1000 Ways to Market Your Business

Networking for ROI

• Samantha Scott • Season 2 • Episode 8

Share episode

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

Samantha:

Hi, everyone. Welcome to 1000 Ways to Market Your Business. I'm Samantha Scott, APR. And today we're joined by Jay Johnson, who is my friend, I'm pleased to call you that, and colleague. And he is a networking extraordinaire. And we're going to talk about how networking and community relations can pay off for your business. So Jay, why don't you tell everybody a little bit about you.

Jay:

So I own Bubba's Roadhouse and Saloon. We're a full service restaurant and catering company. We are located in Cape Coral, but we cater throughout the entire county, as well as Charlotte and Collier. So because of that, we need to be out in the community so people know about us, not only in our little place in Cape Coral, but also way beyond and as far as we can reach.

Samantha:

And Jay neglected to say he's also the Chair of the Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce Board.

Jay:

Yes.

Samantha:

And some other organizations.

Jay:

I'm the Member-At-Large for the Cape Coral Chamber of Commerce. And I'm the President of a non profit called Into the Jordan. And I'm a past President for the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, and the current Government Relations Chair for the state Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. Now that we're done with all our time for our podcast.

Samantha:

I was going to say, somewhere in between there he runs the business and sleeps, I think.

Jay:

Not much.

Samantha:

That is true. So I thought Jay would be the perfect person to talk about the value of networking. How do you get started with that? How do you find the most valuable opportunities to network because, I mean, if anybody looks at a Chamber, for example, they've got, you know, Business before Breakfast, they've got all kinds of things all day long. You could spend your time doing that, and that doesn't always pay off. So, I'd like to talk a little bit about making connections and getting involved in the community. So what do you think is or why do you think it's important, I guess let's start there, to grow your network, and how has that impacted your business?

Jay:

I think the impact is great. We'll start there and work backwards. One of the things that we did as I made a point to get out and start meeting people within the community 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 for dinner. But yet I can convince people that I'll drive an hour and bring dinner for a hundred. And so that's really why we start getting out there to have those conversations. So we're meeting people that don't come to the restaurant, haven't necessarily eaten with us, but yet we can do catering business together.

Samantha:

I love that, that's a great marketing point and something I think could be really valuable to our listeners and viewers is thinking about it from two ways. Don't just think about, well I have a physical presence, a brick and mortar that people have to come to; what's an alternative way that we can connect with these individuals and meet them where they are? That's a really great point.

Jay:

And one of the nice things about catering is when I go out and I cater for a hundred people, out of that hundred, maybe 75 haven't heard of us before, depending on where we're at, and now, all of a sudden, I have 75 new fans that will come out to the restaurant, say,"hey that meal was good, let me go eat at the restaurant and see what that's all about."

Samantha:

Absolutely. Well, and word of mouth spreads as well, right?

Jay:

A hundred percent.

Samantha:

Incredibly powerful. And I think that's a big part of networking too is it's not just one connection, one on one, it's how that spreads. You know, for example, like, you and I have a connection and I'm gonna tell people, of course, I'll frequent your establishment, but I'll tell other people about it, and it goes on from there.

Jay:

That's right, and it sounds like we're going to hit marketing points 397 and 402 today, and 563. We're going to hit a lot of them that all come out of networking.

Samantha:

Absolutely.

Jay:

And networking is really the thing that starts it, and as you become involved in the community, things continue to grow and you get more opportunities. One of the things that I've been very blessed with is that because of the networking that I've done and the people I've met is I now get contacted a lot for a lot of news articles. And when you get on the news, that's earned media, where all of a sudden I'm not paying to be there, but yet everyone's seeing it and they're thinking of Bubba's. I may not talk about Bubba's and advertise Bubba's, but I'm wearing the Bubba's logo. Bubba's is underneath, and I get people thinking about,"Hey, I haven't been there in a while."

Samantha:

Yeah, absolutely. That's an expert resource, and I love it. You're using the right terminology. Earned media, that's perfect. And it's trusted. You know, regardless of your opinion of media these days, that's not what we're talking about, but the idea that you are getting exposure to these audiences and you're not paying for it. The cost is your time. And there's a believability factor, because it's not just Jay saying Jay is great or that Bubba's is great. Here, he's providing expert resource. You know, you might talk about catering tips, or you might talk about ways to cook your food in the summer versus the winter, or holiday entertaining, things like that. Things that are valuable. It's not just sell, sell, sell. And I think that is important with public relations and interviews, but it's also important with networking. Because if every time we got together for coffee I just said,"hey, Jay, do you know what we do? Do you know what we do? And we have this sale, we have this." Eventually, you're gonna stop hanging out with me. I would stop hanging out with me. But if we got together and we could exchange ideas and tips and resources and tools, that's a very different engagement.

Jay:

No question. And you got to have more than just your sell point, more than your elevator speech.

Samantha:

Yes.

Jay:

Because if you walk up to everyone and only give your elevator speech, as you said, they're going to stop listening.

