Advertisement Ideas: Leveraging Relationships!!!

It was a few Tuesday’s ago when I was at Tijuana Flats and I met a group of business men from the Oakley Vault and they made me an offer to come to one of their stores and pick out a pair of sunglasses for consideration of promotion by me. Today (7/3/2015) I went to the store and picked out the glasses seen in this video. This had me thinking about how important it is to leverage relationships. I have learned in all my years in marketing, advertising, public relations, and media relations that the key is to make it a win-win situation. In this case The Oakley Vault had a product I could use and I had a platform that they could use. The key is to see how you can be of value and service and how the person you are dealing with can be of service and value to you. I began leveraging relationships at a very young age as I hosted my very first special event, A Backyard Carnival to benefit The Muscular Dystrophy Association, at age 11. I went to all the places where I spent money and asked for their support. It was at that time that I learned if you return the favor and give something of value you will obtain either monetary or in kind donations. The key is to make the introduction and then find ways that everyone can benefit. I have used the idea of leveraging relationships for many years and the examples I can give are numerous just like the one in the video.

You may be wondering what oracle cards have to do with leveraging your relationships. Well there is a story behind these cards that illustrate a great point of leveraging your relationships and having a purpose in mind. I am very involved with The American Cancer Society Relay For Life of West Boca Raton,FL and I have been the leading fundraiser for this relay for several years. In 2015 I raised $2726.90, the webpage http://main.acsevents.org/goto/jdogg2 will be up until 8/31/2015. One way I was able to do this is by leveraging relationships. I was on Facebook one day and I wrote to both Doreen Virtue and Sonia Choquette who I had been interacting with on Facebook for a while and I asked them for items to use in chance drawings and they sent me oracle cards and other items and in return I am promoting them to my followers. When you have something that can benefit the person you are asking for support be it in business or in your charitable endeavors you can better leverage your relationship. I have always believed that the worst someone who you have built a relationship with will say is no and no today does not mean no forever. Think of what you have to offer that will help you to leverage a relationship so as to strengthen your brand and increase your revenue. Continue reading

Advertisement Ideas: Persistence Breaks Down Resistance!!!

I was working with Forum Publishing Group selling advertising in a territory that many said was not fertile and that the businesses were resistant to advertising when I coined the concept that persistence breaks down resistance. I made it a point to visit businesses on a weekly basis to just drop of a newspaper and give them one benefit of advertising with the papers I represented. We had a program where they could do a 4 week program with a business card size ad for $99 for 4 weeks. Do you believe I still had businesses turn this opportunity down? However I was persistent and kept going back to those who said no as I learned a no today is not a no forever. In many cases I came across businesses that were coming from a lack mentality and making excuses not to advertise and then wondered why their business continued to be slow. I heard all the excuses like I tried that paper before and it didn’t work or I can’t afford to advertise business is slow. I would counter with what type of advertisement did you run did it have a tracking mechanism or a strong call to action or regardless if your business is busy or slow it is imperative to advertise. So many people do not understand that advertising is imperative because the more people who know about you the better chances of picking up more clients/customers.

I remember talking to an owner of a hair salon and she kept saying no then one week I went by with an advertisement I designed that simply said haircuts $15 normally $20 with an expiration date of 15 days from the publishing of the newspaper. The owner said okay I’ll try the Business card special of $99 for 4 weeks. The owner did this program and had success and renewed several times. The key is to be persistent and have something that is perceived a s a value to offer when selling products or services.

Today (3/4/2015) I decided to send direct messages to my friends on face book asking them to please visit http://main.acsevents.org/goto/jdogg2 and make a donation. I had done this before and had some success and today was no different as I resent posts to those who hadn’t responded yet and one person visited the site and donated $25 proving that having a strategy and being persistent and consistent works. In advertising it is important to be in publications on a frequent and consistent basis so that when some is ready to take action and do business with you that they know how to connect with you. People ask me all the time JDOGG why do you continue to post about Relay For Life? I always say because you never know who will see the post and who will be ready to take action and make a donation. In posting about Relay I create brand awareness and recognition while creating a buzz. As of today I am at $2094.61 raised because I continue to ask people for their support. By being persistent I break down resistance and thus help those touched by cancer while also promoting myself. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Persistence Breaks Down Resistance!!!