Who should I contact? Director of marketing or advertising?

13 replies
Hi everyone,

I have found a company I'd like to approach to do a past customer reactivation deal with. They have four locations, one of which makes over 20 million a year.

I searched the net, and only found a ''director of advertising'' I could contact. Do you think this person would be the same thing as a director of marketing or director of business development?

Thanks for your help.

BigG
#advertising #contact #director #marketing
  • It could also be the sales manager or VP, Sales. Just call them up and ask.
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    Marketing is not a battle of products. It is a battle of perceptions.
    - Jack Trout
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    • Profile picture of the author RRG
      Originally Posted by Joe Ditzel View Post

      It could also be the sales manager or VP, Sales. Just call them up and ask.
      I agree with divot head. Call and ask.

      Now, not sure how you plan to approach people in this company.

      Hopefully you're going to use direct mail. With a deal of the size you're talking about, it's worth investing some dollars to get their attention in a creative way.

      That said, it would be a good idea to approach multiple people in the organization with the same message; the owner/president and the top managers involved.
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      • Profile picture of the author biggoogle
        Thanks Joe and RRG.

        I plan on using FedEx. I've had great success using this courier in the past. It always gets delivered and opened.

        I'll have someone give them a call.

        Thanks again,

        BigG
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  • Profile picture of the author danielkanuck
    I used to work for a large corporation, and we had a VP of marketing. If i had to put my money on it, i would bet that there's a director or marketing at the company you're looking to contact. You should give them a call and see though.
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  • You do need to get the right guy to avoid the "round-file" -
    but in my experience VP trumps Director...if you are looking for a honcho.
    and if you do get the wrong higher up and he finds merit in your idea, when he passes it down it has more weight, and more likely to be implemented faster.
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    • Profile picture of the author RRG
      Originally Posted by MoneyMagnetMagnate View Post

      You do need to get the right guy to avoid the "round-file" -
      but in my experience VP trumps Director...if you are looking for a honcho.
      and if you do get the wrong higher up and he finds merit in your idea, when he passes it down it has more weight, and more likely to be implemented faster.
      Totally agree. Never start with someone who has the power to say no, but not the power to say yes.

      If you start at the top, you might end up working with the "Director" or "Manager" but only because his boss directed him to work with you. Puts you in a prime position.

      That said, sometimes the guys just below the top DM can be influencers and that's why I recommend including them in your marketing.
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      • Profile picture of the author ahmie
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        • Profile picture of the author RRG
          Originally Posted by ahmie View Post

          It is up to you who will contact, but i think that you can directly contact them through phone which is better, or else get there location and if it is near, better to go there personally.
          This isn't like walking into a pizza place and pitching SMS.

          This is a large opportunity and needs to be approached properly.

          FedEx, absolutely.

          Of course, following up on the phone afterward could work if they don't respond.

          But a cold call, on the phone, to an 8-figure company? Nah.
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  • Profile picture of the author dlink
    IMO, doesn't matter who you contact. Just pick one and call them up and say something similar to: You're not even sure they're going to be able to help you, but you're wanting to find out if they know who you can contact that handles issues related to their online marketing or whatever your opening problem or USP is for contacting businesses.

    By admitting up front you don't know if they can help you you're breaking down the wall to admit your own humiliation and at the same time get whoever you're speaking to ease up & be more likely to converse with you or direct you in the right direction.

    Good luck.
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    • Profile picture of the author BKH
      Hey BigG,
      My day job is doing marketing for a fairly large firm. I can tell you that as the marketing manager I have the ability to say no as do either of the 2 other marketing team members but only the three of us together can say yes.
      In short, Make sure you talk to someone that can get you in touch with ALL of the right people to keep your door from being closed before you can even pitch.
      Goodluck,
      b
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  • Profile picture of the author biggoogle
    Thanks again for all your answers. It means a lot.

    I absolutely agree on sending the letter higher up the food chain, so it can get passed down along with orders to look into the opportunity.

    @ahmie Calling to get some info is one thing, cold calling and diving into a pitch is absolutely disrespectful. That's why I avoid doing it at all costs. How would you react if a doctor called you up cold to offer his or her services? It's bad positioning.

    BigG
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  • Just a quick story to illustrate the power of the higher up.

    Some years back, I purchased a nice TV from a well known large chain of stores in the SF bay area. They said it would be delivered on a date and did not deliver. I called the manager of the store, he said it was a schedule screw up, and I got nowhere with him. (btw, I never yell or argue, I assert and negotiate)

    Anyway, I called the corporate office and asked for the VP of Marketing, asking for just a few moments of his valuable time, to explain my plight as a consumer and how it affected the company image.

    I explained my situation in a way a VP of Mktg understands, and he asked if he could call me back in 10 mins. - he did - and the TV was delivered that afternoon (a Friday) and he had 2 warehouseman drive 50+ miles (one way) to deliver it, and gave them the rest of the day off to do it.

    That never would have happened with that store Manager (who probably got an earful from corporate on customer relations)

    The squeaky wheel does get the oil, but it always helps to know where and how to oil it.
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  • Profile picture of the author cbest
    Check Linkedin to see if this firm is there... that size they should be. You can start to develop a relationship there and talk with some of the other employees to get more background on the firm and be able to get some insider info.
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    • Profile picture of the author biggoogle
      Thanks MMM and CBest.

      The advertising director is on LinkedIn, and the great thing is she said she is open to ''business deals.'' With that said, she doesn't want to be contacted through LinkedIn.

      Gabriel
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