Advertising to Other Businesses for Referrals
Attacking the retail space or consumers is pretty easy. There are many avenues to pursue to include, websites, Facebook, IG, and advertising campaigns. This is great but what if you could duplicate your efforts by having other businesses push your products?
I’ll make this section short but the key term you are looking for is B to B or business to business advertising. Break it down a little further, you have B to B. This is Sign Swag advertising to your business to get you to buy from us. B to B Advertising would be you advertising your company to other companies to help you sell your products. Breaking it down even more, you are the advertisement.
Hit the Streets
Because yard carding is generally local and even sub local, meaning specific areas the word advertising may be a little strong. You are not going to create a local ad, Google ad, or Facebook ad. What you want to do is put your “Sales Hat” on and hit the streets. Your goal is to approach other local businesses that have personal contact with their customers and could use your products at the same time.
Who Do You Contact?
If you are going to a school principal or higher then you are trying to get that specific school to purchase a yard card setup for their events. This is great and you should definitely be doing this. Drop off and pick up yields hundreds of moms and dads looking at your yard card. FYI, put a business logo yard card with all your setups. Ask brook about this. With our B to B advertising plan though, a better fit would be a Realtor. A Realtor is selling a home to your future customers, perfect!
Realtors
Realtors are a great choice because if you get in with one it is a two fold win win. The Realtor may want to use your setups for their open houses, new listings, for sale, or sold homes. They are constantly advertising and what better way than a 12’ wide yard card setup.
The other aspect is to get them to push your yard card setups to their customers. This can be as simple as your business card in their selling, sold, or open house packages. Each Realtor will have ideas as well so listen to them and see if it is a fit. Also, everybody has a friend that is a Realtor so I guarantee you already have one freebie.
If you don’t have a friend then you may have to entice the Realtor with compensation, a little comish, if you will. It doesn’t have to be much because a commission is based on the product cost. If you have a $100 setup there is no need to give over half. A Realtor will pull in 3% on a house and just because you introduced the customer to them doesn’t mean they are going to fork out several 1000’s just as a thank you, $200 sure. If you decide that $10 to $20 sounds fair then just work it into your price of the setup to keep your margins as they were.
Compensation or B to B Ideas
- I know Brook has many customers that use her company several times a year so having a “Free First Carding” wouldn’t be a bad idea at all. It would be an upfront loss for you but could lead to a long time customers and referrals from them as well.
- Give the Realtor free yard card setups in exchange for them to talk about and place your advertising material in their packages.
- Sell them small setups in exchange for the same as above.
- Have us create a sign to replace the basic “Open House” signs they are using. Give them a couple or sell them some.
- Sponsor them on your website or marketing materials in trade.
There are so many ideas, you just have to find what makes each person excited to do business with you. What are their needs and are they willing to work with you?
Go Into Their Offices
I owned an Ozone business and my customers were individuals who owned, were selling, or trying to buy a new home. My Realtor clients had a huge need to solve cigarette, dog, and cooking odors and I knew this.
Because I was a Realtor myself I knew that in the morning they would have meetings and oftentimes those meetings were presentations from closers, inspectors, etc. They were there on a true B to B plan but either way a yard carding company provides value just as well. You are an advertising arm for them so they will listen. Bring donuts, muffins, or sandwiches to your meeting, it’s customary, and put on a show and tell.
I was an instructor in the Navy and I can tell you standing up in front of people and speaking is no small task. But…. You are your company, you are going to grow, you are going to install so many setups in the next year that you will need to kick the man tools and toys out of the garage for your ever growing inventory. Trust me, you’ve seen Brook’s Facebook lives and her garage. Luke has been relegated to a shed. Nice one though he built with his man tools.
Summary
I know we only talked about Realtors but you get the idea and can definitely expand on them more than I can. The key is to be confident and remember that everyone is a customer. That barista that gives you a coffee every morning has a birthday and everyone she talks to does as well. Give her a business card and $2 bucks, you never know.
