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Do Your “Civic” Duty & Give Blood

June 29, 2009 By Peter DeMott Leave a Comment

Recently we had a young friend in the hospital in ICU for almost a week. He needed blood because of complications resulting from removal of his spleen. It was touch and go, but without the needed blood transfusions he would not have survived. This is one reason that I am so pleased to announce the Event/Cause REACH magazine back cover promotion on JULY edition of our magazine.

YOU CAN WIN A NEW 2009 HONDA CIVIC

logo cbc Do Your Civic Duty & Give Blood

We are helping to promote the Community Blood Center’s blood drive. It’s called, “Do Your Civic Duty” and the promotion is actually very exciting. Matt Castrucci Auto Mall helped with a 2009 Honda Civic. The REACH ad and magazine have distribution to 260,000 homes throughout the Dayton area. The rules are available online, but basically all you have to do is to give blood during a time when supplies tend to get seriously low (summer vacation season) from July 6th to September 5th. This is also a time when there are sometimes higher needs. In addition to entering your name in the drawing they will be giving out gifts of either first aid kits or tire gages to everyone who participates. Here is the promotion that you will see this week on the back cover of REACH Magazine:

CommunityBloodCenter DA0709 Do Your Civic Duty & Give Blood

You can find a location and schedule your donation by going to the Community Blood Center web site. The odds of winning are totally determined by the number of people who participate. There will be a winner and it could be YOU. Just do your “Civic” duty.

Filed Under Advertising in Dayton, Giving Back to the Community Tagged With Advertising in Dayton, Community Blood Center, Community tie-ins, Grow your business, Reaching consumers

Allen Promotional Products

June 26, 2009 By Peter DeMott Leave a Comment

I had a great meeting with Allen Nelson of Allen Promotional Products. As he says on his business card, “Our business Keeps Your Business in Front of Your Customers.” He helps businesses, churches, event planners, teams to have give-away and promotional items that stay with the people.

What stays with the people? He showed me some items that he actually uses for himself, but the idea is to give something away that will have lasting value and be used rather than those squeeze balls and other throw aways and useless items. He likes people to look at things like refillable mini portfolios (for the smaller legal pads) and things that can be used rather than things that just add to the clutter and make their way into the trash can in a couple of days. I though this was a good strategy. In  fact I have a nice portfolio that was given to me over 5 years ago which has my company logo on the front.

With regard to networking and being specific with requests, I suggested that he bring samples of items to each networking meeting and hand them out to the participants. For example he could bring 20 imprinted golf balls and say,”I’m looking for business owners that are golfer or anyone planning a golf outing for fundraiser involving golf.” This way as networking group participants are about their business, they could have an item handy to show to folks they encounter and just ASK, “I know a guy who does this type of imprinting, is this something you ever need… are you planning any events this year?”

Asking questions as you know from my previous posts, is a critically important thing for any sales person and any business owner. It never hurts to ASK and many times you will find out things that can help you or your business to prosper. When I ask questions I also share the resources that I have at my finger tips because of my experience with the other businesses that I work with.

Allen Promotional Products / Allen Nelson 937-718-1729

http://www.allenpromo.net

I appreciated the meeting and now Allen knows something about the kinds of clients that I am looking for and I know about the clients he is looking for. I also know that he is a smaller operation and because of that he has much more flexibility to get things done according to the needs of the client instead of the other way around. If you need or want to look at items that you can give away at your next event, he can do it all (large and small projects), but he just may have the personalized service that you need and the advice that will make a difference in the long run.

Filed Under Advertising in Dayton, Customer Service, Networking Opportunity, Rain Ohio Tagged With Advertising in Dayton, Business growth, Grow your business, Networking, Rain Ohio, Tools for business

Beavercreek PRE for Lunch on Thursdays

June 19, 2009 By Peter DeMott Leave a Comment

I visited a PRE (Professional Referral Exchange) networking meeting at lunch time at the Beavercreek Country Club on New Germany Treibine Rd.

What a great group of business people. Right now the group is small, but each member is clearly committed to sending people to the other members of the group on a regular basis. PRE limits each category of business to one. Based on the quality of the individuals in this core group I can see that this would be a great group for the right business categories.

Here are the folks that I met:

Brian Roberts (attorney at law) chaired the meeting

Mick Lundy (State Farm Insurance) certainly made me feel comfortable and welcome. After I shared that I would love to meet a driveway paver company because I have an ad in this category of business that is doing very well in some zones in Cincinnati, Mike mentioned that he would be golfing with a fellow that owns a paving company and he would definitely discuss my program with him at that time.

Brad Cleeton (Financial Advisor – First Command) gave a presentation about his business and mentioned various referrals which had been given to him by other group members and many that he had given to other group members.

George Humerick Jr. (Parther,Igel Tax Services, LLC) shared about a referral from Brad of someone who had a tax issue where the IRS said they owed $17,000. After the meeting and working out everything the final tax bill came down to about $500. That was one VERY happy client who will never do his own taxes again.

These guys are all top professionals in what they do and I would have no problem recommending them. I will be keeping their card for reference.

The area director for PRE was there and another visitor and I were there as well. Lunch was graciously provided to the visitors and it was a great lunch. I had a grilled chicken sandwich with fruit as the side.

