7 out-of-the-box ways to engage with hard-to-reach business owners

Insurance professionals know all about rejection and avoidance. You do not take it personally because someone has no idea how you can help them. They simply group you into the category of “someone trying to sell something.”  So how can you get onto their radar?

This topic has been addressed plenty of times. Let us set e-mail and connecting on social media aside. You are already doing that. We can also assume you are active in the Chamber, and you have an Associate Membership to the professional association aligned with your niche market. Let us now look at some creative ideas.

1. Become their customer. This works when a company is selling to the general public. Your targeted business owner owns several restaurants and spends most of the time in the largest, which is near you. Become a regular. Visit at least once a month. Say hello to the owner on every visit. Refer friends and let them know they were asking about the best crab cakes in the city and you directed them to their restaurant. Consider booking their restaurant for a business seminar on their quiet night. Logic:  They realize you are part of their revenue stream. They will want to increase “share of wallet” and get more business. They should see the logic of meeting with you and hearing what you have to say.
2. Offering something they need. Do accountants need Continuing Ed (CE) credits to keep their licenses current? Does your firm have Compliance-approved topics that target this audience? If insurance professionals need to earn CE credits to keep their licenses current, the firm may have designed similar seminars for other professions. If not, they may be able to buy one from a third party. If you are wondering where there is overlap between your profession and accounting, here is some good news: the website mycpe.om lists a series of webinars on Insurance Continuing Education Courses for Accountants and Financial Professionals. The topics they offer include Medicare and Your Choices as a Federal Employee (1 credit), Annuities: Resolving Myths While Producing Retirement Liquidity (1 credit) and Comprehensive Guide to Health Savings Accounts. (2 credits). Set up your seminar or webinar and invite the owners and members of the local accounting firms. Logic:  They need earned credits. They face a deadline. You represent a solution to their problem.
3. Offer a webinar with exclusivity. A financial advisor had success with the concept of executive conference calls as a delivery vehicle. As I recall, they were involved with a professional association for corporate Chief Financial Officers. They gained permission to get in touch with association members directly, inviting them onto a call with a topic of specific interest for them. A topic aligned to both the audience and the benefits professional might be “Are You Providing Enough Investment Choices Within Your Employee Retirement Plan?” If there is any legal liability in having a plan that is “too basic,” they would want to understand their possible exposure. Logic:  The topic got their attention, and the message came through an approved channel. Because of their busy schedule, they would not otherwise attend because of travel time getting to an in-person, live seminar. The conference call format was appealing because they could join at the start and drop out if it wasn’t a good fit. If they were interrupted by an issue at work, they could drop out and then rejoin.
4. Clip and mail articles mentioning them. Keep current with the local business journal and the major dailies in your area. When you see an article mentioning your business owner by name, clip out the entire article and send it directly to them with a short cover note. Your Compliance officer will have guidance on what you can do within the rules. Logic:  People like to see their name in the paper. The irregular shape of the clipped article gets their attention. The singular nature shows you made an effort on their behalf.
5. Recognize the award they received. From time to time, people get awards. This might come from a civic organization, professional society or a nonprofit. This makes the newspapers. Take the original article to a trophy store. Have the article clipped out and mounted on a plaque. Write a cover letter of congratulations and send the plaque to them. Logic:  Many people in business have a “brag wall” or “ego wall” featuring framed certificates of achievement, degrees earned, and awards received. Your plaque is ready to be mounted.
6. Congratulate new business owners. There are many ways to learn which businesses are new to the area. Some are obvious, like grand opening banners. Other times there might be announcements in the business journal. The state has a database of business incorporations. Send a letter of congratulations. Logic:  Starting your own business is a major step in anyone’s life. They are anxious, yet they are also proud. They will need plenty of services.
7. Engage with them on their business social media site. Companies take their social media presence seriously. They want to raise their visibility. You can take an interest in their company, commenting on their products from firsthand experience. Logic:  If you engage with them on a personal level, it is logical they will reach out and communicate back to you. Someone at the business is assigned this task. Now you have a connection within the company.

Related:  6 ways to get on those hard-to-reach decision makers’ radars

There are ways to connect with people who are difficult to reach if you are creative in your approach.

Bryce Sanders is president of Perceptive Business Solutions Inc. He provides HNW client acquisition training for the financial services industry. His book, “Captivating the Wealthy Investor” is available on Amazon.