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Looking for a powerful marketing strategy for music for a wedding or a party?
Or perhaps you want a similar marketing strategy for a different program you’re involved in?
I am excited to tell you about a powerful marketing strategy I used several years ago. It’s a great example of the benefits of cross-promotion.
Let me tell you about one of the best examples.
A few years ago, six colleagues and I co-sponsored a party for about 150 people planning office holiday parties. In addition to the Magnolia Jazz Band, participants were Frances Carter (Morton’s The Steakhouse), Caterina Dan (Le Boulanger), Bond Patel (The Plaza Suites), Michael McLain (Hyatt Regency Santa Clara), Chris Citti (Citti’s Florist), and Jen Jaciw (Lone Star Limousine).
The seven of us pooled our lists of favorite clients and invited all of them to enjoy food, drinks, music, a festive atmosphere, and an opportunity to speak with each of us about helping with their company holiday parties.
Sorry for such a long sentence. But it was an exciting time. In two hours, everyone there shared lots of business cards and established many new working relationships. I’m sure they’ll lead to our collaborating on lots of office parties.
I recently wrote about planing music for an office holiday party, and here is a photo from a recent holiday party, one we’ve entertained at annually for the past 25 years.
The magic of tonight’s marketing strategy began with our decision to collaborate, and we all benefited from promoting each other to our own best clients. Because we made this special effort, our endorsements carried more influence than random recommendations.
All our clients love us because our endorsements offer them so much extra help.
I urge you to get involved in a similar “cross-promoting” strategy.
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Meanwhile, the Magnolia Jazz Band entertains at weddings and parties throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. If you are ever nearby, you’ll love catching us in action, seeing and hearing us create a great mood.
How can I help you? Call 408-245-9120 or use Robbie@MagnoliaJazz.com. Planning a celebration? Ask about our availability.
Cross promoting is a good thing! Martha is right:) It makes total sense and is a very wise business move to get your band out there in front of those making the “buying” decisions, as goes for the other participants as well. Your hitting your target market it sounds, so its a win/win. Hopefully it translates into many booking for you this season, and in the future, as we know this kind of exposure can create lasting impressions, which is what you want. Great idea…is this the first time you all have done this? Curious to hear your thoughts as you go forward…on how this has affected your “sales” bookings. Thanks for sharing….and good luck!
Rita Brennan Freay
http://ritabrennanfreay.com
Thanks, Rita. Glad you enjoyed this post. I’ve been collaborating with some of my best colleagues for years. Several groups of us, in fact, and we all help each other throughout the year, especially at the busiest times — like the holiday party season and all through the summertime wedding season. We’ll have events like this frequently, and follow up promptly, and the new engagements keep rolling in, so it often unclear precisely how effective any one event is. But I don’t want to stop, you know?
Robbie
That sounds like a great event – very powerful with the cross promoting. It’s wonderful when people are willing to collaborate and aren’t so afraid of protecting their territory. Why hide out and be isolated when you can reap the benefits of others’ contributions? I bet it was a lively and spirited group!
Judy Stone-Goldman
The Reflective Writer
http://www.thereflectivewriter.com/blog/
Personal-Professional Balance Through Writing
Thanks, Judy. Glad you enjoyed this post. Yes, I’ve always found cross-promoting powerful, and I like to tell people simply, “Friends help friends”. Do you use cross-promoting to market your workshops, seminars, or consulting?
Robbie
Awesome idea – networking that makes sense! Finding effective power partners can be a challenge – but that sounds like the perfect group of people/companies.
Thanks, Pat. Glad you enjoyed this post. Thanks: “Power Partners” is a great term to capture the spirit of an effective cross-promoting group. Do you use cross-promoting to market your scrapbooking services? What businesses are good power partners for you?
Robbie
Fun Robbie- It is amazing how much cooperating works! I remember I was at an event and they had one person stand up and say what they did. Then they were asked who they could work with and they came up with about 3 different types of businesses. Then the whole room was asked the same question, and by the end there were about 30 people standing who could offer something to that person. But you have to be willing to open your mind and then engage! Same idea as yours.
