You’ve probably seen Bobby Dollar’s advertisements on television over the years. He has a unique way of calling attention to his small business and the many appliance product lines they sell. With a big personality and strong confidence in what he’s selling, he has created a thriving business. Like many local companies, he also knows that he can’t rely on his past successes to carry him forward to a prosperous future. Despite a long track record, he must keep selling. When looking for a new venue to talk about his business with potential customers, the small business owner turned to the Chamber for some fresh ideas. This week our team watched as he made the most of those recommendations.
During our most recent Total Resource Campaign, Bobby Dollar Appliance & TV, Inc. invested in a variety of sponsorships including one for the February Professional Women’s Forum (PWF). If you’ve never been to PWF before, you should make plans to attend sometime soon because it is among the best programming that we produce. Occurring every other month, PWF is one of our longest running events and by far the largest regular gathering of women business leaders in Tallahassee. PWF is presented in 2020 by Capital Health Plan, another outstanding local company who sees the value in their Chamber investment. There are many reasons that PWF is an attractive sponsorship opportunity, but for folks like CHP and Bobby Dollar Appliance & TV, Inc., that room represents millions of dollars in buying power. It’s the perfect place to talk about state-of-the-art appliances and high-quality service.
As part of his company sponsorship of the event, Dollar had an opportunity to address the crowd and speak directly to them about his company and the brands they carry. During that time, he made an impassioned case for why clients continue to choose to do business with him after so many years. As Dollar made his way through his talking points, there was one moment that stood out to all of us on the Chamber staff. When highlighting some of the latest technology available in appliances, he noted that his company now carries a washing machine component that eliminates the need for detergent. When he said this to the room, there was an audible gasp.
For the next minute, as Dollar continued through his talk, the whole room was murmuring about this newly revealed technological advancement for washing machines. There was no doubt that he had just sparked an interest in his business with everyone present. It was in that moment that his investment in sponsoring PWF paid off. I think it is safe to assume that when any of the 230 attendees at PWF this week think about washing machines or detergent in the coming months, they will remember Bobby Dollar and the products he has for sale. That’s the power of connecting with the Tallahassee business community through the Chamber.
The great thing about this story is that anyone can follow Bobby Dollar’s lead. The Chamber is obviously an important place for networking and information, but we also are an organization that provides unique opportunities to reach captive and engaged audiences. Sponsoring a Chamber event or other outlet is much more than just supporting our mission. In addition to helping us work towards building a stronger community, your sponsorship is a great way to earn new business. Your company or organization may not have a new washing machine component to talk about, but there is always an important message you need to share with clients and customers. In a world where it is increasingly difficult to connect your company to those who need your services, the Chamber remains a valuable way to deliver a memorable message to those who need to hear it.
As he wrapped up his comments at PWF, Bobby Dollar raffled off the new washing machine component, a wine cooler and a commercial blender. In total he gave away over $1,300 worth of product that day. He also gave out a whole lot of reasons for people to remember his name and the work he does through his company. The crowd may have come to hear from our keynote speaker – Tallahassee First Lady Virginia Dailey, but they also got an education in appliances and undoubtedly will be thinking of Bobby Dollar when it’s time to buy a new one. If your company is looking for a fresh way to tell its story, then you might want to give us a call.
Jay Revell
Vice President, Advocacy and Public Policy
