Though the primary purpose of the contest is to honor the peers who have helped you and your business over the past year, we have heard from many that they would like to be considered for their own Local Business Person Of The Year title.
That's understandable as that distinction has become treasured among small business people throughout Alignable from coast to coast. And Alignable is here to help small business owners gain much greater recognition, build their networks, and increase their revenues.
So, if you want to be considered for your local title, then you should email or message your contacts with a very nice request for their support in the race, which would include a link to your profile's URL.
However, we do have to caution you that there are productive ways to do this and other ways that some members have told us are quite off-putting.
Start with the people who KNOW, LIKE and TRUST YOU.
(If you want more perspective on that, see our CEO's video explaining the ideal way to network).
However, many of these people may not know about the contest yet, so simply let them know about it and ask, as kindly as possible, if they would be so inclined as to give you a vote and, if they have time, write a brief testimonial about you.
Make sure to reinforce how much you would appreciate it, too.
You also can tell them you would be happy to do the same for them, if they so desire. (We assume that you know, like, and trust them, too!). That exchange alone can move your relationship forward.
What If You Don't Know Someone Well?
For people you only know in passing, but want to connect with, please make sure you approach them the right way. You don't want your request to backfire.
Reach out and say you're interested in getting to know them more, learning more about their needs as a small business owner.
Then we recommend that you arrange a one-on-one meeting on Google Hangouts or Zoom, or if they're local, ask them to meet you for a quick coffee. But research their profile first, to see if there could be a strong connection here.
You can also use one of our many Smart Connect℠ events to get to know and like more people -- and find others who might support you. But please keep in mind that some people hit it off immediately and others take more time.
Depending on what you experience in the Smart Connect℠ events, you might be able to build up more relationships and more votes there, too.
Ultimately, the contest is a way to kick your networking up to the next level, but in a good, productive way, not just for the sake of getting a vote.
One Approach To Avoid
One way some members have tackled this in the past -- that sometimes results in great frustration among other members -- is just messaging or emailing people who don't know you, and boldly asking for a vote. This is otherwise known as "spamming" people.
While that might work with some people, it's not recommended as it can come off as heavy-handed and even offensive to some. And it's truly not in line with what this contest is all about -- honoring small business people you like, who have helped you in some way.
In fact, one of our most successful members on Alignable will handle random voting requests from people she doesn't know by asking them to arrange a one-on-one Zoom meeting with her. That's because if she doesn't know someone, she doesn't feel comfortable voting for them. (And, let's face it. That's fair!)
While this member takes the high road, turning lemons into lemonade, others have told us they really dislike strangers just asking for votes. So, please keep that in mind as you try to garner support.