Candace Davenport
http://www.ourlittlebooks.com ~ Little Books with a Big Message
Thanks, Candace. Glad you enjoyed this post. That’s a great description of an exercise which encourages people to find their “power partners”. After successfully going through an exercise like this once or twice, these people will develop the habit of seeking people to be “power partners” with. And the more they look, the more they become findable. At least, that’s been my experience. It’s like saying, “The more I practice, the luckier I get”.
Robbie
I definitely believe that cooperation is a great way to grow your business. In helping others, you are helped. It’s wonderful your marketing evening was a great success.
Julieanne Case
Always from the heart!
Reconnecting you to your essence, joy, vitality, youth.| Healing you from the Inside Out |Reconnective Healing | AgeLoc Skin Care | Pharmanex Supplements
http://thereconnectivehighway.com
Hi Julieanne,
Thanks! Glad you like this post. Helping others helps yourself — a great way to summarize the whole picture.
Robbie
What a great idea! It sounds like a fun way to market your business plus make lots of new friends. i have not tried this strategy up to now but would definitely consider it. We have what we call “travel parties” they too are fun and exciting. We have an Hawaiian theme with leis and music, we give away door prizes and we raffle a 3 day 2 night vacation. All this as well as sharing our travel business with potential partners.
Julie Labes: The Fun-Loving, Feisty, Fearless, Frisky, Fierce Over 50 Traveler
Hi Julie,
Thanks! Glad you like this post. Your parties sound like a natural for gathering “Power Partners”. Let me know how you do.
Robbie
Robbie that is a great idea, very very good idea. Not to sure how I could use it yet but will remember this one. You are looking very comfy on video now must be all that practice you are getting. Are you seeing any results from all of the videos you are doing and did you see any results from your joint efforts with your colleagues.
Hi Kirk,
Thanks! Glad you like this post. Keep thinking about it and you’ll find a few OBVIOUS partners. People you network all the time. I’m seeing good results all the time — you should, too.
Robbie
Love the idea of creating events in this collaborative way. I can only imagine the presence and growth of the synergy from all that good will. Like Kirk, I don’t quite know how I might apply this, but I love that you have put finding power partners back on my radar!
Hi Vicki,
Thanks! Glad you like this post. “Power Partners” should be easy for you to find! Let me know how you do.
Robbie
Great idea! I agree, “it’s a good thing”. Working as a team always brings much more success than working alone….and it’s so much more fun! Not sure how this would work for my business, but I’m going to give it some thought because it’s powerful.
Hi Renee,
Thanks! Glad you like this post. Let me know what ideas you come up with!
Robbie
What a fantastic idea! The whole concept of cross-promoting, finding Power Partners, or coop advertising is very powerful…I especially love the group you had to work there for helping people plan a holiday party. I think it would so much fun to be able to use all those companies to plan the best party of the year! My husband and I are currently working with a business coach and we are working on identifying what other businesses out there would be good power partners for us…it is not as easy as it might sound, we are finding, at least not in our industry where competition is fierce and everyone wants a piece of the automotive pie! But we are working on it! I just know that what you are doing will be successful and very appealing to your good customers! I look forward to getting a report from you in the future telling us all how successful it has been!
Hi Donna,
Thanks! Glad you like this post. “Power partners” are golden — good luck!
Robbie
Always a good idea to stay open-minded and cross promote others’ businesses because it does come back ten-fold I believe. There are lots of businesses out there that are rich referral sources; sometimes they are not real obvious but if you ask the right questions, you never know!
Hi Laurie,
Thanks! Glad you like this post. I agree — we can find a large number of referral sources. We just need to open our eyes, ask the right questions, and believe that Giving Begets Getting.
Robbie
I love this concept and work with clients to implement it on a regular basis. As long as each of the companies have great reputations and brands, I’m all for it!
wedding business marketing
Thanks, Meghan. Glad you enjoyed this post. “Friends help friends” seems to be a standard practice everywhere. Good for you for helping people make it happen. I agree, in cross-promoting like this, the better the participants’ reputations, the more effective it is for everyone.