This recent article in Dr. Frankie's New Lab Report caught our eye and we thought we would share it with you, courtesy of J. Sanchez and The Catalyst Studio.

General Admission Marketing

Let me begin with a public “Thank You” to good friend Jake Stuart, President of The Greater Orlando Chamber of Commerce for taking $1200.00 from me! This time it was an “opportunity” to go on what I thought was the usual Chamber fleecing… “The Chamber Retreat” oh… the pitch was good too…. J, go make the “investment”. J Go to the fancy shmancy event in Sarasota, J, pay some more dough. J you’ll find opportunity and meet some of the top business leaders in our community. Whatever….

Come on you know me, the “nationally respected Marketing Mahatma” a well known person in my own right, I know it all and I never fall for that Chamber related BS rhetoric- well, until this time. It was probably my need to subject myself to total alienation from the dare I say “Good Ol’ Boy Network.” Anyhow, I ponied up the $1200.00 bucks and went to this “Retreat”.

So I get there right… and what happens? Nothing- absolutely nothing. I arrived and cliques began. No one talked or acknowledged me. I was this punk rogue CEO with blue glasses and a goatee. Who’d have thought I was joining this elite class of business folk? So knowing I was right all along about these “events” I waited and I waited. I mean I waited all of 10 minutes before someone walked up to me and shook my hand… then introduced me to his “friends.” And from that point on it was utter HELL- I mean it was worse than I expected… All these really well established people talking to me, including me, asking me for a business card, promises of making better acquaintance. It was down right valuable- and that really pissed me off! Why? Well because for over 10 years I have continuously passed on these haughty activities because of my own erred perception of those involved - “the good ol boys”. But what do ya know?… these people were very kind and inviting, cordial and accepting. This bunch of “important people” actually took the time to get to know and listen to J… even with his blue glasses and goatee (and that so called national reputation).

So what the heck does this have to do with marketing? EVERYTHING! My phrase is “a hundred account executives, working a hundred days, knocking on a hundred doors … could never provide the intimate access this event did.” Of course I also carried a well designed business card (by Catalyst) with a powerful brand (huh- also by Catalyst) to give them, all of which served to earn both respect and credibility… yet what I discovered is this was another lesson learned in the difference between clip art and custom art, your picture and a photographers picture (Our photographer), cousin Larry’s web design and that produced by a professional firm (Catalyst), and general admission vs. skybox. It’s often difficult for us in small business to remember that cheap and quality rarely equal success… and I’m here to tell you networking events are no different. So next time you complain your not getting anything out of your networking take a cold hard look at what your putting in… and then do yourself a little favor- step out from your comfort zone, reach a little farther, stop being a cheap @$$ and put in a little more. So back to the measly $1200.00… BEST MONEY SPENT (and I mean it even beats the arcade machine and the bar in the studio… uh well maybe not the bar.) Because without a doubt, the game is a lot better when you’re sitting in the skybox.

J. Sanchez is the CEO of Catalyst Holdings, producer of the "Where's Ruby?"® animated television series and author of “It’s In The Bag: A Marketing Guide For Business.” As a nationally respected authority on marketing, J has helped countless organizations increase their marketing effectiveness.

Click here to view the complete Dr. Frankie's New Lab Report.