Samantha:

Yeah, exactly. Well, and I think it's important and I remind clients all the time, it's not the you show, right? Like it's not just about you because you have to think about the other people, ask questions, get to know them, find ways that you can better connect with them, solve their problems.

Jay:

And that's the flip side to networking. As you get out there, not only do you get people to come into your business, that's where I find most of my vendors. That's where I find people I work with. That's where I find my awesome PR team and those type of things.

Samantha:

Shameless plug for PTE.

Jay:

You know, but those are, those are the things that you find through networking that you wouldn't necessarily find if you stayed within your own building.

Samantha:

Absolutely. Go outside of yourself and your business. We talk a lot about that, finding ways to connect with others, and it's mutually beneficial. I think that you've made a really great point. So, how would you define community engagement and why does it matter from a values, brand awareness, perspective?

Jay:

I think it matters for a lot of reasons. One, it's the community you live in. First and foremost, that's where I spend my time and anything I can do to make the community around 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. And I think that's important. And the other part of being involved in the community is, again, so you're known. So people think top of mind and they think, hey, let's get steak, well, let's go to Bubba's, or, we need to cater this lunch, hey, call Jay. And it's just a matter of always being there, and again, not always beating in that, hey, we can cater your lunch. But just being there so you're top of mind.

Samantha:

I would add to that. I think there's a value in showing people that you care, especially with up and coming generations. They care about businesses and how they're involved with the community and that they're giving back, not just lining their pockets. So if you can find ways to create that connection, maybe there's a similar passion. You know, you were involved with the Gulf Coast Humane Society, their big annual event a number of years ago, and I'm sure made connections with other people who are like,"Oh, wow, he cares about what I care about." So I want to do business with that organization.

Jay:

A hundred percent. And we do a lot of charitable events. We still do a lot of charitable events. And we do a lot of things that are small that we never really talk about. But it's the gift card for the cheerleading team that's raising money. Or taking care of the football team that needs uniforms. And even if we don't have the cash available, depending on time of year, we can still give a gift card that they can in turn sell or raffle. Or find a way to leverage that and use that to their benefit.

Samantha:

I think this is a really great tip for folks is document all of the ways you're engaged with the community, whether that's the number of networking events you're going to and how much time that's taking. What's the value of your time, but also your community engagement. Where are you giving and how are you getting a return on that? There are some things you're going to do just because it's a passion for you and that's wonderful and you should do that. But everything can't be in that same category. We've got to look at things that can create a return on that investment. So, looking at where you're spending your time, are you getting the return for that? Are you creating connections and business leads, relationships? But also where are you giving? So if we are doing it in kind or cash donations or fill in the blank. What's the return on that? Are you getting brand exposure at the event or leading up to it? Are you getting leads to your website? How are you going to track that involvement? It's really, really important. And often, when people are just kind of getting into this and want to evaluate, that's a really easy kind of first step to say,"Wow, this isn't paying off, so I might need to cut this from my list." Or, these are things that are really returning. Excel spreadsheet, Word document, however you want to do it, but that would be a tip from me to kind of evaluate the return you're getting from that time and money you're putting in.

Jay:

Absolutely, and we do that and one of the things we look at is if you're a regular at the restaurant, if you're coming in once a week, once a month, even once a year, and you come in and ask us to support you, we're going to support you with a gift card. And a lot of people look at that like, I can't believe they're helping us, but at the same time we're helping the people that help us.

Samantha:

Absolutely. I think that's such a great perspective, Jay, of like, giving back. Because these are people that are supporting you. It all goes together. And doing what you can. I think that goes a very, very long way. Flip side, because we talked a lot about the positives. When has this backfired? I'll start. I'll give an example. I got involved in too many organizations and was stretched too thin. I was doing public speaking, working, all these kinds of things. And it just became a strain where I wasn't seeing the return and the time demand was too much. And finally I just had to say, I've got to make choices. And I remember someone telling me some time ago, if you're going to get invested in, you know, nonprofits, or networking, or fill in the blank, find one or two things that you can help move forward a mile versus a hundred things you can only move forward an inch. And I took that with me. What's kind of a way that it's backfired for you and how did you deal with that in terms of networking, communication, et cetera?

Jay:

Well, the biggest thing I run into is my time, is that a lot of things I do myself, and you have to really budget your time, which I'm admittedly not the best at.

Samantha:

It's hard working on your business and in your business as an entrepreneur.

Jay:

And it's one of those things that you need to spend your time as a business owner working on your business instead of working in your business, but then there's always the things that happen, that all of a sudden 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 we have to do as business owners and juggle our time, and anytime I have to work in my business that takes priority, because that's the here and now. We're a very in demand business where 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'm done. So, you know that it backfires when I overbook myself. I try not to do that. But if you can make it work, I think it's beneficial to make it work.

Samantha:

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 value to those that I'm engaging with? And are we benefiting as well?

Jay:

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 getting out of that? Because some things don't bring money back, but it's important to do.

Samantha:

Yes. Important to do because it's something you care about. Important to do because the community needs that. I mean, you guys did a ton after Hurricane Ian for the community. Or important to do just because it makes sense for the community. Or like for you, you're supporting your patrons.

