September 18, 2024 • 17 mins
On this episode of 1000 Ways to Market Your Business, Samantha Scott, APR, is joined by Jay Johnson, owner of Bubba’s Roadhouse and Saloon in Cape Coral, Florida.
The episode delves into the importance of networking and community relations for business growth, covering topics like effective networking, community engagement, balancing time commitments, and the impact of charitable involvement. The two also discuss the value of earned media, online networking techniques, and strategies for choosing the right networking opportunities.
Have a question or feedback to share? Visit www.getpushing.com or one of our many social media channels. We look forward to hearing from you.
#marketing #business #communication #strategy
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Samantha (00:05):
Hi, everyone.
Welcome to 1000 Ways to MarketYour Business.
I'm Samantha Scott, APR.
And today we're joined by JayJohnson, who is my friend, I'm
pleased to call you that, andcolleague.
And he is a networkingextraordinaire.
And we're going to talk abouthow networking and community
relations can pay off for yourbusiness.
So Jay, why don't you telleverybody a little bit about
you.
Jay (00:24):
So I own Bubba's Roadhouse and Saloon.
We're a full service restaurantand catering company.
We are located in Cape Coral,but we cater throughout the
entire county, as well asCharlotte and Collier.
So because of that, we need tobe out in the community so
people know about us, not onlyin our little place in Cape
Coral, but also way beyond andas far as we can reach.
Samantha (00:47):
And Jay neglected to say he's also the Chair of the
Greater Fort Myers Chamber ofCommerce Board.
Jay (00:52):
Yes.
Samantha (00:53):
And some other organizations.
Jay (00:55):
I'm the Member-At-Large for the Cape Coral Chamber of
Commerce.
And I'm the President of a nonprofit called Into the Jordan.
And I'm a past President for theFlorida Restaurant and Lodging
Association, and the currentGovernment Relations Chair for
the state Florida Restaurant andLodging Association.
Now that we're done with all ourtime for our podcast.
Samantha (01:18):
I was going to say, somewhere in between there he
runs the business and sleeps, Ithink.
Jay (01:22):
Not much.
Samantha (01:23):
That is true.
So I thought Jay would be theperfect person to talk about the
value of networking.
How do you get started withthat?
How do you find the mostvaluable opportunities to
network because, I mean, ifanybody looks at a Chamber, for
example, they've got, you know,Business before Breakfast,
they've got all kinds of thingsall day long.
You could spend your time doingthat, and that doesn't always
(01:44):
pay off.
So, I'd like to talk a littlebit about making connections and
getting involved in thecommunity.
So what do you think is or whydo you think it's important, I
guess let's start there, to growyour network, and how has that
impacted your business?
Jay (01:57):
I think the impact is great.
We'll start there and workbackwards.
One of the things that we did asI made a point to get out and
start meeting people within thecommunity and kind of start
close and build out.
And as you build out for us,it's tough to convince someone
to drive an hour to come fordinner.
But yet I can convince peoplethat I'll drive an hour and
(02:19):
bring dinner for a hundred.
And so that's really why westart getting out there to have
those conversations.
So we're meeting people thatdon't come to the restaurant,
haven't necessarily eaten withus, but yet we can do catering
business together.
Samantha (02:33):
I love that, that's a great marketing point and
something I think could bereally valuable to our listeners
and viewers is thinking about itfrom two ways.
Don't just think about, well Ihave a physical presence, a
brick and mortar that peoplehave to come to; what's an
alternative way that we canconnect with these individuals
and meet them where they are?
That's a really great point.
Jay (02:50):
And one of the nice things about catering is when I go out
and I cater for a hundredpeople, out of that hundred,
maybe 75 haven't heard of usbefore, depending on where we're
at, and now, all of a sudden, Ihave 75 new fans that will come
out to the restaurant, say,"heythat meal was good, let me go
eat at the restaurant and seewhat that's all about."
Samantha (03:08):
Absolutely.
Well, and word of mouth spreadsas well, right?
Jay (03:11):
A hundred percent.
Samantha (03:11):
Incredibly powerful.
And I think that's a big part ofnetworking too is it's not just
one connection, one on one, it'show that spreads.
You know, for example, like, youand I have a connection and I'm
gonna tell people, of course,I'll frequent your
establishment, but I'll tellother people about it, and it
goes on from there.
Jay (03:26):
That's right, and it sounds like we're going to hit
marketing points 397 and 402today, and 563.
We're going to hit a lot of themthat all come out of networking.
Samantha (03:35):
Absolutely.
Jay (03:36):
And networking is really the thing that starts it, and as
you become involved in thecommunity, things continue to
grow and you get moreopportunities.
One of the things that I've beenvery blessed with is that
because of the networking thatI've done and the people I've
met is I now get contacted a lotfor a lot of news articles.
And when you get on the news,that's earned media, where all
(03:59):
of a sudden I'm not paying to bethere, but yet everyone's seeing
it and they're thinking ofBubba's.
