Trusted Advisors are a great networking source

Coda1108

I've found on several occassions that "trusted advisors" such as attorneys, financial advisers, etc. are a fantastic source of networking. I've gotten the best leads of my career because I did something to impress an individual who was trusted by his or her clients. When that individual recommends me, I've already taken a first step toward being a trusted lead.

What is most important about this, however, is to make sure I live up to the person's expectations... both the person I was recommended to, as well as the trusted individual that recommended me!

AZBroker

Fantastic advice. You won't go wrong networking from the top down that's for sure.

rlabston

How about marketing from the bottom up, AZ? And how would one go about this?

Coda1108

I would say networking from the bottom up is a description of getting to know the end user of what you're selling... AND his or her gatekeeper. So let's say you're selling pharmaceutical accessories such as medicine bottles, labels, etc. to regional pharmacies. When speaking to your local pharmacist's assistant, get to know him or her, and find out what he or she doesn't like about the products they use at their pharmacy. I can't imagine what might make a better medicine bottle or labels, but maybe he or she does. Then find a product in your catalog that solves that problem, and speak to the head pharmacist about it. Get a contact for the person at the regional office, and you've just networked your way to the regional buyer of what you sell.

AZBroker

Networking from the bottom up would be gaining an introduction to a level A prospect from a level B contact.

rlabston

As I read your response, AZ and Coda's response before, I realized how this would work. If you are the pharmaceutics company, you probably already have most pharmacies as your clients and most doctors as your prescribing agents. The trick is to convince the doctor to prescribe your product and to get the pharmacy to carry it.

Bottom up marketing is what happens when the pharmaceutics company advertises on tv encouraging the end users of their products to ask their doctor if the product the company manufactures is right for them.

Another example is when a syndicated radio show tells its listeners to ask their local radio broadcaster to carry their program or when the manufacturer of a new food product tells you to ask your grocer to carry his product.

I suppose, in the end, if our tourism company opts to have travel agents sell our tour packages, our end-user promotion is a type of bottom-up advertising in that it encourages the people to ask for a specific ski vacation product when they call the travel agent.