Best Way to Market to another company

I am wanting to start makreting to local business. What is the best way to market to another company? Phone call, Email, poatcard or mailing? For those of you who get alot of Corporate/Compnay gigs, whats the best way to get my "foot in the door"?

I got most of my company gigs through event companies. The rest have either found me (through my homepage) or got my card when I have been painting their children at another event.
Have thought about postcards, so would love to hear everybody else's experience =)

Postcards!!! I direct mail postcards a couple of times a year - most of my corporate work is confirmed this way.

I get new, and get repeat customers confirming/booking new dates after every mailing.

My postcards are large format, full-colour collages and they pop!! We are a visual business and what better way of showing what we do?

Word of mouth is the best way of course... and that works too! But you need the referral process to start, and the postcards help kickstart that by reminding people who you are, and gives them information to pass along to other people.

Who do you mail the postcards to? Just search the phonebook for businesses?

Hardly ever use the phone book. Local Volunteer Services directory, local tourism directory, local Chamber of Commerce membership directory, local government recreation programs, watch the newspaper for notices of AGMS and Events listings of group who hold events... local theatre groups, school programs, large companies who have social clubs, ... basically any group who might hold events or use your services in some way.

You pick your target market...

(my e-book which is being proofread right now goes into excruciating detail about this stuff...)

There's no one way to do this.

The strategy needed will totally depend upon several things:
=> DO you know if they have a need for what you do?
=> DO you know the name of the decision maker there?

If the answers are "Yes" then you can send a Sales Letter addressed to that person and state why you should be their first choice!

If you don't know the above, then a telephone call is essential. This will be a fact finding call, not a sales call.

Once you have the information, you can the telephone or do Direct Mail. If you don't know their position on hiring face painters, then I'd strongly suggest a telephone conversation. After all, if you don't, how can you know their needs?

During the call, make it a priority to discover what they do, what they look for, what problems they have, so you know what you do that fulfills these and solves their problems. Then you can discuss, or send appropriate materials or make an appointment to demonstrate to them.

I wouldn't mail anything without knowing that they have a need and specifically who to send it to.

Once you have started a 'conversation' with a potential customer / client ... I'd keep in touch frequently. I send some clients something every week, others every few weeks. Each mailing generates bookings that may otherwise be lost.

Good luck....

John Gordon
The Infotainer

LoneWolf wrote:I got most of my company gigs through event companies. The rest have either found me (through my homepage) or got my card when I have been painting their children at another event.
Have thought about postcards, so would love to hear everybody else's experience =)

An occasional postcard is good. After all, if you are in continual communication with your customer and client base (list) then sending a postcard a couple of times a year is normal, just like you would to a friend. But in this instance it would impart some news about something, not just a "wish you we here" greeting.

I send audio postcards ... which I prefer. These arrive in their email and clicking a link sends them to a webpage with a postcard design in the center. There is a brief writen message, a photograph or graphic, a stamp and an audion button which plays a mesage from me. This always ends with requesting an action, usually clicking on a link to see something else.

But postcards are only one of many ways to keep in constant touch with prospects and clients. I also use email marketing (lots), blogs, eZines, social networks and video marketing. They all have their place and bring results.

John Gordon
The Infotainer

John, could you post a link to see a sample of an audio postcard? I've never heard of that before.

Thanks

Judy

I'll be picking up your ebook Shannon! I have your CD and I loved it!

Judy wrote:John, could you post a link to see a sample of an audio postcard? I've never heard of that before. Thanks Judy

Hi Judy

Oh...they have been around for some years, certainly since putting audio on you site was available and easy.

Here's a couple of links so you can see the kind of thing .... but I wouldn't necessarily recommend using a paid for service for Face Painting, but create your own ... it's free!

http://easyaudiopostcards.com/

http://members.audiogenerator.com/postcards/?438473

AS you see .... easy to create a graphic like this ... perhaps have a piece of work relevant to your mesage on the left (or I have produced some that show front and back of a postcard (like 2 overlapped at an angle) ... then simply add in your audio message player add a link to your landing page and upload your site: www.yourwebsite.com/postcards/aug09

Then simply send a link in your email broadcast saying "You have a postcard from xyz-fpaint-co"

I've found that with a targeted list they get a great response and click through rate.