I may not talk about Bubba's andadvertise Bubba's, but I'm
wearing the Bubba's logo.
Bubba's is underneath, and I getpeople thinking about,"Hey, I
haven't been there in a while."
Samantha (04:13):
Yeah, absolutely.
That's an expert resource, and Ilove it.
You're using the rightterminology.
Earned media, that's perfect.
And it's trusted.
You know, regardless of youropinion of media these days,
that's not what we're talkingabout, but the idea that you are
getting exposure to theseaudiences and you're not paying
for it.
The cost is your time.
And there's a believabilityfactor, because it's not just
(04:33):
Jay saying Jay is great or thatBubba's is great.
Here, he's providing expertresource.
You know, you might talk aboutcatering tips, or you might talk
about ways to cook your food inthe summer versus the winter, or
holiday entertaining, thingslike that.
Things that are valuable.
It's not just sell, sell, sell.
And I think that is importantwith public relations and
interviews, but it's alsoimportant with networking.
(04:54):
Because if every time we gottogether for coffee I just said,
"hey, Jay, do you know what wedo?
Do you know what we do?
And we have this sale, we havethis." Eventually, you're gonna
stop hanging out with me.
I would stop hanging out withme.
But if we got together and wecould exchange ideas and tips
and resources and tools, that'sa very different engagement.
Jay (05:10):
No question.
And you got to have more thanjust your sell point, more than
your elevator speech.
Samantha (05:15):
Yes.
Jay (05:16):
Because if you walk up to everyone and only give your
elevator speech, as you said,they're going to stop listening.
Samantha (05:21):
Yeah, exactly.
Well, and I think it's importantand I remind clients all the
time, it's not the you show,right?
Like it's not just about youbecause you have to think about
the other people, ask questions,get to know them, find ways that
you can better connect withthem, solve their problems.
Jay (05:36):
And that's the flip side to networking.
As you get out there, not onlydo you get people to come into
your business, that's where Ifind most of my vendors.
That's where I find people Iwork with.
That's where I find my awesomePR team and those type of
things.
Samantha (05:50):
Shameless plug for PTE.
Jay (05:52):
You know, but those are, those are the things that you
find through networking that youwouldn't necessarily find if you
stayed within your own building.
Samantha (05:59):
Absolutely.
Go outside of yourself and yourbusiness.
We talk a lot about that,finding ways to connect with
others, and it's mutuallybeneficial.
I think that you've made areally great point.
So, how would you definecommunity engagement and why
does it matter from a values,brand awareness, perspective?
Jay (06:18):
I think it matters for a lot of reasons.
One, it's the community you livein.
First and foremost, that's whereI spend my time and anything I
can do to make the communityaround me better is going to be
good, not only for my business,but for those around me.
It's the all boats rise theory,where if everyone's doing well,
then it just continues to grow.
(06:38):
And I think that's important.
And the other part of beinginvolved in the community is,
again, so you're known.
So people think top of mind andthey think, hey, let's get
steak, well, let's go toBubba's, or, we need to cater
this lunch, hey, call Jay.
And it's just a matter of alwaysbeing there, and again, not
always beating in that, hey, wecan cater your lunch.
(06:59):
But just being there so you'retop of mind.
Samantha (07:01):
I would add to that.
I think there's a value inshowing people that you care,
especially with up and cominggenerations.
They care about businesses andhow they're involved with the
community and that they'regiving back, not just lining
their pockets.
So if you can find ways tocreate that connection, maybe
there's a similar passion.
You know, you were involved withthe Gulf Coast Humane Society,
their big annual event a numberof years ago, and I'm sure made
(07:23):
connections with other peoplewho are like,"Oh, wow, he cares
about what I care about." So Iwant to do business with that
organization.
Jay (07:30):
A hundred percent.
And we do a lot of charitableevents.
We still do a lot of charitableevents.
And we do a lot of things thatare small that we never really
talk about.
But it's the gift card for thecheerleading team that's raising
money.
Or taking care of the footballteam that needs uniforms.
And even if we don't have thecash available, depending on
time of year, we can still givea gift card that they can in
(07:52):
turn sell or raffle.
Or find a way to leverage thatand use that to their benefit.
Samantha (07:57):
I think this is a really great tip for folks is
document all of the ways you'reengaged with the community,
whether that's the number ofnetworking events you're going
to and how much time that'staking.
What's the value of your time,but also your community
engagement.
Where are you giving and how areyou getting a return on that?
There are some things you'regoing to do just because it's a
passion for you and that'swonderful and you should do
(08:19):
that.
But everything can't be in thatsame category.
We've got to look at things thatcan create a return on that
investment.
So, looking at where you'respending your time, are you
getting the return for that?
Are you creating connections andbusiness leads, relationships?
But also where are you giving?
So if we are doing it in kind orcash donations or fill in the
blank.
What's the return on that?
