Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/142672
Who Do You Contact? This is probably one of the most frequent questions I get asked by new practitioners. To answer that question you really have to ask yourself, "What am I selling?" In other words, what problem are you addressing for the organization? Once you answer that, the next question is logical, "Who is responsible for coming up with solutions to that problem?" For example, if you see your chair massage as a tool for drawing people into a company's trade show booth, you'd likely want to speak with the marketing director. If you see your service as a way to improve the performance of customer service personnel, then you would likely see the person responsible for that particular department, the manager of customer service. If you imagine your service as an incentive or reward for the sales staff, you would talk to the sales manager. If you think that wellness is an issue in the corporation, then you may contact the wellness coordinator or the director of occupational health and safety. For other staff issues, you'd likely talk to the human resources director. Do you get the idea? Whenever possible, you want to make your first contact with the person who has the ability to approve a decision. In a small company, it's the owner, the office manager, or the general manager. In a professional firm, you may need to talk to the managing partner. In a manufacturing operation, it may be the plant manager. In a school, it will be the principal. Date, Don't Marry You recognize the incredible value of regular, ongoing massage as a wellness tool. So, of course, you want to go into companies and set up an ongoing relationship with the organization. You want to come in every day or every week from now until "death do you part." Can you see the insanity in that? You are approaching a prospect, someone you don't even know, and you are going to ask them to become involved in a long-term relationship. You might as well just go up to somebody on the street and ask them to marry you. A business relationship is like a personal relationship. Sometimes you meet, there is an instant chemistry, and you live happily ever after. But that seldom happens. Usually you meet, check each other out, do a little dating, find out that you really do like each other, spend more time together, and then commit to an ongoing relationship. Apply this concept of dating and marriage to your relationships with businesses. A date is a shortterm relationship. There are no big commitments. You get to know each other and have some fun. And if it doesn't work out, then it's just not a big deal. You each go your separate ways. It's much easier (and quicker) to get a date than it is to get someone to marry you. So start dating corporations. Look for opportunities for shortterm relationships. Some of these may be one-time-only events. For example, you can do staff appreciation days, golf tournaments, charity fundraisers, health fairs, customer or vendor appreciation events, special promotional events, Christmas parties, trade shows,