an e-mail asking whether the company used script-writers. I received a call within five minutes of my sending the e-mail. I talked with him for an hour and then we met in person the same day. Turns out, he needs a writer for several books, a website project and his legacy videos. This never would have happened if I had listened to the advice-givers and not tried the cold e-mail.
Use Social Media – Some connections on social media are family and friends. Others are people you have met networking, but some are people who ask to connect with you without first knowing you. These are the ones you want to try to get to know. You also could do a search for the target market you want and connect with them. In the note to connect, mention that you want to start a conversation. That usually works to show it is not a sales pitch. I have gone through my LinkedIn connections, especially people who haven't heard from me in a long time. I also hit the new connections with questions about what they might need. For me, LinkedIn works best, but some get good results from Facebook.
Ask Family and Friends – They might have issues where you could help. The first book I edited was for my great uncle who wanted to pass his stories down to the family. He paid me as an editor. In addition, early in my career when my parents had the house in Cape May, my mother asked me to write for her brochure and lay out the content. This was prior to Adobe Creative Suite and was challenging to do. Currently, I occasionally get asked by a friend or family member for specific writing.
When you use all your resources, you get positive results. Your business grows. The marketing works and is effective.
While I don't want this blog to be a soap box, I have to again ask people to fight the trend to deprive people of their right to speak or write what they wish. Why does removing beloved characters good for America? When you start banning people's creativity, you go down a dangerous road. I am referring to Porky Pig, Speedy Gonzalez and Elmer Fudd. They do not make fun of people. They are representing all types of Americans. When they are removed, the sample is skewed.
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