(08:40):
Are you getting brand exposureat the event or leading up to
it?
Are you getting leads to yourwebsite?
How are you going to track thatinvolvement?
It's really, really important.
And often, when people are justkind of getting into this and
want to evaluate, that's areally easy kind of first step
to say,"Wow, this isn't payingoff, so I might need to cut this
from my list." Or, these arethings that are really
returning.
Excel spreadsheet, Worddocument, however you want to do
(09:02):
it, but that would be a tip fromme to kind of evaluate the
return you're getting from thattime and money you're putting
in.
Jay (09:08):
Absolutely, and we do that and one of the things we look at
is if you're a regular at therestaurant, if you're coming in
once a week, once a month, evenonce a year, and you come in and
ask us to support you, we'regoing to support you with a gift
card.
And a lot of people look at thatlike, I can't believe they're
helping us, but at the same timewe're helping the people that
help us.
Samantha (09:28):
Absolutely.
I think that's such a greatperspective, Jay, of like,
giving back.
Because these are people thatare supporting you.
It all goes together.
And doing what you can.
I think that goes a very, verylong way.
Flip side, because we talked alot about the positives.
When has this backfired?
I'll start.
I'll give an example.
I got involved in too manyorganizations and was stretched
(09:49):
too thin.
I was doing public speaking,working, all these kinds of
things.
And it just became a strainwhere I wasn't seeing the return
and the time demand was toomuch.
And finally I just had to say,I've got to make choices.
And I remember someone tellingme some time ago, if you're
going to get invested in, youknow, nonprofits, or networking,
or fill in the blank, find oneor two things that you can help
(10:09):
move forward a mile versus ahundred things you can only move
forward an inch.
And I took that with me.
What's kind of a way that it'sbackfired for you and how did
you deal with that in terms ofnetworking, communication, et
cetera?
Jay (10:21):
Well, the biggest thing I run into is my time, is that a
lot of things I do myself, andyou have to really budget your
time, which I'm admittedly notthe best at.
Samantha (10:33):
It's hard working on your business and in your
business as an entrepreneur.
Jay (10:37):
And it's one of those things that you need to spend
your time as a business ownerworking on your business instead
of working in your business, butthen there's always the things
that happen, that all of asudden you're working in the
business.
For us it means i'm cooking,right or serving, I was waiting
tables this Saturday.
But those are things that wehave to do as business owners
and juggle our time, and anytimeI have to work in my business
(11:00):
that takes priority, becausethat's the here and now.
We're a very in demand businesswhere if you order, you expect
that food in 10 minutes.
So I can't say, well, I'm sorry,I'm at a luncheon, I'll be back
and get that for you when I'mdone.
So, you know that it backfireswhen I overbook myself.
I try not to do that.
But if you can make it work, Ithink it's beneficial to make it
(11:22):
work.
Samantha (11:24):
I think it comes down to that evaluation, you know, is
where am I spending my time?
What am I getting for this?
And can I provide the most valueto those that I'm engaging with?
And are we benefiting as well?
Jay (11:35):
And depending on how you look at it, you're either
looking at the ROI, or the WIFM,depending on what's coming back.
Those that don't know WIFM,what's in it for me?
And basically, what am I gettingout of that?
Because some things don't bringmoney back, but it's important
to do.
Samantha (11:50):
Yes.
Important to do because it'ssomething you care about.
Important to do because thecommunity needs that.
I mean, you guys did a ton afterHurricane Ian for the community.
Or important to do just becauseit makes sense for the
community.
Or like for you, you'resupporting your patrons.
Jay (12:05):
A hundred percent.
Because if our patrons don't dowell, if our customers aren't
doing well, they're not going tocome see me.
If they're losing money, they'renot going to come in three times
a week.
They might come in once a week.
Samantha (12:15):
Right.
Jay (12:16):
But if we can support them and have them do well, all the
sudden I'll see them three timesa week.
Samantha (12:20):
Yeah, absolutely.
People support those thatsupport them.
Jay (12:24):
No question.
Samantha (12:24):
Yeah, absolutely.
So how do you choose then?
We talked about time.
We talked about how we measurethis.
How do you choose theorganizations, the causes, the
events that you're going to getinvolved with and that you're
going to go to for networking?
Jay (12:35):
So we have kind of a standard that I look at.
The first one, if you're comingin looking for a donation, well,
we give to almost anyone thatcomes in, if you have something
on letterhead from theorganization.
Samantha (12:48):
This is going onto the internet, everyone knows now,
Jay.
Jay (12:50):
They all know, but, but I'm going to want something on
letterhead from theorganization.
And you need to come in.
Because any emails that I getjust go into an email abyss
somewhere that we'll get to atsome point.
So if you really want the giftcard for your event, you need to
take the time and come in.
So that's the first level.
Then there's stuff that Iattend.
And when we start looking atwhat we attend, we look at is it
(13:12):
an organization that we want todo business with?
