Inside Marketing with MarketSurge

Speaker: Welcome to Inside
Marketing With Market Surge.

Your front row seat to the
boldest ideas and smartest

strategies in the marketing game.

Your host is Reed Hansen, chief
Growth Officer at Market Surge.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Hello,
and welcome back to Inside

Marketing with Market Surge.

I'm thrilled to introduce our guest
today, Neil Rogers, owner and VP of

Marketing and Sales at Rogers Marketing,
a full service promotional marketing

firm based in Nashua, New Hampshire.

With over 30 years of experience across
industries from pharma and logistics

to even government defense, Neil has
built Roger's marketing into a trusted

name and promotional merchandise.

His award-winning reproach blends,
thoughtful strategy, tangible

creativity, and a human first mindset.

He's also the author of Bar Tips where he
translates lessons learned behind the bar

into pragmatic, empathetic sales wisdom.

Neil, welcome to the show.

Neil Rogers: Glad to be here.

Thanks for having me.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah, you bet.

Well, so you have worked in a lot of
different industries, uh, as I mentioned

in the intro, and it's all brought
you here to founding Rogers marketing.

So how did those experiences, and
I even include, uh, bartending,

how did those influence your
approach to sales and marketing?

Neil Rogers: Well, actually
we've worked in uh, those,

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Okay.

Neil Rogers: so our business, Rogers

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Okay.

Neil Rogers: worked with those verticals.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: So Neil,
you have worked with companies from

many different industries, so that
would include hospitality, uh, you

know, and, and all these others
like government, defense, and, you

know, just a, a wide variety pharma.

How did, how did those, uh, experiences
working with these companies?

What do you find it similar and
what is different and, and how

does that affect your approach when
you're working with these companies?

Neil Rogers: Well, the approach to
solicit their business is all the same.

So it doesn't matter what industry
you're in, we take the same approach.

We certainly may tailor a little bit as
we communicate with them in the initial

phase of prospecting and all that, so
that, you know, we're going to tailor

it to, you know, if it's a defense
contractor or if it's an insurance company

or financial services as an example.

those industries are all
very highly regulated,

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Hmm.

Neil Rogers: so you need to know
the ins and outs of what they can

do, what they can't do and all that.

but once you're inside that, that
information also helps out dramatically.

So it's all about homework, right?

So you've qualified your prospects, you
kind of know what they're going through.

You kind of know how you can
help them in certain ways.

So you just, take your knowledge and then
of course, you just do basic sales stuff.

We want to sit down, we wanna talk
to them, we wanna, ask them what

their challenges are and how we
might, and then just to determine

whether or not we can help them.

But we always want to do
a lot more listening than

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Hmm.

Neil Rogers: we do talking.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

No, I think that makes A lot of
sense when you're, uh, you know,

especially working with a lot
of different kinds of companies.

Now, um, I'd be interested
about your book, if we could

start with that for a second.

Bar tips.

I know you've worked in
the past as a bartender,

Neil Rogers: Mm-hmm.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: where, tell us
a little bit about that and what are the

lessons you took away and how they could
be applied today, you know, in current.

Neil Rogers: It was where I kind of
figured out what I could be good at,

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Hmm.

Neil Rogers: right?

So I, I was not a successful student.

I became a successful student, mainly
because by the time I realized what

I might be suited for, Neil was like,
Neil was never gonna be an engineer.

Well, he was never gonna work
with his hands, you know,

it just wasn't in the cards.

Right.

But once I determined that, you know,
kind of my gig was the people business

and I kind of enjoyed, you know, customers
serving people as, as a bartender, as, uh,

you know, just in the hospitality business
in general, I enjoyed that environment.

Uh, you know, especially if you're
with the right people that are

concerned about how the customer is
getting taken care of and whatnot.

And you, you watch all that and
then it also give you that, you

know, that immediate feedback.

