I want to feature 3-4 local restaurants on my card to ensure it is "sticky" and also to help build up my own email list ... so this is how I reached out today. Got a quick reply from the first one and waiting to hear back from the others ... My email pitch: I've dined at [restaurant name] several times with friends and family and I'm also on your email list. I stopped in yesterday and left some information about the local marketing co-op I'm putting together to help us all get more business from local Alexandria residents ... I also am the owner of the [facebook group I'm starting] which is a project I'm launching to connect local area residents with great local businesses like [name] Restaurant .. I invite you to join our growing Facebook group there. Right now I'm looking for 3-4 local family-owned restaurants/pizzerias/bakeries to feature on the Best of Alexandria mailing I'm sending out to 5,000 local Kingstowne residents in the [named] neighborhoods. I'd love to include [restaurant] as one of our favorite local restaurants and I'm wondering if you'd be open to being featured in exchange for providing me with eight $25 Gift Cards I can use as Giveaway incentives for local residents to join the Best of Alexandria email list. I know the restaurant business is a tough one with slim margins which is why I'm open to bartering a space for gift cards in lieu of requesting payment. Spaces are filling fast and I"d like to get this completed and off to print ASAP .. so if you could possibly let me know by Monday if this is something you're even interested in, I'd appreciate it! ======= And their reply within the hour of sending my inquiry: Hi Yvonne, Thank you so much for stopping by yesterday and for following up again today. I truly appreciate your support and the way you promote small, family-owned businesses like ours. It means a lot to us. I’m also very grateful that you’re offering this opportunity in exchange for gift cards — that is incredibly thoughtful and genuinely helpful for small businesses like [name]. I will have the eight $25 gift cards prepared today. You’re welcome to pick them up anytime, or I can mail them to you if that’s easier.

Don't forget to email the info I requested to validate your credibility on the website being created. Put your name first in subject so I can recognize it. I get lots of emails daily.

It will be high.ighting each of you as trained, Certified advisors in educating and providing advanced strategies of marketing for locally owned businesses. Yes I'll be providing the certification in your profile. What i need from each of you is first a good picture, details about you and your life. Such as education, work experience, do you have dog, cat, horses lol, married, number of children etc. your profile will be strategically used to give you credibility, show your real, a validated real life person. Email me the info, what you'd like in your profile. I need this as soon as you can. This site unlike others will be designed to give you credibility and added value as a knowledgeable advisor rather than a salesman perception. Yes it's free to every one. Founding members have benefits. Ill also be creating a "University" tied to skool community to justify your education and certification as well as a continuous student for ongoing training and staying on top of new technology and strategies to help local biz.

I was just talking with Les and the movie, Glengarry Glen Ross came to mind. If you need motivation, or just want to see a great movie for salespeople do yourself a favor and watch or rewatch. Enjoy your steak knives, and... "put that coffee down, coffee's for closers only" ABC, Happy Holidays!

Here is a recording of a zoom call I had with a potential advertiser earlier this week ... Les thought it would be helpful to share with this group. https://youtu.be/U0CuBA3DOkk?si=Va91OlfPuDry11iy&t=38