Is it an organization are wedoing business with?
Or are there people within theorganization that I want to do
business with.
And that's kind of how we look,we judge, and I judge where to
go and how to schedule my time.
Samantha (13:26):
That's a great evaluation, kind of that three
prong approach.
I really like that.
And I think it's a good vettingthing because you can't say yes
to everything.
Jay (13:34):
Until I can learn how to clone myself to be in three or
four places at once, you justcan't do it.
Samantha (13:38):
It's coming.
I'm sure AI will just be able toclone you in a minute, right?
Jay (13:42):
I don't think anyone would want to clone me.
But, you know, they'll probablyfigure out a way.
Samantha (13:46):
I think people would like to do that.
You're a great guy and do somuch for the community.
And I think, you know, when itcomes down to networking, that's
part of it is telling yourstory, getting to know people.
Creating those connections thatare meaningful, friendships and
just different collaborations.
I think you made a great pointearlier about it's not just how
you can acquire patrons, butyou're finding people that you
can do business with, that youcan support.
Jay (14:07):
A hundred percent.
Yeah.
And that's where we find most ofour vendors.
Most of the people that we workwith have come from an event or
have come from a relationship.
And they become better vendors.
They become better partners.
You know, I have people that Ican call on a Sunday night at 8
o'clock and say,"Hey, I need youhere first thing in the morning
on Monday." And they'll bethere.
(14:28):
Right.
Where if you're calling abusiness that you don't know,
and don't have thatrelationship, maybe you'll see
him next Monday.
Samantha (14:35):
Yeah, exactly.
Maybe.
Maybe.
Yeah.
And we're talking aboutnetworking in Southwest Florida,
you know, Lee, Collier,Charlotte, Hendry counties, but
I think this applies anywhere.
You know, this doesn't have tobe a small market.
It can be a big market.
There's lots of ways to putnetworking to use for your
business.
I would add, we've talked a lotabout kind of in person, events
(14:57):
and things like that, but onlinenetworking as well, done well,
can also pay dividends.
We leverage LinkedIn quite alot, so some of you may have
seen my TrendTalks Marketingvideos that we do, but other
things that we post on there.
There's a really great way toconnect with folks in business
on LinkedIn, and it definitelyties in with what you're saying
is find ways that you can helpthem, and you can create
(15:18):
relationships and developmeaningful connections, because
then you can call in someone,"Hey, can I pick your brain on
X?" I just had that happen.
So I'm a member of the FloridaPublic Relations Association,
and there's someone at a chapterin North Florida who contacted
me and said,"Hey, I'm startingmy own business, and I'd love to
pick your brain for a couple ofminutes on the phone.
Do you mind?" And I was happy todo it.
(15:40):
I was driving somewhere.
Sure.
Give me a call.
Well, then later, a few months,I had a question for her, and it
was a fantastic way to networkand never would have happened if
we hadn't met on LinkedIn.
Absolutely.
Even though we're in the sameorganization.
Jay (15:52):
Right?
And there's people that youcommunicate with and you network
with that you've never met inperson, right?
I mean, I have some of thosethat you meet him through
Facebook, LinkedIn.
LinkedIn is a great place for,on the business side.
And, you know, you have thosecontacts.
And when you do meet them inperson, you're like,"Oh, I know
you from LinkedIn." Yeah.
And now all of a sudden you havethat opening line.
(16:13):
Yep.
And you're able to go and starttalking to them.
Samantha (16:15):
Yeah.
Well, I hope this has beenhelpful.
We've talked about how do we vetour engagement?
How do we determine value?
Different ways to networkonline, offline.
Any parting tips, Jay?
Jay (16:27):
Well, I think the big thing about any type of networking is
the same thing I always tellpeople in Chambers and in the
Chamber world is that you getout of it what you put into it.
Samantha (16:36):
Absolutely.
Jay (16:37):
And that nothing is going to come without a little work.
You can't want to all of asudden be the best networker and
never done it before.
Right.
You have to get out there.
You have to talk.
You have to get your feet wet.
And as you pointed out, itdoesn't always work.
Right.
And that's fine.
But if you don't do it, you'llnever know.
Samantha (16:56):
Then it definitely won't work.
Jay (16:57):
Right, it's not gonna work.
Samantha (16:58):
And I guess I would add one parting thing is that
we're all different.
Believe it or not, I'm actuallyan introvert.
So networking for me is a littlebit different than someone who
is extremely extroverted.
And that's okay.
So know what your boundariesare, know where your strengths
are and leverage those and findopportunities that fit for you.
Because I can understand somepeople might be listening to
this going,"Oh, that's just notfor me going into a room with,
(17:20):
you know, 100 people," butthere's different ways to
approach it, it doesn't alwayshave to be the same kind of old
school way that you might think.
Jay (17:26):
A hundred percent.
And even for me, we talk aboutdoing a lot of networking.
