In the town of 13,000 where I work, there’s a stockbroker/investment advisor whose name appears regularly in the big-city daily newspaper published 100 miles south. That paper covers essentially the entire state, and it circulates widely where I live and in the bigger cities within an hour or so.

Now, this broker (let’s call him Fred) is likely no better or worse than the hundreds of other brokers scattered around the area. And yet, often, when a business reporter from the big-city paper is doing a story about stock market trends, he calls Fred. He could call any number of brokers right there in the big city, yet he calls Fred. And Fred gives an opinion on what he sees happening in the world of stocks.

Hundreds of thousands of readers see those stories and see Fred and his company mentioned. So one can only guess that Fred gets business out of it.

But why do those reporters call Fred? Simple: Because once upon a time he made the effort to get to know a couple of them. And when they call, he always drops what he’s doing and talks to them. As a result, he gets publicity and wins recognition and respect far out of proportion to the sheer size of his business.

How’s your profile?

What has this to do with you? Well, how would you like to be seen as the go-to expert on any subject in your community related to drain cleaning and pipe maintenance? Wouldn’t that be a nice addition to your marketing program?

Now, I’ll admit, many more people are interested in trading stocks than in fixing drains and sewers. And much more is written about stocks and investments than about cable machines and jetter nozzles.

And yet there will be times when your local newspaper or radio station is working on a story that touches on your profession. And chances are they’ll be looking for reliable sources of information. You can be one of them.

How do you go about it? It’s easier than you might think. You simply have to devote a little time and be willing to shed the low profile that many small businesses seem to prefer.

Step into their shoes

To see how this works, it helps to understand news reporters. They’re often young and inexperienced. They have to write about almost every subject imaginable, yet they are experts on none, or very few. So when they need to write about an unfamiliar topic, they have to rely on experts.

That’s where you come in. Getting to know them is not quite as simple as stopping in, saying hello, and handing them a business card – although that can be a good start. You’ll earn their confidence by offering them unbiased, useful information.

Reporters aren’t interested in talking about how big or wonderful your company is, or how long you’ve been in business, or what generation of the family business you and your son or daughter represent. If you want to talk about that, visit the ad department.

But suppose some issue related to your business starts making news around town. Suppose for example that the city is talking about a lateral repair program to control I&I. There’s an opportunity to call the reporter who’s writing the stories and share some information about lateral repair methods.

Being a resource

First find out when the reporter’s deadline is, and call at some other time of day. Or start by dropping an e-mail (many papers print reporters’ addresses along with their bylines). Offer to provide a little extra insight into the technologies available for replacing or repairing laterals cheaply and conveniently.

Assuming the reporter is willing to listen, you don’t want to start trumpeting all your wonderful services. Just talk objectively about the repair technologies – what they are, how they work, why one might be better than another in a certain situation, what their relative costs are.

Expect to get maybe five or ten minutes of the reporter’s time. Stay longer if he or she is interested, but don’t over-stay your welcome (these are very busy people juggling many priorities at once).

If you provide interesting information that helps a reporter develop an interesting story that informs the community and earns praise from an editor, you’re on your way to becoming the first person that reporter calls on any issue related to your industry.

If and when he or she does seek you out again, stop what you’re doing and take the call. Now you’re on your way to building a relationship that will elevate your stature in the community and help you stand out from all your competitors. Just like that small-town stockbroker named Fred.