How to Reach Small Business Owners: 8 Proven Ways
Owners are often the primary decision makers at small companies. If they think your product or service is worthwhile, they have the power to buy it then and there.
So how can you ensure a steady stream of small business owners into your pipeline? A strategy with a mix of outreach approaches is the way to go.
Let’s look at how to build your ideal mix.
Why You Need a List Before Reaching Out
At the risk of winning the world ranking for “saying the utterly obvious,” before you start reaching out to business owners, you need a list of prospects.
This list will form the basis of your outreach and email marketing strategy. It needs to be filled with validated, up-to-date details—email addresses, physical addresses, job titles, and so on.
There are multiple ways to find new customers, including searching local directories, gathering data from social media, and attending local business events. However, in our experience, the most effective method by far is to use a respected lead database.
Here’s a crash course in building a high-quality list:
Choose a high-quality database with local data, ongoing enrichment, and hygiene monitoring.
Use your ideal customer profile (ICP) to set filtering variables (locations, industry, job title, etc.).
Manually review a sample of the results to check that they align with your target market.
Once you’ve generated a list of leads, you can reach out to them.
Increasingly, sales teams are turning to AI to assist with this process. AI BDRs can handle significant portions of the sales cycle, freeing up reps to focus on all-important human interactions.
Artisan is an example of a next-gen AI tool that can help you reach small businesses on autopilot. Artisan has a built-in database of over 200 million local Google businesses, with prospect contact details and advanced data scraping for personalized insights.
To see how Artisan can help you reach and convert your potential customers, get in touch with our sales team.
8 Effective Methods to Reach Small Business Owners
The most effective outreach strategies are multifaceted. They incorporate a mix of different techniques and processes that have been refined over time. As such, the best way of determining which methods work best for your business is testing.
Here’s an overview of the top methods:
Email outreach
Direct social media messages
Recommendations and referrals
Mining online directories
Events and meetups
Business association events
Cold calling
Partnerships
Let’s look at each one in more detail.
1. Email Outreach
Cold email outreach is nearly as old as the internet itself. And it still works. Research shows that cold email response rates sit between 1% and 7%. With the right approach, these figures can be improved even further.
Here’s a quickfire guide for crafting response-worthy email messages:
Personalize the subject line and email opening.
Keep the body concise and focus on the recipient’s pain points.
Back up your offer with evidence you can deliver.
Close off with an “interest CTA” like “Would you like to learn more?”
Include a professional email signature with your LinkedIn profile.
Use this template as the basis for your outreach emails:
Subject: Struggling with [pain point], [first name]?
Hi [first name],
Congratulations on your [recent company achievement]. It’s a fantastic achievement.
My name’s [your name]. I help companies like [target company name] achieve [specific outcome]. We recently helped [case study of previous client with quantifiable result].
Would you like to learn more?
Kind regards,
[Your name]
Keep in mind that with AI, you can personalize and send email at scale. Here’s an example of a personalized Artisan message:
2. Social Media Platforms
Social media platforms are excellent for both finding new business customers and reaching out to them.
It’s commonplace for SMBs to have profiles on platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn, and they will often publicly display their contact information, which you can add to your email list or outreach. Alternatively, direct messages, especially on LinkedIn, work well.
The following platforms are all viable channels:
LinkedIn
Facebook
Instagram
X (formerly Twitter
New platforms like Bluesky and Threads
When sending direct messages, follow all the same principles you would when crafting a cold email. Keep it concise, add some personalization, tailor the offer to the specific needs of the recipient, and use an open “interest CTA.”
Many AI business tools also integrate with social media platforms for cost-effective automation, so you may want to explore this area.
3. Ask for Recommendations
Reaching out to your existing network for recommendations is an effective way of generating introductions with small business owners.
Research shows that referral conversions are on average 30% higher than other lead-gen methods. This makes perfect sense. A referral from a trusted source is essentially a vote of confidence in your offering. It’s essentially a form of facilitated word of mouth marketing.
Incentives are your ally when it comes to recommendations. Incentives for both the referrer and the potential customer.
Here’s a referral email template you can use:
Subject: Got a minute, [colleague name]?
Hi [colleague name],
I hope everything’s been going well at [colleague’s business] since we last spoke.
I’m shooting you a quick email to let you know that we’re taking on new clients at [your business]. Our [your offering] is delivering an average [specific result] for clients.