Glad you like the idea ... you'll like it even more when you try it!

John Gordon
The Infotainer

Thanks Ash! I go the edits back and am now re-sizing jpegs!!

Hmm... afraid any mail I get that says "you have a postcard" or "you have an e-card" etc. in the subject line gets filtered to the Spam folder.

Shannon Fennell wrote: Hmm... afraid any mail I get that says "you have a postcard" or "you have an e-card" etc. in the subject line gets filtered to the Spam folder.

Well yes .... (for those who don't know) ... Spammers use titles that look like they are OK and from people you know. Obviously you need to know what to say and not to say in all emails to get over this.

You woudn't send a postcard to someone you don't know at all. It's too personal a medium for that. SO ensure your name is in the Subject and that the message clearly shows it's from you.

I'd onky send postcards to peopel who have double opted-in and then my email address is white listed anyway.

Good point Shannon ... it's always the problem giving just brief help .... there's always more to learn and know! But I hope people know what words should / shouldn't be used in emails. But it's exactly the same with snail mail. If you send stuff to a company, a lot will not get through, past the post room or PA unless you use some tricks!

John Gordon
The Infotainer

All I have to say is more of my repeat customers appreciate it when you make the personal contact and not so much the WEB contact.
Alaska Airlines keeps my picture postcard in a file so they always have examples of my work, as well as other big companies here in town. They appreciate that I get with them and take the time to give them new ideas and new examples every year. I do give the planner of each company calls and quick e-mails, personal not the robotic type so they know they are dealing with a real person.
I have many of them say they love the personal touch.
I feel repeat Biz is like your painting when you put YOUR ART and TIME in to them they will flower and I know mine have.
I have one question for you John you have posted over many face painting forums the same stuff you have posted here and still no one including myself has seen any of your work as you have suggested all of us do?(other than your web page about how to make money in your sleep stuff)
So this makes me wonder personaly about your advise.
I know others have expressed there concern for the same issue and you now will not give a reponce on those sites. So could you possibly make me understand what you are really after?
I believe the proof is in the pudding!
Sorry for pissy anyone off but I am done.
I want to know how real people work and I feel this is for learning and giving advise that really works or maybe not. I am not in for people that are not real about our passion for our art, it is not there profit we need to be making, It is ours and the smiles we get are ours to(my favorite part).

Hi Frenzy Kitty Face Frenzy Ak (sorry, only name I could find for you):

Only just seen your response, hence delay.

I agree entirely about the personal contact (and have never said otherwise). But for 'broadcasts' to a list of perhaps 10,000 people, ezines, emails, postcards etc are also a vital part of the mix.

I'd never recommend robotic email to anyone. Fortunately it's easy now (if you want to) to have recipients names show within emails as well as on web pages when they visit.

You asked me a question:
Yes I have posted on other forums for many years (Snazaroo adn Balloon HQ for perhaps 10+ years) and I contribute to perhaps 60 forums fairly regularly in one way or another. The posts are only similar because people's questions are the same. I will happily write about other things where I have experience and expertise and where I can add to what others are offering.

You say that no one has seen my work. That's not true. Maybe you haven't but I have posted many examples on Snazaroo, F&BP and just recently on FacePainting4Success. My own sites and Blogs and Squidoo lenses and Facebook pages have displayed many examples over about 20 years and my pages and MySpace photo file still has a small selection.

What do you mean "you now will not give a response on those sites"?

"Make you understand" what I am "really after"? What ever do you mean?
I am not after anything. I am giving many things. But it's not compulsory!

If you "want to know how real people work" then perhaps you should listen to a broad section of them. What would you like me to tell you? About my experience? My awards? My achievements? My careers? My earnings? My failures?

John