Ringing & Singing with Barbara Todaro - the master marketer

I have been following and interacting with Barbara Todaro for nearly 4 1/2 years.  It's amazing that I have not spoken with her on the phone...well until last week.

Barbara is an inspiration on so many levels, and I've learned a ton from her.  She is a master marketer, and given my previous background (marketing), I gravitate towards people like that.  As a result, I read her blog all the time, and figure out ways to search & reapply her methods and strategies to my business.

It was because of Barbara, and the way that she blogged about her listings and homes sold, that gave me a light bulb moment...more than 4 years ago.  Yes, I was in the bathtub when my brain gelled and I put 2 and 2 together...and now the rest is history.  I did a string of pages and blog posts (one for each town and surface I covered), and the phone would not stop ringing.   That was in January 2011. From there, I just learned and improved.

Barbara is clearly strategic in how she thinks about her business.  And, yes, she treats it like a business.  Her marketing is smart - clear strategy, clear communication, and she treats it like an investment.  She knows how to make her marketing work.  She has proven her ability to do top notch direct mail as well as create long term relationships with builders and master new construction.

Barbara has created a wonderful team and approach that allows her now to just market.  She can stay inside or do her work at the beach.  She doesn't need to worry about the snow or bad weather. She is insulated, and in more ways than one.P

She, of course, is a very determined woman, and when she sets her mind to something, she gets it done!  Her weight loss and exercise and transformation is a perfect example of this. Wow, what a journey!

And, in typical Barbara marketing fashion, she gave me some marketing on my business.  I know have a new project - finding and creating relationships w/ Public Adjusters.  (Background, when people have floods or fires or mold, they often need to replace their flooring.  And, it's covered by insurance.  And, more of these claims come in during the winter - my slower time.  So, it's a way to layer on to my biz during the slower times...yay).

Previously, I had tried insurance companies, but I quickly learned that insurance agents weren't going to get me very far.  What I needed was the adjusters.  Then I tried (somewhat) to pursue the insurance adjusters, but I kept feeling like I was coming up to dead ends (for various reasons).  Well Barbara opened my eyes to a better target...Public Adjusters.  These guys represent the person who has the loss to make sure they get full compensation.  They are on the public's side (not the insurance side).  Voila.  Brilliant.

So, I added this to my project list for Feb.  I'm actually starting the research today, and I mentioned this to a fellow franchisee in CT, and he liked this idea, too.   We realized that we can help each other as many of those in CT have work in Westchester and vice versa, and together we can cover a broader area, which makes it more appealing for the adjuster.  I also realized this morning that I can provide some leads/business to the adjusters from some of my customers.  So, this could be a win win, and I now have a strategy to pursue.

So, today, I'm starting to find those public adjusters in my county.   I have found 3 so far, and I'm glad that my afternoon appt is delayed for an hour (as his closing took longer).  So, I'm off to find some more.  I will prob. call them next week (since it's loud where I am right now).

Thank you Barbara for the inspiration.  I look forward to meeting you some day soon...hopefully at one of the meetups later this year (when it's warmer)!