I’m off over the water today for a couple of meeting about some marketing work to kick off the New Year. 

Oddly enough these meetings have come about largely because of the Internet - way before I knew anything more about it than how to search for things on Google.

Back then I was a Business development manager for a large audio visual and events company. 

Whilst searching Google for companies who might be potential clients  I found a Motorsport PR company based in this tiny little village. 

After a few phone calls I was able to arrange a meeting. I could hardly find the place as they were in a tiny office building above an agricultural supplies warehouse.

But from there they handled PR for some very big names - Audi, Eddie Stobbart (if you’re from the UK you’ll know them - you may even have played - “Spot the Eddie”) several famous Rally drivers and a bunch of others. 

I ended up travelling with them to an  F1 development facility for a closed door meeting with the marketing guys for a famous sports car marque (Austin Healey) 

They were launching a brand new £140K sports car for the first time in 40 years -  I was there to pitch for lighting etc at the high profile launch event.

I got the gig! 

Fast forward 10 years and the guy who ran the PR company has come back to me with some paid digital marketing work and a possible business partnership. 

Because he liked my non-pushy, bullshit free approach to business. 

Exactly the same approach I take in my own online business. 

But my point in telling you this today is that I would NEVER have found that PR company if It hadn’t been for the internet. 

I would never have guessed that a company like that would be based in a tiny - nowhere - village. 

And yet my bosses didn’t think sitting in front of a computer was a good use of my time 

They had that old fashioned view  - sales people should be out and about most of the time. That’s why we gave you a fancy car and a Blackberry after all…

So I obliged them …..

I’d spend Mondays in the office setting up as many appointments as I could for the week. I’d also book myself into networking events when possible. 

Other times I’d just drive somewhere and spend some time cold calling on businesses that looked big enough to possibly hold some events or to do presentations regularly. 

I’d ask for a card and the name of the person who would be the point of contact for said events/presentations. 

All I really wanted was a name and an email address. So that I could follow up later. Often I’d send them some information first to warm things up a little. 

Even then It seemed crazy to me to waste the time and petrol cold calling in the old way when it could be done better on a computer  - where I could find out if a company actually did events - BEFORE wasting time and fuel.

Looking back now almost all of the big deals I secured and new clients I won for that company were the result of Google searches and email follow ups. 

I wouldn’t have called that internet marketing back then but effectively that’s what I was doing. 

Nowadays If I were doing that job I’d just research the sorts of things people or businesses would type into Google or Youtube when they wanted help with events or audio visual services. 

Then I would stick an advert right under their noses! 

Funny how things change! 

Now every business is paying off field sales reps and wants to know how to get more business online.

That’s progress! 

You’d be nuts to deny it and even more nuts not to use it to your advantage…..

IT MAKES LIFE EASIER - what’s wrong with that???

Have a great weekend !

​Cheers!

Dave