I'd be happier sitting on mycouch with the TV going
Samantha (17:34):
But that wouldn't help your business.
Jay (17:36):
It wouldn't help the business.
Samantha (17:36):
Absolutely.
Well, Jay, thank you forjoining.
I really appreciate it.
I hope this has been helpful.
Thank you for tuning into 1000Ways to Market Your Business.
We'll see you next time.
Hi, everyone.
Welcome to 1000 Ways to MarketYour Business.
I'm Samantha Scott, APR.
And today we're joined by JayJohnson, who is my friend, I'm
pleased to call you that, andcolleague.
And he is a networkingextraordinaire.
And we're going to talk abouthow networking and community
relations can pay off for yourbusiness.
So Jay, why don't you telleverybody a little bit about
you.
Jay (00:24):
So I own Bubba's Roadhouse and Saloon.
We're a full service restaurantand catering company.
We are located in Cape Coral,but we cater throughout the
entire county, as well asCharlotte and Collier.
So because of that, we need tobe out in the community so
people know about us, not onlyin our little place in Cape
Coral, but also way beyond andas far as we can reach.
Samantha (00:47):
And Jay neglected to say he's also the Chair of the
Greater Fort Myers Chamber ofCommerce Board.
Jay (00:52):
Yes.
Samantha (00:53):
And some other organizations.
Jay (00:55):
I'm the Member-At-Large for the Cape Coral Chamber of
Commerce.
And I'm the President of a nonprofit called Into the Jordan.
And I'm a past President for theFlorida Restaurant and Lodging
Association, and the currentGovernment Relations Chair for
the state Florida Restaurant andLodging Association.
Now that we're done with all ourtime for our podcast.
Samantha (01:18):
I was going to say, somewhere in between there he
runs the business and sleeps, Ithink.
Jay (01:22):
Not much.
Samantha (01:23):
That is true.
So I thought Jay would be theperfect person to talk about the
value of networking.
How do you get started withthat?
How do you find the mostvaluable opportunities to
network because, I mean, ifanybody looks at a Chamber, for
example, they've got, you know,Business before Breakfast,
they've got all kinds of thingsall day long.
You could spend your time doingthat, and that doesn't always
(01:44):
pay off.
So, I'd like to talk a littlebit about making connections and
getting involved in thecommunity.
So what do you think is or whydo you think it's important, I
guess let's start there, to growyour network, and how has that
impacted your business?
Jay (01:57):
I think the impact is great.
We'll start there and workbackwards.
One of the things that we did asI made a point to get out and
start meeting people within thecommunity and kind of start
close and build out.
And as you build out for us,it's tough to convince someone
to drive an hour to come fordinner.
But yet I can convince peoplethat I'll drive an hour and
(02:19):
bring dinner for a hundred.
And so that's really why westart getting out there to have
those conversations.
So we're meeting people thatdon't come to the restaurant,
haven't necessarily eaten withus, but yet we can do catering
business together.
Samantha (02:33):
I love that, that's a great marketing point and
something I think could bereally valuable to our listeners
and viewers is thinking about itfrom two ways.
Don't just think about, well Ihave a physical presence, a
brick and mortar that peoplehave to come to; what's an
alternative way that we canconnect with these individuals
and meet them where they are?
That's a really great point.
Jay (02:50):
And one of the nice things about catering is when I go out
and I cater for a hundredpeople, out of that hundred,
maybe 75 haven't heard of usbefore, depending on where we're
at, and now, all of a sudden, Ihave 75 new fans that will come
out to the restaurant, say,"heythat meal was good, let me go
eat at the restaurant and seewhat that's all about."
Samantha (03:08):
Absolutely.
Well, and word of mouth spreadsas well, right?
Jay (03:11):
A hundred percent.
Samantha (03:11):
Incredibly powerful.
And I think that's a big part ofnetworking too is it's not just
one connection, one on one, it'show that spreads.
You know, for example, like, youand I have a connection and I'm
gonna tell people, of course,I'll frequent your
establishment, but I'll tellother people about it, and it
goes on from there.
Jay (03:26):
That's right, and it sounds like we're going to hit
marketing points 397 and 402today, and 563.
We're going to hit a lot of themthat all come out of networking.
Samantha (03:35):
Absolutely.
Jay (03:36):
And networking is really the thing that starts it, and as
you become involved in thecommunity, things continue to
grow and you get moreopportunities.
One of the things that I've beenvery blessed with is that
because of the networking thatI've done and the people I've
met is I now get contacted a lotfor a lot of news articles.
And when you get on the news,that's earned media, where all
(03:59):
of a sudden I'm not paying to bethere, but yet everyone's seeing
it and they're thinking ofBubba's.
I may not talk about Bubba's andadvertise Bubba's, but I'm
wearing the Bubba's logo.
Bubba's is underneath, and I getpeople thinking about,"Hey, I
haven't been there in a while."
Samantha (04:13):
Yeah, absolutely.
That's an expert resource, and Ilove it.
