Michael's Directory

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In this episode, I want to let you know that I'm always looking for interesting people to interview.

I help small business owners, entreprenuers, and independents, around Southern Arizona, create new customer relationships, at no cost, through warm and engaging conversational interviews.

If you're like me, you appreciate when someone goes out of their way to influence a new customer to contact you; its a BIG help in gaining new business. But how often does that happen? Not often enough in most cases.

[bctt tweet="Wouldn't it be great having someone actively refer you business every day? Be a guest on my business referral podcast." username="KnowWhoToTurnTo"]

One way real estate agents try to refer business is having Referral Directory pages on their websites. These directories typically list various service-based businesses the agent recommends to his or her clients. You may even be listed on a few yourself. You'll often find contact information, maybe brief descriptions, and links to websites. It's a good way for some businesses to get a customer or two.

But I don't see where these referral directories are doing enough to generate new business. They're on web pages that are typically not found by search engines and are usually only accessed by a few people the agent knows.

I feel having someone actively refer you business every day is crucial to business growth.

My Referral Directory, is actually my podcast and that is what I aim to do; activley referring you business. You see, this is where I'm different than a traditional referral directory. Instead of just listing your business, and contact information with a link to your website, I give people a way to discover what you're about.

Listeners will get to know you and your business in a way written words just can't. Through your interview they can; its in YOUR own words. You share who you are AND how you do business in a conversation with me. It makes for a much more meaningful and natural way for people to choose to contact you. They can't get that through a regular text-based referral directory.

And I market the podcast as a separate entity. Marketing it on its own helps more people find it because I'm always adding new interviews and ensuring each interview be found. That means people searching for your specialty can find you.

I feature interviews from a wide range of experienced and trustworthy trades people, service providers, and crafts people who provide great customer service and I introduce them to my listeners who are people looking to hire experts in various specialties. I do this through a series of carefully crafted questions designed to help them make a decision to contact you.

Creating a podcast, as my Referral Directory, allows me to think big. My vision it to post one interview each day (that's 7 each and every week) and grow the audience substantially. This will expose both of us to a growing number of people searching for our services.

But, I can't do this without teaming up with you. You are the reason this will work as a powerful lead generation tool.

So, what do you think? Are you up to connecting with a new group of customers at no cost to you? Well, I'm excited to see if this is something that can bring value to your business.

If you're interested, I urge you to respond soon so I can share more about the benefits of being a guest on the show.

Visit michaelsdirectory.com and click on the green 'Be My Guest' button at the top of the page.

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In this podcast, I'm not interviewing anyone but want to share some information about Michael's Directory with you. Recently, I revealed to a business acquaintance, who I haven't spoken to for quite sometime, that I have a different sort of lead generation strategy and system for my real estate business. He was interested in learning more and this is what I shared with him. First, I'll start with sharing a little about the system I created and then follow it up with some of the marketing strategies it's based on. So basically, I've created Michael's Directory to be a business-to-consumer podcast platform where local (and that's currently local to Southern Arizona) tradespeople, service providers, and craftspeople are interviewed by me. As host, I determine if they'll be a good fit for the podcast and prepare them for their interview. And I don't limit the number of Providers in any industry; except for real estate and, obviously, anyone who is associated with a dishonest or illegal industry. Now, this falls in line with what many real estate agents provide in a Referral Directory page on their websites. They list the service providers and businesses they want to refer to their real estate clients. It's a smart way for agents to build their sphere of influence. I'm basically doing the same thing but with a different focus. Michael's Directory gives tradespeople, service providers, and craftspeople (who I collectively call Providers) a chance to make a good impression with potentially new customers through an in-depth and well-thought out audio interview. And then I list their interviews on the MichaelsDirectory.com website, upload them to various podcast hosting websites, like iTunes and Soundcloud, and announce their new interviews through brief emails to a growing list of subscribers. Now, the strategy behind all this is actually based on blending four different marketing strategies. I'm building and growing the podcast and website to become an Influencer. By employing elements of influencer marketing, which is essentially where a well known online entity can help influence the marketing of others, Michael's Directory will help influence listeners in choosing interviewed Providers. Much like Angie's List where people go to learn more about Providers through customer reviews, to determine who to hire. But unlike Angie's List, the Michael's Directory audience listens to an interview revealing the Provider's level of trust, capability, and customer care through their own words. So, Michael's Directory isn't a review website from customers, it's a get-to-know-who-to-turn-to website through these quality interviews. I'm also employing some reputation marketing elements. Primarily helping a Provider strengthen and demonstrate his or her reputation through their interview. Many small Providers don't have a strong online presence; therefore, their online reputation hasn't been firmly established and can use a boost. Having a website and podcast such as Michael's Directory can help build their online reputation and will likely help with other online marketing efforts. Another strategy I'm employing is from referral marketing. I don't want to spend a lot of money on getting the word out about Michael's Directory. I want to see it grow organically. So at this time I'm helping interviewed Providers understand how to refer our platform to their circles of influence so more and more peole have the opportunity to learn where they can go to discover who to turn to for help with important services, tasks and projects. Finally, I think it is safe to say that I'm employing some relationship marketing too. The idea of Michael's Directory was sparked when my parents needed a home repair and didn't know who to turn to. They saw an ad on TV and called the company. Luckily, they were served well but if they had a chance to hear their provider or another perhaps they may have felt more confident about hiring them and establishing a long-term referral relationship. I think it matters greatly to a listener who they hire and to learn as much as they can about the Providers they consider before making a hiring decision. I rely on the listener's discernment to determine whether the providers they listen to are worth contacting for more information or perhaps even hiring. Anyway, if you're a Southern Arizona trades person, service provider, or crafts person who wants to share your business to potential customers please click on the button or link below for more information.

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This is simply the lead in for the introduction you'll find in each interview.