How do I reach a whole industry of small businesses at once?

Selling one business at a time is slow. Most industries already have places where the whole group gathers. Get in with those and one relationship can reach a whole industry's owners.

Why trade associations?

Roofers, plumbers and almost every trade have state industry groups. They work almost like a community where the whole trade comes together. Every roofer in the state looks to a group like that.

The play is to politely harass the group until you get a meeting with whoever's in charge. Email, call, do everything to get in front of them and say you've got something really interesting. One group could be a million dollar deal.

Two ways to make it worth their while:

• Affiliate deal. Ask them to market your service to their members and pay them a cut.
• Do something for them. We make newsletters, so the offer could be: give us the content, we'll make your newsletter awesome, and we'll do it for free if you promote us to your members.

Are their conferences worth it?

Yes. The easiest way to get clients is still to go knock doors and get in front of people, and almost nobody wants to do it. An industry event puts a room full of them in one place.

"None of these people here at this event are going to be competing with each other. Because it's all location-based, right?"

That's what makes location-based industries special. A happy customer in one town will happily tell his peers in other towns.

I've also been to a conference of seven- and eight-figure local business owners, mostly plumbing and construction companies. It's like the Chamber of Commerce, but nationwide and only the top-tier people. For booths on no budget, see marketing with free events and conferences.

Who else already reaches the industry?

• Marketing agencies that serve them. An agency has multiple clients. If it works for one, they tell their other ten clients in ten locations, and you got ten clients from one sales conversation. Their fear is that you'll take their client. Answer it: you're one unique channel, not what they do, and you'll sign something saying you won't poach.
• Software vendors that serve them. No conflict there. Offer something like 20% if they mention you in their newsletter, so it comes from them.
• The top influencers in the profession. Find the top five and do everything you can to get in front of them. Cut them in, say 10% over time, and they have every reason to talk about you. If people listen to them, you get a ton of clients.

Try all of it at once: cold outreach to the businesses directly and to the agencies.

What if my offer is unusual?

Then attention is the whole game. If it's not obvious at a glance why they'd want it, they have to truly understand it first. That's the hard part, and it's also the opportunity. Making something custom for the gatekeeper helps, which I cover in getting in front of busy people.