If you want to work with small businesses, you have 20 seconds to get their attention. Here’s what you do.
- Get a list of 3 businesses you want to approach with your Unique Selling Proposition
- Make sure all 3 businesses are close together and then buy either bagels or donuts for each. Now make sure to go there before business hours. The boss is usually there before everyone else, and it’s probably the slowest part of his/her day.
- Have this short conversation
If the boss is in, say:
Can I trade you 6 bagels and cream cheese… for no more than 3-minutes of your time… to give you an idea on how to lower your taxes… and then you can either kick me out or we can set up a time to get you more information?
The important phrase is “no more than 3-minutes of your time.” Tell them up front that this will NOT be a long conversation… and the ball will be in their court as to whether they want to meet again later. This up front declaration makes them much more likely to give you 3-minutes to hook them with your Unique Selling Proposition.
If the boss isn’t in, say:
Can I trade you 6 bagels and cream cheese… for you to let your boss know I’ll be giving him a call for NO MORE than 3-minutes of their time… to give them an idea on how to lower his/her taxes… and if after that 3-minute conversation they want me to take a hike… I will?
This will get you at least one… and most often two meetings a day, if you truly have a unique solution to one of their problems. I used taxes in this example.
