Showing posts with label sales. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sales. Show all posts

Monday, June 15, 2009

No, seriously - get your booth NOW for this event!

Ok, so we have repeatedly (http://rogerslowellchamber.blogspot.com/2009/05/ready-for-your-business-to-thrive.html and http://rogerslowellchamber.blogspot.com/2009/02/nwa-business-conference-expo.html) and perhaps even maniacally mentioned the Northwest Arkansas Business Conference & Expo scheduled for August 6. You know, you get it.

And while August is a long way off and may give you unpleasant thoughts of the end of summer and back-to-school time, you have to face the music: time is running out to participate in this fantastic event!  Admittedly, we are a bit biased since it is our event, but our enthusiasm is sincere.

The keynote and luncheon speakers are falling into place (promise, you'll love them!), the seminars are just about finalized, and all in all it is stacking up to be a phenomenal (and inexpensive) day with positive impact for business people throughout Northwest Arkansas and the state, whether a one-person shop or a 500 person team.  You must attend.

More importantly, however, the Expo portion of the event is just about full!  We are now sold out on all Class A, B and C booths... except the booths that come with a handful of remaining sponsorships!  There is just ONE Business After Hours sponsorship remaining ($1,500, includes microphone time and a prime Class A booth), THREE gold sponsorships ($1,000, includes a class A booth) and THREE silver sponsorships ($750, includes a class B booth).  

Additionally, we have a couple of session sponsorships remaining ($650, includes microphone time with 30 - 50 business people attending the session PLUS the opportunity to distribute information about your business).

Granted, it's part of our job (and our commitment to businesses of all sizes) to put on this event and sell booths and sponsorships.  Seriously, though, you will regret it if you do not showcase your business in the Expo portion of the event.  Tickets will be available up to the event day (www.nwabusiness.org), but jump now to grab a spot to highlight your business.

As Brian Solis states in this excerpt from his article "Fear Kills Businesses, Dead" on TechCrunch (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/12/21/fear-kills-businesses-dead/):

Businesses, and customers, do not stop making decisions—they’re just more discerning during volatile economic climates. But make no mistake, if you choose to stop vying for customer attention, the world will move ahead without you.

This is your time to vault in front of your competition, to earn rapid and sweeping visibility, for a fraction of the time and money that was required to excel during the “good days.”

Your rivals are retreating right now, so what are you going to do about it?

Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu advised in The Art of War:

When weak, feign strength…Attack him [your enemy] where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.

Whoever inspires you, remember, tomorrow’s leaders are born, tested, and proven, today. This is your moment.

So, you'll be there with your product, your service, your business cards and your sales pitch, right?  See you at the Northwest Arkansas Business Conference & Expo on August 6!



Thursday, April 16, 2009

Completing your to-do list without lifting a finger...

Please excuse us as we try (in vain) to control our enthusiasm about our new BusinessConnect Tool! Seriously, it is a fantastic resource for our member businesses and the general public!

Here's the gist of it: businesses and individuals can save time by posting requests online, and member businesses will respond directly to you to give you bids, estimates or provide the services requested! This delivers excellent opportunities for member businesses to drive sales, and Chamber staff monitor requests and responses from member businesses to ensure timeliness.

It's truly painless. Just visit the Business Directory on www.RogersLowell.com. (While you're there, be sure to check out the category listing of all our member businesses as well as the e-coupons!) Click on "Submit BusinessConnect Request" and put in all your wishes, and as soon as we receive it we will e-mail it to our members to respond. Trust us, you'll want to bookmark the page: http://tinyurl.com/d5bdbg.

One of our staff members used the BusinessConnect tool for a printing quote on business cards for her husband's new venture. Within a couple of hours, they had detailed responses and quotes from five businesses, saving them dozens of phone calls. They commented on how impressed they were by the timely follow up on such a seemingly small request.

Examples of requests using BusinessConnect might include printing bids, catering for an event or open house, home services and repairs or a banquet or meeting facility.

Pretty cool, huh? We have always been proud of our ability to generate so many inquiries and potential business connections for our members, but this takes the "potential" part right out and leads to direct business opportunities. Love it!