Jay:

A hundred percent. Because if our patrons don't do well, if our customers aren't doing well, they're not going to come see me. If they're losing money, they're not going to come in three times a week. They might come in once a week.

Samantha:

Right.

Jay:

But if we can support them and have them do well, all the sudden I'll see them three times a week.

Samantha:

Yeah, absolutely. People support those that support them.

Jay:

No question.

Samantha:

Yeah, absolutely. So how do you choose then? We talked about time. We talked about how we measure this. How do you choose the organizations, the causes, the events that you're going to get involved with and that you're going to go to for networking?

Jay:

So we have kind of a standard that I look at. The first one, if you're coming in looking for a donation, well, we give to almost anyone that comes in, if you have something on letterhead from the organization.

Samantha:

This is going onto the internet, everyone knows now, Jay.

Jay:

They all know, but, but I'm going to want something on letterhead from the organization. And you need to come in. Because any emails that I get just go into an email abyss somewhere that we'll get to at some point. So if you really want the gift card for your event, you need to take the time and come in. So that's the first level. Then there's stuff that I attend. And when we start looking at what we attend, we look at is it an organization that we want to do business with? Is it an organization are we doing business with? Or are there people within the organization 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:

That's a great evaluation, kind of that three prong approach. I really like that. And I think it's a good vetting thing because you can't say yes to everything.

Jay:

Until I can learn how to clone myself to be in three or four places at once, you just can't do it.

Samantha:

It's coming. I'm sure AI will just be able to clone you in a minute, right?

Jay:

I don't think anyone would want to clone me. But, you know, they'll probably figure out a way.

Samantha:

I think people would like to do that. You're a great guy and do so much for the community. And I think, you know, when it comes down to networking, that's part of it is telling your story, getting to know people. Creating those connections that are meaningful, friendships and just different collaborations. I think you made a great point earlier about it's not just how you can acquire patrons, but you're finding people that you can do business with, that you can support.

Jay:

A hundred percent. Yeah. And that's where we find most of our vendors. Most of the people that we work with 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 I can call on a Sunday night at 8 o'clock and say,"Hey, I need you here first thing in the morning on Monday." And they'll be there. Right. Where if you're calling a business that you don't know, and don't have that relationship, maybe you'll see him next Monday.

Samantha:

Yeah, exactly. Maybe. Maybe. Yeah. And we're talking about networking in Southwest Florida, you know, Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry counties, but I think this applies anywhere. You know, this doesn't have to be a small market. It can be a big market. There's lots of ways to put networking to use for your business. I would add, we've talked a lot about kind of in person, events and things like that, but online networking as well, done well, can also pay dividends. We leverage LinkedIn quite a lot, so some of you may have seen my TrendTalks Marketing videos that we do, but other things that we post on there. There's a really great way to connect with folks in business on LinkedIn, and it definitely ties in with what you're saying is find ways that you can help them, and you can create relationships and develop meaningful 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 Florida Public Relations Association, and there's someone at a chapter in North Florida who contacted me and said,"Hey, I'm starting my own business, and I'd love to pick your brain for a couple of minutes on the phone. Do you mind?" And I was happy to do it. 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 network and never would have happened if we hadn't met on LinkedIn. Absolutely. Even though we're in the same organization.

Jay:

Right? And there's people that you communicate with and you network with that you've never met in person, right? I mean, I have some of those that you meet him through Facebook, LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a great place for, on the business side. And, you know, you have those contacts. And when you do meet them in person, you're like,"Oh, I know you from LinkedIn." Yeah. And now all of a sudden you have that opening line. Yep. And you're able to go and start talking to them.

Samantha:

Yeah. Well, I hope this has been helpful. We've talked about how do we vet our engagement? How do we determine value? Different ways to network online, offline. Any parting tips, Jay?

Jay:

Well, I think the big thing about any type of networking is the same thing I always tell people in Chambers and in the Chamber world is that you get out of it what you put into it.

Samantha:

Absolutely.

Jay:

And that nothing is going to come without a little work. You can't want to all of a sudden 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, it doesn't always work. Right. And that's fine. But if you don't do it, you'll never know.

Samantha:

Then it definitely won't work.

Jay:

Right, it's not gonna work.

Samantha:

And I guess I would add one parting thing is that we're all different. Believe it or not, I'm actually an introvert. So networking for me is a little bit different than someone who is extremely extroverted. And that's okay. So know what your boundaries are, know where your strengths are and leverage those and find opportunities that fit for you. Because I can understand some people might be listening to this going,"Oh, that's just not for me going into a room with, you know, 100 people," but there's different ways to approach it, it doesn't always have to be the same kind of old school way that you might think.

Jay:

A hundred percent. And even for me, we talk about doing a lot of networking. I'd be happier sitting on my couch with the TV going

Samantha:

But that wouldn't help your business.

Jay:

It wouldn't help the business.

Samantha:

Absolutely. Well, Jay, thank you for joining. I really appreciate it. I hope this has been helpful. Thank you for tuning into 1000 Ways to Market Your Business. We'll see you next time.