You're using the rightterminology.
Earned media, that's perfect.
And it's trusted.
You know, regardless of youropinion of media these days,
that's not what we're talkingabout, but the idea that you are
getting exposure to theseaudiences and you're not paying
for it.
The cost is your time.
And there's a believabilityfactor, because it's not just
(04:33):
Jay saying Jay is great or thatBubba's is great.
Here, he's providing expertresource.
You know, you might talk aboutcatering tips, or you might talk
about ways to cook your food inthe summer versus the winter, or
holiday entertaining, thingslike that.
Things that are valuable.
It's not just sell, sell, sell.
And I think that is importantwith public relations and
interviews, but it's alsoimportant with networking.
(04:54):
Because if every time we gottogether for coffee I just said,
"hey, Jay, do you know what wedo?
Do you know what we do?
And we have this sale, we havethis." Eventually, you're gonna
stop hanging out with me.
I would stop hanging out withme.
But if we got together and wecould exchange ideas and tips
and resources and tools, that'sa very different engagement.
Jay (05:10):
No question.
And you got to have more thanjust your sell point, more than
your elevator speech.
Samantha (05:15):
Yes.
Jay (05:16):
Because if you walk up to everyone and only give your
elevator speech, as you said,they're going to stop listening.
Samantha (05:21):
Yeah, exactly.
Well, and I think it's importantand I remind clients all the
time, it's not the you show,right?
Like it's not just about youbecause you have to think about
the other people, ask questions,get to know them, find ways that
you can better connect withthem, solve their problems.
Jay (05:36):
And that's the flip side to networking.
As you get out there, not onlydo you get people to come into
your business, that's where Ifind most of my vendors.
That's where I find people Iwork with.
That's where I find my awesomePR team and those type of
things.
Samantha (05:50):
Shameless plug for PTE.
Jay (05:52):
You know, but those are, those are the things that you
find through networking that youwouldn't necessarily find if you
stayed within your own building.
Samantha (05:59):
Absolutely.
Go outside of yourself and yourbusiness.
We talk a lot about that,finding ways to connect with
others, and it's mutuallybeneficial.
I think that you've made areally great point.
So, how would you definecommunity engagement and why
does it matter from a values,brand awareness, perspective?
Jay (06:18):
I think it matters for a lot of reasons.
One, it's the community you livein.
First and foremost, that's whereI spend my time and anything I
can do to make the communityaround me better is going to be
good, not only for my business,but for those around me.
It's the all boats rise theory,where if everyone's doing well,
then it just continues to grow.
(06:38):
And I think that's important.
And the other part of beinginvolved in the community is,
again, so you're known.
So people think top of mind andthey think, hey, let's get
steak, well, let's go toBubba's, or, we need to cater
this lunch, hey, call Jay.
And it's just a matter of alwaysbeing there, and again, not
always beating in that, hey, wecan cater your lunch.
(06:59):
But just being there so you'retop of mind.
Samantha (07:01):
I would add to that.
I think there's a value inshowing people that you care,
especially with up and cominggenerations.
They care about businesses andhow they're involved with the
community and that they'regiving back, not just lining
their pockets.
So if you can find ways tocreate that connection, maybe
there's a similar passion.
You know, you were involved withthe Gulf Coast Humane Society,
their big annual event a numberof years ago, and I'm sure made
(07:23):
connections with other peoplewho are like,"Oh, wow, he cares
about what I care about." So Iwant to do business with that
organization.
Jay (07:30):
A hundred percent.
And we do a lot of charitableevents.
We still do a lot of charitableevents.
And we do a lot of things thatare small that we never really
talk about.
But it's the gift card for thecheerleading team that's raising
money.
Or taking care of the footballteam that needs uniforms.
And even if we don't have thecash available, depending on
time of year, we can still givea gift card that they can in
(07:52):
turn sell or raffle.
Or find a way to leverage thatand use that to their benefit.
Samantha (07:57):
I think this is a really great tip for folks is
document all of the ways you'reengaged with the community,
whether that's the number ofnetworking events you're going
to and how much time that'staking.
What's the value of your time,but also your community
engagement.
Where are you giving and how areyou getting a return on that?
There are some things you'regoing to do just because it's a
passion for you and that'swonderful and you should do
(08:19):
that.
But everything can't be in thatsame category.
We've got to look at things thatcan create a return on that
investment.
So, looking at where you'respending your time, are you
getting the return for that?
Are you creating connections andbusiness leads, relationships?
But also where are you giving?
So if we are doing it in kind orcash donations or fill in the
blank.
What's the return on that?
(08:40):
Are you getting brand exposureat the event or leading up to
it?
Are you getting leads to yourwebsite?
How are you going to track thatinvolvement?
It's really, really important.
And often, when people are justkind of getting into this and
want to evaluate, that's areally easy kind of first step
to say,"Wow, this isn't payingoff, so I might need to cut this
from my list." Or, these arethings that are really
returning.
