Business Essentials:Marketing & Building Your Distributorship

Joseph G. Scott

VP – Scott & Associates, Inc.

Introduction

• So, you have a small distributorship, want to grow it, and don't have a lot of resources.

• I’ve been there, done that.

• I’ll take you through the mistakes, successes, and budget-friendly tools and ideas my wife Katie and I used to grow our business from $0 into a multi-million dollar enterprise.

Introduction

• So, you have a small distributorship, want to grow it, and don't have a lot of resources.

• I’ve been there, done that.

• I’ll take you through the mistakes, successes, and budget-friendly tools and ideas my wife Katie and I used to grow our business from $0 into a multi-million dollar enterprise.

• It starts with differentiating yourself

Our Distributorship

• Started in 1993

• Service award programs

• Wanted to expand into promotional products

• Here is a system of mostly “set and forget” advertising that initially costs around $200/month• $100/month for inbound marketing/email system

• $100/month for Google AdWords advertising

Our Distributorship

• Started in 1993

• Service award programs

• Wanted to expand into promotional products

• Here is a system of mostly “set and forget” advertising that initially costs around $200/month• $100/month for inbound marketing/email system

• $100/month for Google AdWords advertising

• You will probably increase your advertising budget as you start to see a return on your investment

How We Started

• Everyone wants to say that they “do business with [insert Fortune 500 company name here]”

• We decided to focus on local, small businesses

• “I want to work with the gal who’s name is on the building”

• Pick companies where you can sell to the owner or a senior person

How We Started

• Everyone wants to say that they “do business with [insert Fortune 500 company name here]”

• We decided to focus on local, small businesses

• “I want to work with the gal who’s name is on the building”

• Pick companies where you can sell to the owner or a senior person

• A $10K order on an I/X (10%) = a $2K order on an A/I - $1K in profit

Differentiate yourself

• In our city of 25,000 people there are 8 promotional products companies

• Most market themselves as “we have access to 800K promotional products”

• People want what you do, not what you are

• Use a professional-looking business card• Avoid the laundry list of “pens, mugs, t-shirts…”

Differentiate yourself

• In our city of 25,000 people there are 8 promotional products companies

• Most market themselves as “we have access to 800K promotional products”

• People want what you do, not what you are

• Use a professional-looking business card• Avoid the laundry list of “pens, mugs, t-shirts…”

• Use high-quality, low volume self-promotions

What do you do for a living?

• “I sell promotional products”

• “I sell advertising specialties”

• “I sell branded merchandise”

• “My wife and I own a promotional marketing agency”

What do you do for a living?

• “I sell promotional products”

• “I sell advertising specialties”

• “I sell branded merchandise”

• “My wife and I own a promotional marketing agency”

• Who Cares? NO ONE!

What do you do for a living?

• “I get customers for my clients”

• “I help dentists get new patients”

• “I help owners of equestrian facilities retain their boarders”

• “I help not-for-profits get donors and volunteers”

• “I help booster clubs raise money”

• “I help generate traffic to trade show booths”

What do you do for a living?

• “I get customers for my clients”

• “I help dentists get new patients”

• “I help owners of equestrian facilities retain their boarders”

• “I help not-for-profits get donors and volunteers”

• “I help booster clubs raise money”

• “I help generate traffic to trade show booths”

• Who cares? EVERYONE!

When someone wants to buy 1,000 pens…• Which questions do you ask?

• What’s your budget?

• How many do you want?

• How many colors in your logo?

• When do you want them?

• Where do you want them delivered?

When someone wants to buy 1,000 pens…• Which questions do you ask?

• What’s your budget?

• How many do you want?

• How many colors in your logo?

• When do you want them?

• Where do you want them delivered?

• Just like everyone else

When someone wants to buy 1,000 pens…• How about asking these questions?

• Who will be getting the promotional products?

• Where will they be given out?

• When is the event?

• What is your objective?

• Which message do you want to send?

When someone wants to buy 1,000 pens…• How about asking these questions?

• Who will be getting the promotional products?

• Where will they be given out?

• When is the event?

• What is your objective?

• Which message do you want to send?

• When someone wants promotional products there is probably a “higher-up” that knows the answers

When someone wants to buy 1,000 pens…• I had that exact call, asked those questions, and the

person on the phone (didn’t know the answers) said, “I don’t know, you’ll have to talk to my boss

• I talked to The Boss and sold $16K worth of:• A trade show booth

• Booth graphics

• Brochures

• Embroidered shirts

• Consulting services

• The promotional product that they SHOULD have had

How did I do that?

• OAR / MTV

• What is your Objective?

• What’s it worth to you (Analysis)?

• What Return On Investment do you need?

• What is your Message?

• Who is your Target?

• What is the Vehicle to get the Message to the Target?

How did I do that?

• OAR / MTV

• What is your Objective?• Get 10 new remodeling customers

• What’s it worth to you (Analysis)?• $250,000 gross revenue - $50,000 net profit

• What Return On Investment do you need?• 300%

How did I do that?

