I did a simple Google search for “new businesses near (my home town)" which brought back 17,500,000 results. Obviously there is a lot of duplication, bad matches, and other info that will be discarded, but I can easily build a prospecting list of dozens or even hundreds of new businesses in my area.
Entrepreneurs are generally hyper focused on the new business they are building. From simple choices about the physical location, office setup, hiring staff if necessary, getting the phones working, and on and on. Also, more times than not, marketing is not on their immediate “to do” list. But - it should be!
Another reality is that someone getting a new business up and running will not be easy to get a short meeting with. If they don’t want to see you, they don’t want to see anyone else either! So being a bit persistent can really pay off. Your message should be clearly delivered, that is - nothing can deliver business success better than great marketing.
There are lots of ways to get your message to your prospect asking for a short meeting.
1. The drop off - taking a gift (a great promotional item with your contact info) directly to the new business.
2. The assist - taking a gift for the ‘gatekeeper’ and the boss!
3. A short detailed letter with mailable gift sent via USPS is the only guaranteed way of getting to your prospect.
Follow up with an email or any of the other methods, but making the initial contact is critical.
Once you have set an appointment, do a few minutes of research to understand the nature of the business and what, if any, competition exists. Have an idea or two to suggest or use as an example. Keep in mind that budgets may be tight for new businesses but they almost always grow along with the success of the business.
The Covid pandemic caused a significant shift in the marketplace with a huge influx of new businesses started by former employees of companies. Many know their jobs well and have great skills where their expertise is essential. The chances that they have the same grasp when it comes to marketing the business is a slim one.
When the current economic situation in the country has people expecting inflation one day and recession the next, showing a new business startup how effective and economical promotional products media is will certainly get their attention.
With the gas prices going up every day, many sales people are backing away from driving to see clients or prospects. That leaves those accounts ripe for easy picking! If you plan your day well, $10 worth of high priced fuel could allow you to drop off your contact information to a dozen prospects. You could not mail the information (along with the promotional item you choose) for less! I am not suggesting that sending a letter with your promotional item is less effective, only that there are several good ways to reach out to prospects. The only caution is don’t expect email as the first contact to be very effective.
A statistic that was reported many years ago based on a survey done by a university in Texas, I believe is still true today. That statistic revealed that 1 in every 5 businesses is looking to change their source for promotional products. That gives you the potential of two new customers every time you park your car and briefly visit 10 businesses.
One thing is for sure, if you stop marketing your business, something terrible will happen...Nothing!
Gregg Emmer managed Kaeser & Blair’s marketing, catalog publishing and vendor relations for more than 30 years. Prior to arriving at K&B in 1991 he owned and operated a graphic communication company featuring promotional products and full service printing. Today Emmer’s consulting work provides marketing, public relations and business planning consulting to a wide range of businesses including promotional industry suppliers, venture capital and market research companies. If you are interested in growing your business (or privately commenting on articles) contact Gregg at gregg.promopro@gmail.com.