If you know anyone who might be interested, I’d be incredibly grateful if you could forward this email.
I’m offering a 20% discount “friend’s rate” to members of my extended network, along with a referral fee for any new customers.
Thanks for taking a look!
[Your name]
4. Online Directories and Listing Sites
Online directories are among the most up-to-date sources of local business data. They’re often actively maintained by directory hosts. Contact details, including email addresses and phone numbers, are usually publicly displayed.
Here’s an overview of the main directories:
Local results on Google
Yelp
Bing Places
Yellow Pages
Better Business Bureau
Angie's List
Foursquare
Facebook
Houzz
Remember that business directories are not prospecting tools. They’re aimed at consumers looking for a local service. As such, contacting business owners on the platform is usually not the best idea.
Instead, use the publicly available information to build your lead list. You can then reach out to prospects—legally and with all the proper safeguards like opt-outs in place—to pitch your services.
5. Networking Events and Meetups
Nothing beats face-to-face interactions for building genuine relationships. Networking events, trade shows, and meetups give you this opportunity. Most major cities have a plethora of industry events to choose from, from real estate to healthcare.
As ticket prices are usually nominal (or nonexistent), the main cost of networking events comes in the form of time. With this in mind, it’s important to be picky when choosing which to attend for the best results.
Here are some tips for finding suitable events:
Regularly check listings on Google Events, Meetup, and similar sites
Make use of automated notifications based on your preferences where possible
Empower your team to attend events
Ensure a simple way of exchanging contact information (business cards are helpful)
Cultivate a regular presence at events where you regularly connect with promising leads
Sponsorship is also worth considering. It will put you in a position to interact with attendees and strengthen your brand. Paid sponsorships are often inexpensive for local events.
6. Local Business Associations and Chambers of Commerce
Small business owners are often members of local business associations and chambers. Joining these organizations and attending their events is one of the most effective ways of reaching small company owners.
The reason that events organized by associations and chambers of commerce receive a special mention on this list is because they typically rank among the most powerful forums for connecting local companies. It’s not uncommon for a chamber of commerce to 100s of events a year. And they’ll almost certainly be attended by senior leaders and decision makers.
What’s more, there’s a lot to be said for involvement in supplementary activities. Associations regularly offer training, mentorship, and informal meetups. By becoming a regular and trusted presence, you’re making it easy for local businesses to approach you.
7. Cold Calling
Cold calling gets a bad rap. However, when done well, it’s incredibly effective. According to a study by Cognism, the average cold calling success rate (measured as percentage of meetings booked to calls made) is 4.8%. With the right approach, that figure can more than double.
Here are some tips for cold calling that’s non-intrusive and add value:
Validate: Use a trusted database with up-to-date contact numbers and good coverage of your customer base.
Research: Understand the business's needs and pain points before calling and have this information to hand during the call.
Personalize: Reference specific insights and opportunities relevant to the prospect and always make sure sales pitches are tailored.
Ask permission: Open with, "Is this a good time to talk?" If the answer is no, arrange a time to call back.
Be brief: Respect their time by restricting calls to business hours and keep the call as brief as possible.
If you or your team isn’t used to cold calling, scripts can be helpful as a starting point. Look out for scripts that are specific to your industry and potential clients. You can then test and refine canned material as you generate feedback from your calls.
8. Partnering With Complementary Businesses
Ah, the good ol’ joint venture. Overdo it, and you’re in dangerous waters. But get the balance right and you’ll gain access to hordes of prospects.
Most partnerships work on a “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” approach. The partner pitches your product to their following, and you pitch theirs to yours. That said, there are other forms a collaboration can take.
Ask these six questions to evaluate partnerships:
Is the potential partner offering a complementary, not a competing, product?
Can their audience or following provide an equal amount of value as yours?
Is their audience made up of your prospective clients?
What channel will they use to promote your offer? Email, social media, podcasts, events, or a mix?
What are the past conversion rates of offers to the potential partner’s following?
Are complementary businesses open to alternative forms of partnerships like sponsorships or paid reviews?
One of the best ways to find potential collaborations is to put out a request to your existing network. A simple email or direct message on social media asking if a business is interested in a joint venture will usually suffice.
How to Build Trust and Long-Term Relationships With Small Business Owners
Connecting with small business owners is only one half of the battle. You also need to build trust and rapport over the long term.
