How to use other service providers’ email marketing lists

March 4, 2014
You're probably already recommending others for free, so why not make it pay? You ask owners of other small companies out to lunch — electrical, appliance repair, rug cleaning, house cleaning, gardening, and more. You'd be surprised how quickly so many agreed. When we contacted another company's clients, it was done only with their total cooperation. We followed up with one of our monthly newsletters and a snail-mail packet containing a brochure, fridge magnet, special offer, coupons and other good stuff.  

I was goin' to talk about the logic of hiring older techs as interim workers, but the following marketing topic seems more appropriate at this stage of my series about inexpensively growing your smaller company.

I've been studying business coaching (a good description about learning how to help others help themselves) at a very well respected on-line school for approximately a year now. An example of how good the school is can be deduced from the fact that one of the required books is Kenny Chapman's (one of the gurus) “The Six Dimensions of C.H.AN.G.E.” I highly recommend Kenny’s book since it applies to every sub-contracting trade, and even our lives in general.

Along with Kenny, there are some other very well respected contributors to the Service Round Table forum and one of them is Jim Hinshaw who recommends joining Business Networking International, or BNI, as an inexpensive way to market. Jim is funny, intelligent, right on with his marketing advice, and one heckuva business coach in his own right. Google him and Kenny.

Joining a BNI group is terrific for networking your biz, but scheduling can be a problem for small company owners. Consequently, I took this “grouping” idea to another, much easier level. One-by-one, I contacted small company owners who also worked in people's homes (or my own home) and formalized the way we recommended each other. Hey, you're probably already recommending others for free, so why not make it pay? Done right, you can grow your email database in multiples this-a-way.

Here's how: This worked very well for my small company (maybe because I wrote the emails) but when we contacted — were allowed to contact as you'll see — another company's clients, it was done only with their total cooperation. They sent what I called an “introduction email” (that I crafted and they approved) to their clients followed by an email from my company introducing ourselves. We then implied permission from those recipients that didn't hit a “don't-bother-me” button, and followed up with one of our monthly newsletters and a snail-mail packet containing a brochure, fridge magnet, special offer, coupons and other good stuff.

The other company owners were in agreement because we allowed them to use the same procedure (again, with emails that I wrote) to do the same with our clients. A lot of trust is involved, but much confidence can be gained by asking owners of other small companies out to lunch — electrical, appliance repair, rug cleaning, house cleaning, gardening, and more. You'd be surprised how quickly so many agreed to that “free” lunch, and how much fun you can have. You'd also be surprised at the great response we got from our clients for our recommendations!

This is simply another thimpk-outside-the-box way for us smaller company types to git clients without having to pay them big ol’ dollars for other, more-costly marketing. Use this idea and craft it to fit your own needs. However, if you'd like help with this marketing system — either by writing or helping you write the emails or newsletters — and how not to offend your or their customers, call me or email me to see if we can assist each other.

The call's free. I'm a funny guy, but more humble than most, and I'd like to earn enough money over the next six months to buy a new, 26-inch wheel, very-low-geared, well-suspensioned, all-carbon mountain bike that I have my eye on … but my wife's intolerant of because she thinks I have too many bikes as it is.

This system works, folks! It doesn't take all that much time to do either. It does take persistence. Do it yourself or I can help — rather inexpensively I might add. If enough interest comes my way — say 10 or more folks contact me — I'll package my e-mails as templates and send them out as PDFs at a reasonable cost. Then it's up to you to keep your company TOM (Top Of Mind) with a monthly newsletter to your new and existing client base. You do have a monthly newsletter, don't you?

Retired master plumber Ed O'Connell is a sub-contracting business “Starter Coach” for small contractors. He is the founder emeritus of O'Connell Plumbing Inc. He can be reached at 415/453-2291 and be email at [email protected].

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