Excel spreadsheet, Worddocument, however you want to do
(09:02):
it, but that would be a tip fromme to kind of evaluate the
return you're getting from thattime and money you're putting
in.
Jay (09:08):
Absolutely, and we do that and one of the things we look at
is if you're a regular at therestaurant, if you're coming in
once a week, once a month, evenonce a year, and you come in and
ask us to support you, we'regoing to support you with a gift
card.
And a lot of people look at thatlike, I can't believe they're
helping us, but at the same timewe're helping the people that
help us.
Samantha (09:28):
Absolutely.
I think that's such a greatperspective, Jay, of like,
giving back.
Because these are people thatare supporting you.
It all goes together.
And doing what you can.
I think that goes a very, verylong way.
Flip side, because we talked alot about the positives.
When has this backfired?
I'll start.
I'll give an example.
I got involved in too manyorganizations and was stretched
(09:49):
too thin.
I was doing public speaking,working, all these kinds of
things.
And it just became a strainwhere I wasn't seeing the return
and the time demand was toomuch.
And finally I just had to say,I've got to make choices.
And I remember someone tellingme some time ago, if you're
going to get invested in, youknow, nonprofits, or networking,
or fill in the blank, find oneor two things that you can help
(10:09):
move forward a mile versus ahundred things you can only move
forward an inch.
And I took that with me.
What's kind of a way that it'sbackfired for you and how did
you deal with that in terms ofnetworking, communication, et
cetera?
Jay (10:21):
Well, the biggest thing I run into is my time, is that a
lot of things I do myself, andyou have to really budget your
time, which I'm admittedly notthe best at.
Samantha (10:33):
It's hard working on your business and in your
business as an entrepreneur.
Jay (10:37):
And it's one of those things that you need to spend
your time as a business ownerworking on your business instead
of working in your business, butthen there's always the things
that happen, that all of asudden you're working in the
business.
For us it means i'm cooking,right or serving, I was waiting
tables this Saturday.
But those are things that wehave to do as business owners
and juggle our time, and anytimeI have to work in my business
(11:00):
that takes priority, becausethat's the here and now.
We're a very in demand businesswhere if you order, you expect
that food in 10 minutes.
So I can't say, well, I'm sorry,I'm at a luncheon, I'll be back
and get that for you when I'mdone.
So, you know that it backfireswhen I overbook myself.
I try not to do that.
But if you can make it work, Ithink it's beneficial to make it
(11:22):
work.
Samantha (11:24):
I think it comes down to that evaluation, you know, is
where am I spending my time?
What am I getting for this?
And can I provide the most valueto those that I'm engaging with?
And are we benefiting as well?
Jay (11:35):
And depending on how you look at it, you're either
looking at the ROI, or the WIFM,depending on what's coming back.
Those that don't know WIFM,what's in it for me?
And basically, what am I gettingout of that?
Because some things don't bringmoney back, but it's important
to do.
Samantha (11:50):
Yes.
Important to do because it'ssomething you care about.
Important to do because thecommunity needs that.
I mean, you guys did a ton afterHurricane Ian for the community.
Or important to do just becauseit makes sense for the
community.
Or like for you, you'resupporting your patrons.
Jay (12:05):
A hundred percent.
Because if our patrons don't dowell, if our customers aren't
doing well, they're not going tocome see me.
If they're losing money, they'renot going to come in three times
a week.
They might come in once a week.
Samantha (12:15):
Right.
Jay (12:16):
But if we can support them and have them do well, all the
sudden I'll see them three timesa week.
Samantha (12:20):
Yeah, absolutely.
People support those thatsupport them.
Jay (12:24):
No question.
Samantha (12:24):
Yeah, absolutely.
So how do you choose then?
We talked about time.
We talked about how we measurethis.
How do you choose theorganizations, the causes, the
events that you're going to getinvolved with and that you're
going to go to for networking?
Jay (12:35):
So we have kind of a standard that I look at.
The first one, if you're comingin looking for a donation, well,
we give to almost anyone thatcomes in, if you have something
on letterhead from theorganization.
Samantha (12:48):
This is going onto the internet, everyone knows now,
Jay.
Jay (12:50):
They all know, but, but I'm going to want something on
letterhead from theorganization.
And you need to come in.
Because any emails that I getjust go into an email abyss
somewhere that we'll get to atsome point.
So if you really want the giftcard for your event, you need to
take the time and come in.
So that's the first level.
Then there's stuff that Iattend.
And when we start looking atwhat we attend, we look at is it
(13:12):
an organization that we want todo business with?
Is it an organization are wedoing business with?
Or are there people within theorganization that I want to do
business with.
And that's kind of how we look,we judge, and I judge where to
go and how to schedule my time.
Samantha (13:26):
That's a great evaluation, kind of that three
prong approach.
I really like that.
And I think it's a good vettingthing because you can't say yes
to everything.