• OAR / MTV

• What is your Objective?• Get 10 new remodeling customers

• What’s it worth to you (Analysis)?• $250,000 gross revenue - $50,000 net profit

• What Return On Investment do you need?• 300%

• Note: a $16K budget appeared out of “nowhere”

How did I do that?

• OAR / MTV

• What is your Message?• “We Take Your Space from Now to Wow”

• Who is your Target?• Growing families & Empty Nesters

• What is the Vehicle to get the Message to the Target?• Trade show distribution of magnetic refrigerator clips

How did I do that?

• OAR / MTV

• What is your Message?• “We Take Your Space from Now to Wow”

• Who is your Target?• Growing families & Empty Nesters

• What is the Vehicle to get the Message to the Target?• Trade show distribution of magnetic refrigerator clips

• By the way, we billed them for our creative time

Why target small business owners?• Small business owners:

• Like to work with other small business owners

• Like to do business locally

• Like to do business with their customers

• Are almost too busy to talk to you

• Want “one throat to choke”

• Are more loyal

• Are more profitable

• Will pay for convenience

Where to find business owners

• Join your local Chamber of Commerce• Learn to explain your business in 10 words, or less

• Go to all of the meetings

• Get on a committee

• Speak at one of the lunches

• Advertise in their email newsletter• Ours is $100/month sent to 600 business owners

• Get a directory and create an email list• Email monthly

Where to find business owners

• Join your local Chamber of Commerce• Learn to explain your business in 10 words, or less• Go to all of the meetings• Get on a committee• Speak at one of the lunches• Advertise in their email newsletter

• Ours is $100/month sent to 600 business owners

• Get a directory and create an email list• Email monthly

• It’s OK to email once/month and use someone else’s content as long as you link to it – no need to write

Where to find business owners

• Use Google Maps• Zoom in on areas around your office

• Click on the business name

• Read every page on their website• Look for names & email addresses of owners

• Look for opportunities• Events – golf tournaments, open houses

• Trade shows

• Look for misspellings or punctuation errors• Introductory email with error found, ask for appointment

Where to find business owners

• LinkedIn• Find the records of people located in the previous step –

connect with them

• Advertising• Pick a small radius

• By company size• 5 – 20 employees

• By title• President, Owner, VP, Manager

• By company, if you want to focus on a single employer

How to connect with business owners• Email

• Inbound marketing package

• LinkedIn

• Consider the sales funnel and how to deliver the right content at the right time

• How can we “be there” when people want to buy?

It all starts with your website

• Simple is better• Do It Yourself – 3 – 5 pages

• www.wix.com, www.web.com, www.wordpress.com

• Let visitors know the basics of what you can do

• Have a few testimonials• Written

• Video – OK to shoot with your phone

• Contact us – phone, email, social media

• Don’t forget your Google My Business page• Used to be Google Places

Getting Traffic to Your Website

WebsiteSearch Engine Optimization

“Generic Keyword”

Online Advertising

“Branded Keyword”

Online Advertising

Email Marketing

Google My Business page

31

Marketing Impact on Sales Funnel

Clients/Testimonials

Selection

Preference

Awareness

Marketing Impact on Sales Funnel

Selection

Preference

Awareness

“Generic” Text AdsWebsite

EmailRemarketingTestimonials

Direct Traffic“Branded” Text Ads

Marketing Impact on Sales Funnel

Clients/Testimonials

Selection

Preference

Awareness

“Generic” Text AdsWebsite

EmailRemarketingTestimonials

Direct Traffic“Branded” Text Ads

Sales Funnel

• Awareness• Business owners don’t know who you are

• Google AdWords – Local, generic text ads

• LinkedIn Advertising – Generic text ads

• Email to your Chamber of Commerce list

Sales Funnel

• Preference• Business owners looking for someone like you

• Google AdWords – Remarketing ads• Showing ads to those who have visited your website

• Send them to a testimonial page

Sales Funnel

• Preference• Business owners looking for someone like you

• Email alerts – Inbound marketing system• “[Name] has visited [website page]

• Send them to a testimonial page

• Call them and send an email

Sales Funnel

• Selection• Business owners wanting to do business with you

• Google AdWords – Text ads about your distributorship• Showing ads to those who are looking for you

• Send them to your Contact Us page

• Differentiate yourself• Give ‘em a call, go see ‘em

• I’ve had prospective clients thank me for:• Calling them

• Paying them a visit

• Sending them a Thank You note

Sales Funnel

• Clients/Testimonials• When you get that first order

• Follow-up with a phone call

• Ask if things met or exceeded their expectations

• Send them a survey• Many email systems have survey capability

• If the survey comes back with high marks• Ask if they would give you a testimonial quote

• Put it on your website

• Ask them for a referral

If you have any questions

• Joseph Scott

• 612-839-3800

• joes@scottassoc.com

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/jgscott