"Dialing for Dollars"

When I worked in the film & TV industry, we landed jobs by calling all of our colleagues to let them know we were available. I particularly remember the location scouts who used to call me. They’d say, "Hey Allison, we’re just dialing for dollars. You got anything?"

I thought that was rather silly at the time, but when I got busy on my next project I inevitably found myself calling the first name that popped into my head – usually the one who’d just checked in. It made sense: I already knew they were reliable, as well as incredibly resourceful and talented, and what they charged. And, like most people making a decision, I figured it was most expeditious for me to call the one whom I knew was available, and book them for my job!

If you care about those with whom you do business, it's natural to check in on them regularly. While you’re chatting, you can find out how things are going, and how you can help them. You don’t have to be annoying, just caring. Sending them something useful—an article, news item, or a referral – is a terrific way to initiate a contact.

In fact, caring about and connecting with clients is what "marketing as a spiritual practice" is really all about. This is the method we use with our clients because it’s what we’re about, and it brings much more success, much faster than generic, hype-ridden, traditional marketing approaches.

LESSON FROM A TOP EXECUTIVE
While I can’t divulge my source (you’d recognize the name), I do want to share what a top exec said about how she’s achieved her huge success. She explained that she’s frequently in touch with her customers – sending them newspaper clippings or online news that relate to their businesses, checking in with phone calls, emails, cards, or any other method she can show she truly cares. She added that while ideally a CEO should conduct extensive homework to choose the ideal candidate for each assignment or job, that actually happens only 12% of the time. So, 88% of the time her company gets the contracts because she stays in touch with her client base.

OTHER IDEAS

• Invite prospective clients to events with you if you think they might be interested.

• Meet them for lunch, or a walk after work (my personal favorite way to network -- we can get a bit of exercise at the same time!).

• Have a party or host an event (I have some really fun ideas that have resulted in fabulous networking events for my clients and colleagues—call me if you need inspiration).

• Offer a special gift they might really need: a free half-hour of your services, a book or CD they might learn from, a ‘tips’ sheet on one of their business issues.

• Send out bi-monthly articles. If you know what you’re doing and want to educate your market, this is really easy to do. Not a writer? No time? We can interview you and write the article for you.

• Want more ideas? Call us and tell us about your business, and we’ll come up with three more ideas tailored for you—yes, for free!

People tell me they’ve had it with uncaring, spammy, impersonal marketing. Hooray! I heartily agree. Life is too short to waste time and not express who you really are, and what it is about your business that attracts the clients and resources you really care about.

KNOWLEDGE IS BLISS
Our experience will show you how to market and communicate your company’s unique value, saving you thousands of dollars and months of time. Websites, brochures, strategy, publicity—finding the right tools is the "knowledge" we deliver. Our clients claim measurable returns on their investment in marketing—all for affordable prices. So when you realize your marketing is too generic, or is not attracting those who really value what you offer, give us a call. Experience gives you knowledge. And knowledge is Bliss!

WANT A GOOD EXPERIENCE?
"Allison is so much more than a marketing consultant. She is a creative thinker, and understands how to help small businesses do a lot creatively and strategically on a limited budget." – Gary Muszynkski, One World Music

"My marketing had stalled out. I always felt my marketing tactics weren’t being applied in an effective manner. Everything seemed hit or miss, and I didn’t know if things were working or not. Allison was able to quickly understand what I had already done, and assess what needed tweaking, ramping up, or overhauling. Best of all, she put the activities into a time-line schedule, so that I can concentrate on doing the right things at the right times, to get the best results." – Ian Blei, Consultant, Optimized Results

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