Russ Bailey (Send out Cards) was the other guest and was also clearly impressed with the professional and welcoming attitude of the members. Just got off the phone with Russ. I’ll be meeting with him some time soon.

img028 Beavercreek PRE for Lunch on Thursdays

Filed Under Networking Opportunity Tagged With Beavercreek, Grow your business, Networking, PRE

Rain Ohio is starting in Dayton

June 18, 2009 By Peter DeMott Leave a Comment

I’ve been dabbling in networking here in Dayton for some time so when I was invited to a Rain Ohio networking event I decided to give it a try. After the second meeting I had a one on one with Larry Kevin Adams. He is a business coach and works with individuals to help them to get to the next level and also reach their personal goals. He is also one of the organizers from the original group in Indianapolis working together with local individuals to recreate the Rain concept in Dayton so that it will be similar to what they have in Indianapolis.

But, first before I get into that, I want to tell you that I was awakened to a better understanding of what networking is all about. Larry explained that I could build a team of people who work with the same people that I am looking for to build my business with. I could meet with these individuals and get to know them better to understand the people they are looking for as well. Once we knew each other better, we would be better able to take advantage of our deeper knowledge when we are out in the world doing our work. Now, after building this relationship, I would be able to say to one of my customers, “Ya know, I know this guy who is a business coach and I think he could really help you with the goals you mentioned.”

With Rain Ohio, I would not be limited to just one group and one time (what if I don’t connect well with the people in one small group), but I would be able to visit any of the groups that will be forming throughout the month in order to have a greater exposure and perhaps be able to build a better team of people I would help and who in turn would help me.

What do they have in Indianapolis?

There are 30-40 hubs, as they call them, these are goups that meet to network in a particular time and place once each month. In addition to these 30-40 hubs, they have a major networking event every month. At the hub meetings and at the major event visitors are given a blue dot to wear. Several from our local group went to “check out” the major event this month in Indianapolis. They were given a blue dot to wear and found out first hand what that was all about. All the members of the group are trained to seek out the blue dots and get to know them and to hopefully even introduce them to people within the group that might help them find the leads they are seeking or who might make a good team member for them should they join. Each member here who has gone to the Indianapolis events to learn more about Rain Ohio has come back with rave reviews and descriptions of their experience of wearing a blue dot.

What does Rain Ohio want their footprint to be in Dayton?

They and we want it to be the same thing as what happens throughout each month in Indianapolis. Many, many hubs, all of which you can attend as a member, as many as you like every month and also a major event each month with organized activities that help people to get to know each other better. Already with Dayton’s formative group I see an open attitude forming as the people interact and discuss the things they are working on and as they get a vision for what Rain Dayton can become.

IMG 0844 Rain Ohio is starting in Dayton

Right now this formative group is meeting weekly at the Panera Bread Co. on Brown Street at 9am on Wednesdays. You are welcome to come and learn more about Rain Ohio and network with the people that are coming. Come as a visitor to check it out. At the same time you can join the online portion of this group at  http://gorainohio.ning.com where you can learn more and start some online relationships. I’m excited about this new wave of opportunity for business people in the Dayton area. I’ve already made some great connections for a couple of the guys in the group and had one on one meetings with three,two business coaches and a financial investment counselor. I have several new leads that look promising with strong referrals (not a list of people “I should call”). Check it out online and come visit the next meeting this coming Wednesday, June 24th. Once you have joined the online portion, you will be notified of what is happening next.

welcome1 Rain Ohio is starting in Dayton

Filed Under Networking Opportunity, Rain Ohio Tagged With Business Coach, Dayton, Networking, Rain Ohio

The most powerful word for small businesses

June 16, 2009 By Peter DeMott Leave a Comment

It is amazing sometimes to see how businesses make choices about how they are going to advertise to consumers. Some simple questions to your customers or even random people you meet can provide you with valuable information that can make a big difference.

I’ve been testing this with REACH magazine. I have been asking businesses to do a simple survey before we even have a consultation appointment. Go ask 5 people, “What do you think of REACH magazine?” When I meet with them they usually tell me that several said, “REACH Magazine, I LOVE that magazine, I use it all the time.” They then admit to me that they didn’t have a clue that REACH was so popular. If they didn’t do their homework, I will stand up and call out to all their employees…”Hey, what do you guys think of REACH magazine?” Again, the answers come flowing back in glowing terms. And again, the business owners are surprised… saying “I had no idea.”

I hear over and over, “coupons don’t work for our business, I’ve tried them,” only to find out that they built an ad with no understanding of where consumers are looking and of what consumers want (the incentive must have consumer perceived value in order to work). For the ones that listen, they are pleasantly surprised or even overwhelmed with the results of the right incentives in the right publication at the right time. 20 years experience and I see this over and over and over again.

I gave a consultation recently and after I asked my questions I suggested that the client not start until the September mailing time frame. “You don’t want me to go in your program NOW?” was his response. “No,” I said, “I think that it would be better for you to save your money for now and mail in our September and October editions, then again in late spring of next year.”  He then said, “Wow, I appreciate that you are not just trying to get me in the program now like all the others that I have talked to.”  I wanted him to advertise in the right publication at the right time with the right incentive offers to be as successful as possible so that he will come back again and again at the right times with the right offers and the right publication.

ASK is a very powerful tool. Put it to use and you will quickly be making more money as a professional, as a business owner. In my consultation appointment, I ask more than I tell because the more I learn about each individual business the better I can serve them and help them grow their businesses.

When you have done your homework, perhaps you may want to give me a call: 937-478-6222 or send me an email peter@photosbypdemott.com . Is it time for you to ASK me some questions?

Filed Under Advertising in Dayton, Customer Perception Tagged With Advertising in Dayton, Business growth, Coupons, Direct mail, Grow your business, Incentive marketing, Offers, REACH Magazine, Reaching consumers, Target marketing, Tools for business