You can't afford to be a bashful in today's business climate. No matter what your product or service is, unless you're out every day making contacts, talking to people and "tooting your own horn"... you will soon find a lot of business opportunities have passed you by. Don't rely on your employees to do this for you. Whether your business is big or small, nothing takes the place of personal, one-to-one communication as a tool for you to sell your company, products and services. Don't be shy when it comes to spreading the word about your industry, your company, what you do or sell, why your company is better than the competition, and why people should be doing business with you instead of someone else.
I'll be the first to admit, this is one of the toughest things for any business person to do. It's hard work, and it's difficult to motivate yourself to tout your own accomplishments when we've all been taught from an early age to be modest about the good things we do. Because the ability to "toot your own horn" is so critical to business success, I'd like to offer you a few suggestions to get started... in as non-threatening a way as possible!
Your Chamber of Commerce
The best place to start is with your local Chamber of Commerce. Chambers provide opportunities for you to network with other business people, to get management help when you need it, to get access to legal advice, and to have a voice in local, state, and federal government action. Chamber membership is well worth the monthly fee. When I first set up my consulting business, I didn't spend one dime on advertising during the first six months -- largely because of the "word of mouth" action that resulted from joining the Norman, Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce. My wife and I were invited to contribute to the Chamber newsletter, to join a Chamber committee, attend "After Hours" business socials, attend the annual banquet, and speak about the business on a local radio program. All of these opportunities came about through our local chamber.
Chamber publications offer you an opportunity to tell your story to other business people. What better place to have your business name published (and your firm's story featured) than in a periodical read by business people in your community who have joined an organization specifically designed to help them get more business? Chamber newsletters offer you the opportunity not only to get your name, photo, and company description before a large audience, but also to contribute short feature stories about your business, write advice columns or publish other information that presents your company and philosophy in a positive light.
Chamber functions and meetings take place on a regular basis and offer a prime opportunity for you to get out in public, "press the flesh" and meet the people who will be your future customers. Many Chambers offer "Business After Hours" mixers where people gather before or after work to exchange business cards, meet other people, and network for more business. There's no better time for you to get out and meet people, so don't hesitate to take advantage of these "After Hours"-type sessions.
Like your industry cooperative and trade association at the national level, your Chamber of Commerce is, in many ways, a big lobbying group -- only at the state and local level. Chambers lobby for the rights and privileges of businesses in your community. They will push for you at the state capitol, in Washington D.C., and in other communities, to promote your town and the businesses, attractions and people in it. This activity by your local Chamber of Commerce will trickle down to you with information about ways to run your company more efficiently, chances to develop new business with other organizations and communities, and opportunities for finding more customers right in your own home town.
Business Clubs
Of course, chambers aren't the only game in town. Every community has business-related clubs, organizations and support groups. There are traditional organizations like Rotary and Lion's Club and other more non-traditional groups for entrepreneuring women, for small business owners, for home-based business owners, etc. It's a good idea to get involved in groups like these. People like to do business with people they know. So, the more people you know, the more potential customers you will have. All you have to do is be available, be friendly and have the kinds of products and services people need at prices they can afford. People will bring their business to you. You will get a name for yourself and your business in the community. You will be seen as someone who's popular and well-liked. Your company will be recognized as one which supports the community, something which is an important element of your overall promotional plan.
While I certainly would not advocate "selling" your company's products and services to everyone you meet socially, it certainly doesn't hurt to talk up your business when the opportunity seems appropriate. Much commerce in this country starts with word of mouth, even though we often tend to neglect the importance of this type of communication. The more people know and understand your company and see how it will benefit them, the more they're going to want to do business with you. Even if they don't have need of what you offer, chances are they'll talk about your company to other people. Surveys show people need to have seven mental "impressions" about your business before they'll remember you or your products. Why not start making those impressions today with your barber, the attendant at the car wash and the people you play bridge with at the country club? You've got nothing to lose and everything to gain by letting people know what you do for a living, how you do it, and why you do it better than anybody else.
Speaker's Bureaus
In just about every community there's an organization which looks for experts to speak at community events on various topics (usually these agencies are referred to as speaker's bureaus). Often they're associated with public relations firms or with universities. They field calls from community groups looking for someone to speak on a particular topic, and match speakers with individual groups and topics desired. The community groups benefit by getting expert speakers to present information on topics group members want to know more about. Speakers benefit by the exposure they get personally and professionally as a result of what they know. Best of all, in most cases there's no cost to anyone. You sign up to join the organization (as a speaker) for free, and the speaker's bureau will publish your name and area of expertise in a guide which lists all the people who speak for the bureau. It's not as important for you to be an "expert" speaker as it is for you to be comfortable speaking to a group, knowledgeable about your subject, and willing to give of your time to community organizations.
If your company happens to offer a product that many people in the community don't understand, or have misunderstandings about, there's no better way to re-educate people than through a quick presentation to a social club or community group. Each time you speak, 15, 20, 50 or more people are able to receive correct information about your topic directly from an expert on the subject. Not only will they become more familiar with the subject, but they'll learn about you and your company.
Letters to the Editor
A good place to present an idea to the community is in your local newspaper's "Letters to the Editor" column. Newspapers frequently publish letters to the editor which praise a cause, a philosophy, a business, or an organization which is active in the community. When these letters are published, the individuals and businesses involved get free publicity -- in a very positive light. What opportunities exist for you to do this in your local paper?
Newsletters
More and more, companies both large and small are finding that the company newsletter is a great tool for getting out the word about the company's products and services. Why? Because they work! Even doctors, lawyers and other professionals are using them to attract and keep clients (In a Forbes magazine article, for example, a physician was quoted as saying he'd give up his Yellow Pages ad before he'd quit sending out his newsletter!).
The newsletter is a great morale builder for your employees. It is also a terrific image booster in the community, as it informs your customers and future customers about your company and the kind of work you do. A well-produced newsletter can give your company the image of professionalism and stability that's so important in today's competitive marketplace.
By using the personal computer which just about every office has these days, along with an inexpensive desktop publishing program, most companies can quickly and easily put together a very readable, informative newsletter. There are lots of books and resource materials available at your library and local computer software store to help you get started on a newsletter. If you've got a couple of hours a month to set aside, there's no reason not to get going with your own publication. If you don't feel capable of bringing all the elements of a newsletter together on your own, there are independent consultants in every community (people like me!) who can do it for you for a small fee.
Summary
Nobody can "sell" the business you're in better than you can. So take every opportunity possible to promote your industry, your company, your products and services, your employees and your philosophies through one-to-one contact with the public. Start by joining your industry trade association, to keep up with what's going on nationally and internationally in your business. Then join your local Chamber of Commerce, to build your network of community contacts. Join a community civic organization or business club. Find out who runs the speaker's bureau in your area -- then go sign up.
You know your industry, your business and your community. You have special skills and expertise that can help people improve their lives. Why not help people and promote your business by becoming involved in civic affairs and speaking out (as needed) to local organizations about what you know and what you do? The world is full of "experts" and there's no reason that you shouldn't promote yourself as one of them.
Finally, why not consider putting what you know in writing in a company newsletter? It will serve you well as a promotional and sales tool, and expand the reach of your message to present -- and future customers.
Before I conclude, let me remind you about the negative things that get said about business, and why you should try to avoid saying them as much as possible. It's a proven fact that our customers tend to converse more about their bad business experiences than the good ones. We as business people should try to avoid making that same mistake in our conversations. We need to encourage more positive discussion of our businesses, our communities and ourselves. Problems are important, of course, but we need to work harder to promote solutions. So when you "toot your own horn" -- toot it with a positive, business-building note!