While there’s no one-size-fits-all approach, there are three key factors that will help you build meaningful relationships:
Personalized messages
Free genuine value
Consistent communication
Let’s look at each of these in some more depth.
Personalize Your Outreach
The difference in effectiveness between personalized and generic outreach is stark. According to research by Backlinko, personalized messages increase response rates by 32.7%. They also begin a relationship on a basis of friendliness and curiosity. This is far better than generic bulk outreach.
You should personalize all of the following elements of your email:
Subject line
Opening
Reference to prospect’s pain points
Your offer or pitch
Your closing remark
Sometimes, personalization equates to little more than using the recipient’s first name. At others—such as when you’re making a pitch—it requires that you have an in-depth understanding of their business, pain points, and preferences.
Many businesses struggle with personalization at scale because it can be prohibitively costly and time-consuming.
Reps are increasingly turning to AI tools like Artisan, which can personalize emails at scale at the same level of quality as human salespeople. If you’d like to see Artisan in action, get in touch to arrange a demo.
Offer Free Value
In some cases, prospects will be ready to buy. In others, they’ll need more nurturing. When it comes to small businesses with limited budgets, it will often be the latter. Offering value for free is one of the easiest ways of undertaking this nurturing process.
Here are some examples of free resources to provide:
Free consultations and audits
Lead magnets like eBooks
Exclusive video content
Reports about local trends and opportunities
A complimentary gift like a branded calendar or notebook
An invitation to a free event
An important consideration when offering free resources is that they should provide genuine value. Don’t treat them as a disguised sales pitch.
Demonstrating your expertise is one of the most differentiating, powerful things you can do. It will naturally persuade small business owners who have a genuine need to seek out your services and products.
Consistency and Follow-Up
A single follow-up email increases responses by 65.8% on average. Consistent follow-up works, and it can turn a money-draining campaign into one that drives a positive ROI practically overnight.
Here are the five top best practices for sending killer follow-ups:
Send three follow-up emails in total, spaced over approximately two weeks.
Repeat your core offer and company description rather than make prospects scroll through an email thread.
Keep your emails concise while letting the recipient know you’ve previously been in touch.
Experiment with alternative CTAs like “Would you like to schedule a meeting?” or “Interested in grabbing a coffee?”
Supplement cold email follow-up with additional outreach methods like cold calls where possible.
Keep in mind that you can also use automation and AI tools to streamline and personalize follow-up, not just initial outreach. This can lead to sizable cost savings and free you up to focus on the important work of making human connections.
How to Use Artisan to Reach Small Business Owners
AI is changing the way businesses conduct outreach. Many laborious tasks that required entire teams of people can now be fully automated. And the price of these AI platforms is becoming ever more accessible.
Let’s look at how you can automate your outreach with Artisan’s Local Business Data tool and AI BDR, who we call Ava.
1. Set up your first campaign and select Local Data from the top dropdown. This means Ava will focus on local business leads.
2. Enter your ideal customer profile (ICP) details like business type, your location, average Google rating, and keywords. You can also pick which locations and keywords to exclude.
3. Enter information about your product or service and value proposition. This will form the basis of your outreach.
4. Select your preferred tone and choose personalization sources (from which Artisan will gather data to personalize messages).
5. Adjust your outreach flow, sit back, and let Ava work her magic.
The best way to see how Artisan can fuel your business growth is to book a live demo. Just get in touch to arrange a chat with our friendly team.
Use AI to Build Meaningful Connections With Small Businesses
Do you want to reach hundreds of small businesses without lengthy prospecting and expensive sales costs? Artisan gives you all the tools you need to run high-quality campaigns on autopilot.
Artisan’s AI BDR, Ava, can send thousands of personalized emails a day, with automated follow-ups and full-picture oversight of your campaign.
Artisan offers the following features:
A local business prospecting tool with detailed information from Google Business companies
Automatic lead enrichment that scrapes company websites, Google reviews, and company social media profiles
Email warmup, deliverability testing, and built-in GDPR and CAN-SPAM checks
Mass personalization of email messaging at a human level of quality
Social media outreach on LinkedIn
Personalized follow-up sequences based on recipient behavior
Hands-off A/B testing and campaign optimization
AI-assisted analytics for practical campaign insights (bounce rates, responses, conversion rates, etc.)
If you’d like to see how Artisan can help you reach small businesses and close more deals, get in touch to book a demo.
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