Jay (13:34):
Until I can learn how to clone myself to be in three or
four places at once, you justcan't do it.
Samantha (13:38):
It's coming.
I'm sure AI will just be able toclone you in a minute, right?
Jay (13:42):
I don't think anyone would want to clone me.
But, you know, they'll probablyfigure out a way.
Samantha (13:46):
I think people would like to do that.
You're a great guy and do somuch for the community.
And I think, you know, when itcomes down to networking, that's
part of it is telling yourstory, getting to know people.
Creating those connections thatare meaningful, friendships and
just different collaborations.
I think you made a great pointearlier about it's not just how
you can acquire patrons, butyou're finding people that you
can do business with, that youcan support.
Jay (14:07):
A hundred percent.
Yeah.
And that's where we find most ofour vendors.
Most of the people that we workwith have come from an event or
have come from a relationship.
And they become better vendors.
They become better partners.
You know, I have people that Ican call on a Sunday night at 8
o'clock and say,"Hey, I need youhere first thing in the morning
on Monday." And they'll bethere.
(14:28):
Right.
Where if you're calling abusiness that you don't know,
and don't have thatrelationship, maybe you'll see
him next Monday.
Samantha (14:35):
Yeah, exactly.
Maybe.
Maybe.
Yeah.
And we're talking aboutnetworking in Southwest Florida,
you know, Lee, Collier,Charlotte, Hendry counties, but
I think this applies anywhere.
You know, this doesn't have tobe a small market.
It can be a big market.
There's lots of ways to putnetworking to use for your
business.
I would add, we've talked a lotabout kind of in person, events
(14:57):
and things like that, but onlinenetworking as well, done well,
can also pay dividends.
We leverage LinkedIn quite alot, so some of you may have
seen my TrendTalks Marketingvideos that we do, but other
things that we post on there.
There's a really great way toconnect with folks in business
on LinkedIn, and it definitelyties in with what you're saying
is find ways that you can helpthem, and you can create
(15:18):
relationships and developmeaningful connections, because
then you can call in someone,"Hey, can I pick your brain on
X?" I just had that happen.
So I'm a member of the FloridaPublic Relations Association,
and there's someone at a chapterin North Florida who contacted
me and said,"Hey, I'm startingmy own business, and I'd love to
pick your brain for a couple ofminutes on the phone.
Do you mind?" And I was happy todo it.
(15:40):
I was driving somewhere.
Sure.
Give me a call.
Well, then later, a few months,I had a question for her, and it
was a fantastic way to networkand never would have happened if
we hadn't met on LinkedIn.
Absolutely.
Even though we're in the sameorganization.
Jay (15:52):
Right?
And there's people that youcommunicate with and you network
with that you've never met inperson, right?
I mean, I have some of thosethat you meet him through
Facebook, LinkedIn.
LinkedIn is a great place for,on the business side.
And, you know, you have thosecontacts.
And when you do meet them inperson, you're like,"Oh, I know
you from LinkedIn." Yeah.
And now all of a sudden you havethat opening line.
(16:13):
Yep.
And you're able to go and starttalking to them.
Samantha (16:15):
Yeah.
Well, I hope this has beenhelpful.
We've talked about how do we vetour engagement?
How do we determine value?
Different ways to networkonline, offline.
Any parting tips, Jay?
Jay (16:27):
Well, I think the big thing about any type of networking is
the same thing I always tellpeople in Chambers and in the
Chamber world is that you getout of it what you put into it.
Samantha (16:36):
Absolutely.
Jay (16:37):
And that nothing is going to come without a little work.
You can't want to all of asudden be the best networker and
never done it before.
Right.
You have to get out there.
You have to talk.
You have to get your feet wet.
And as you pointed out, itdoesn't always work.
Right.
And that's fine.
But if you don't do it, you'llnever know.
Samantha (16:56):
Then it definitely won't work.
Jay (16:57):
Right, it's not gonna work.
Samantha (16:58):
And I guess I would add one parting thing is that
we're all different.
Believe it or not, I'm actuallyan introvert.
So networking for me is a littlebit different than someone who
is extremely extroverted.
And that's okay.
So know what your boundariesare, know where your strengths
are and leverage those and findopportunities that fit for you.
Because I can understand somepeople might be listening to
this going,"Oh, that's just notfor me going into a room with,
(17:20):
you know, 100 people," butthere's different ways to
approach it, it doesn't alwayshave to be the same kind of old
school way that you might think.
Jay (17:26):
A hundred percent.
And even for me, we talk aboutdoing a lot of networking.
I'd be happier sitting on mycouch with the TV going
Samantha (17:34):
But that wouldn't help your business.
Jay (17:36):
It wouldn't help the business.
Samantha (17:36):
Absolutely.
Well, Jay, thank you forjoining.
I really appreciate it.
I hope this has been helpful.
Thank you for tuning into 1000Ways to Market Your Business.
We'll see you next time.
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