Where Does Your Business Come From?

The main goal of business is to increase the sales of your product or service. In great economies it should be easy to get business. But during economic down turns, people are still buying your products and services, there are just less of them. How do you drive business? There are many different ways to do that. There is advertising in media, internet advertising, direct mailing, networking, cold calling, newsletters, ect. Networking has been very successful for me, but not nearly as successful as direct mailers to niche markets. Are there different strategies that work for one industry, which would or wouldn't work in another industry? For instance, we have always stayed away from the Yellow Pages. We figure if they're calling us from the yellow pages, they got turned away from a lot of agencies before they reached "W".

So what networking groups really work for you?

What media advertising really works?

Have you tried internet advertising, and what was your experience?

Do you do mailers, and if so how?

Do you cold call, or go door to door?

Most Useful Websites for Business

I'd like to talk about the websites that I find most useful for doing business in and around South Florida. I encourage everyone to submit comments on what websites they find useful and why.

1. Linkedin - This is a social networking site designed for the business word. What makes linkedin useful is, if you have a prospect, or even a client that you want to establish a relationship with them. If they have linkedin, you can find out if any of your other connections know them, and you can ask them to introduce you. It also has a great question and answer section, and its supposedly good for job searching and hiring.
2. SunBiz.org - This is the government website that provides you with the corporate information for all corporation registered in the state of Florida. It tells you the mailing address, the officers' names, the FEIN as well as incorporation documents.
3. Miami Dade Property Appraiser - Each county has their own property appraiser's website, but most of them enable the user to search by address, folio number or owner's name for any property in the county. It usually tells you who owns the property, their mailing address, the age of the building, the square footage, the last price it was bought for and when, and some other pertinent information.
4. Google maps or Maps Live both of these sites show you sattelite shots of properties any where in the world. Google maps has a feature called "street view" which enables you to view the property from the street from some more important streets. Maps Live has a feature which gives you a 3D view of the buildings. Both are great for property, and area research and directions.
5. Business Buzz with Ed Gorin and Network Miami by Brian Tannenbaum. Both of these blogs have great information about the networking groups in South Florida. They list many of the business associations, philanthropy groups, and social groups in the area, and Business Buzz gives a complete list of events.
6. Spock.com This is a search engine in the beta version of its development. However, the site is used for looking up people, and it searches the different social networking sites including MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn and Webshots.
7. The South Florida Business Journal. I subscribe to the business journals daily email list. They give me the top 10 headlines everyday. I read the interesting ones, and I email the ones that I think my clients and contacts would be interested in to them. For example, I have a client that sells rebar. I saw a rebar company in Broward was being sold, and their truck leasing company was being bought. I sent them both articles and they were very happy to be informed about it.
8. Entrepreneur.com, even more specifically this link goes to Dr. Ivan Misner's collumns on the site. It offers many great articles by the founder of BNI. The website as a whole is also a great link.

How to Generate Business in Non-Business Situations

Like many people, my life is very busy with all of the groups, organizations, causes, clubs, and associations I am apart of. At the moment, I get my business strictly from my business networking groups. I get many things from my social, religous and philanthropic associations, but one of them is not business. I did not join these groups to get business, but, that doesn't mean I wouldn't like to be able to provide my services for the members of these groups and the groups themselves.

So, how do you approach the subject of business, in non-business settings?

Do you approach religious groups differently from sports clubs, or philanthropies from alumni associations?

What is the best way to bring up the subject of what you do, if it has not been brought up?

When I brought the question up at my weekly BNI meeting, I got a variety of responses. Harvel Jackson, from the Kitchen, Bath and More Store, recommended to attend the events of the organizations where there is alcohol involved. It got a laugh, but people do tend to open up about work, and talk about their services and product providers in this type of situation.

Another member, Gloria Anderton with Capital Mortgage, recommended going up to people you recognize, especially when it feel uncomfortable. You never know what could come of that. Victor Morales from Southern Trust Securities, said that it is ok to bring up what you do in social settings. He said a good way to do it is by asking other people what they do. One of our prospective new members, Dustin Petty with A-Max Air Conditioning, suggested doing work for the organizations for free. If this works for your industry, the members of your group with see what you do, and try to give back to you, for helping them.

Lastly, our illustrious member, Vincente de la Vega, recommended treating all business relationships like a love relationship, and just make sure you that you are giving everything you can, and then you will be rewarded.

* * *

I plan to discuss this topic in upcoming networking groups, and post the responses on this blog. If you have any suggestions, please let me know and I will gladly post the response and give you credit.

Giving Referrals/Getting Referrals

I recently started doing something new on appointments that will hopefully enable me to give and receive more referrals, and create a stronger relationship with my clients. I call it my "Referral Sheet". I have 5 categories of questions I ask my clients, and I try to get five referrals listed under each.

It looks like this:

What types of companies do you provide services/products for?

Industry	Company
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

This will hopefully enable you to refer business to your client. Also this shows that you're interested in helping their business, and it will help you understand what your client does better.

What types of companies refer business to you?

Industry	Company
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

This again is that you're looking to grow your client's business.

What other business services/products do you use?

Products/Services

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

This is where you try to get referrals for your other clients, and business networking associates

What trade organizations are you involved in/What publications do you read?

Organization/Publication

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

You ask this, so that now that you were able to sell to one entity in this industry, you can try to sell to others in the same industry and become a specialist. Second, it will help the client think of other people they know in their industry they could refer you to.

Who could I speak to about my services?

Name	Company	Phone Number/Email
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Now you've asked for 25 names, and hopefully it has triggered in their head 25 people and companies they can refer to you to talk to. In turn, you've also hopefully received at least 5 referrals for your network.