Screen Printing - August/September 2016 - 25

that make it a vital component to your strategy. 1. You use authority to your advantage. The issue many people have is they have been trained to sell strictly to end users. If you're talking to a potential customer, you expect them to buy something from you. You need to erase this way of thinking. The truth is, I've never had any of my influencers buy from me for their own companies. Remember, because they are looked upon as the "authority," they have the ability to influence other people's buying decisions. Closing one client means you only get business from that company. When you close an influencer, you now have the ability to close multiple clients through just one relationship. What if you had a network of 10 influencers all using their credibility to promote your business? 2. You don't have to compete on price. The second, and probably most attractive, benefit of influencer marketing is you typically don't have to haggle. We've all been there when rely on them to take care of the logistics and have the connections to handle everything. Whether they want to host an event or have their employees participate in a corporate challenge, the company relies on their outside marketing firm to take care of a lot of the details, including custom apparel. The client doesn't want to be bothered with getting three quotes from three different companies; they just want to know it's being handled. If you have a working relationship with this type of influencer, oftentimes you will simply get the job without competing with anyone else or haggling over price - provided you do your part and provide a great product, competitive pricing, and excellent service to the influencer every time. The Best Ways to Connect with Influencers One tactic you can immediately cross off your list is cold calling. Take it from me: My team and I have tried it, and our closing ratio was extremely low. Influencer marketing is essential to your marketing and growth strategy because it harnesses the power of leverage and authority to your advantage. it comes to quoting someone and knowing that they're shopping around with two or three other printers in our area along with some national companies. Often, those sales turn into a question of how low you can go. Wouldn't it be great to get the job without having to continuously slash prices? With influencer marketing, you can. Many companies who employ public relations and marketing firms Like everyone, we cringe each time a solicitor calls us offering free digitizing services or getting us on the first page of Google, and the companies you're calling feel the same way. In fact, you can end up doing more damage than good, especially if you tell them your company name. To get influencers on your side, the best approach is the old-fashioned way: by meeting, talking, and establishing a rapport. But, you need to be efficient in doing so. Unless you're running a large salesforce that can visit individual influencers, you won't see much progress. Rather, streamline your efforts and find a place where you can meet all these people at once. For instance, if you're going after public relations companies, there is an organization called PRSA (Public Relations Society of America). They have local chapters in every state and regular meetings. While you may not be able to join the organization, inquire about sponsoring a lunch or providing products for them to give away. If your target market is schools, contact your local state PTA or PTO that oversees all the local chapters in your area and ask to be put on their agenda at monthly meetings. Keep in mind that in today's age, you'll also need to consider how the influencer you're targeting wants to be contacted. I've had complete conversations with influencer companies over Twitter and established deals with them. Do your research to find out the best way to get in touch. Putting it All Together Identify ideal influencers in your community or business niche that will complement your shop's strengths. Connect with them and foster those relationships. If you're pressed for time, start with your ideal influencers and try to make three to five contacts per week. By the end of the year, you'll have made more than 150 inquiries and will hopefully have a group of influencers to work with. Influencer marketing is a must-have in your marketing tool belt, especially for smaller shops with limited time and budget. By targeting influencers, you're not only exponentially reaching out to prospects, but also greatly increasing your closing ratio because of the relationship influencers have with their clients. So, who are the influencers you're going to target? august/september 2016 25

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Screen Printing - August/September 2016