I mean, you won't sell, you know,
I've never sold technical software

or anything of that nature, but
that sales time is 18 months.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

Neil Rogers: you know, a lot of times
it's very rewarding, don't get me

wrong, however, that'd be a tough
road to hope, you know, when you're

waiting that long to get some response.

so anyways, I know I realized
that that was gonna be my gig.

So I then translated all that stuff
that you learn as a people person

behind a bar and all that is important
to that, into the sales life.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Hmm.

Neil Rogers: and you know, to your
listeners out there, nothing here is

going to be complex marketing theory.

It is all the little things.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Hmm

Neil Rogers: And so that's what,
those are the things that you need.

Like as an example, if you walk
into a restaurant, a bar or

whatever, and nobody greets you,

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: hmm.

Neil Rogers: how do we feel?

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Right.

Neil Rogers: want to be?

if you walk in and say, Hey,
good evening, how are you?

What's up for tonight?

What are you thinking about?

Oh, you like dinner, you
wanna come and have a drink?

Why don't you have a drink?

And think about dinner.

sit down?

What are you up to tonight?

What do you feel like?

Are you a vodka person?

You know?

Do you like gin?

Boy, I've got this incredible rum drink.

If you kinda like the stuff
below, in the sunshine.

So that part of it sets
the initial relationship.

Correct.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

Neil Rogers: And then how do you
listen really in that, first chapter

of the tips part of the book after I
give my whole bio and whatnot is the

importance of the proper greeting.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Hmm.

Neil Rogers: So, I mean, and the one
that, that's the boy someday, uh, the CEO

of, uh, home Depot is gonna call me, but
'cause I use this example all the time.

Do you remember when, uh,
you may be old enough?

You remember when Home Depot first
came into town and you walked in

that front door, there was a sea
of orange aprons to help you.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: It's
a different time, wasn't it?

Neil Rogers: now they hide on you.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah, they do.

Neil Rogers: It's like, and if
you get somebody, well, don't,

we usually work in this section?

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Right.

Neil Rogers: for you.

And then they disappear.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

Neil Rogers: However you walk
into the Ace Hardware store

downtown Reid, what's happening?

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

Neil Rogers: today?

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Right.

Neil Rogers: What's the project this week?

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

Neil Rogers: on, lemme show
you something over here.

I think you're really gonna like this.

I know how you did that with your
house and how you were looking to

do more, that type of stuff, that
familiarity, that hospitality.

So that, I mean, that
just sets the whole tone.

So then when you're asking those
questions, what is your project read?

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

Neil Rogers: Keep your mouth shut.

Listen,

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

Neil Rogers: make notes, make mental
notes, however you're gonna do it.

And um, you know, they said,
it's always two years, a month.

use 'em in that proportion.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

Neil Rogers: so, and that happens in the
hospitality business as I just described.

What are you interested in tonight?

oh, you're at steak.

Well, lemme tell you what, we just
might not be the place for steak.

a seafood restaurant, but we do have one.

if I was to offer you a steak, say
you go through this door, a body of

the hotel, take a left, and you're
gonna see the steakhouse that'll

have every cut of meat that you have.

So that I just displayed what
we call peripheral knowledge.

And hospitality isn't always about,
it's doing something that may not

directly affect you right now.

What have I done for that person?

If I lost the customer, did I
lose 'em for life or did I lose

'em for the next hour and a half?

Probably just the next hour and a half.

'cause they just did 'em solid,

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Right, right.

Neil Rogers: go over, they maybe even
tipped me a little better, but they,

I've reflected well on myself and
my operation, the place I work for.

They would not have been happy
with the steak at this place.

No.

uh, that comes a little later in the,
in the book, but it kind of worked right

into that little story I was doing.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

Neil Rogers: that's not as simple.

That's not something that, oh,
yeah, well, that'd be a good idea.

Maybe I should tell 'em those things.

No, that's where you act.

You have to actively understand what
else in your business or outside of your

business can you help your customer with,

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah,

Neil Rogers: and if you know a guy.

You know what?

Know a guy is right?

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: right.

Oh yeah, sure.

Yeah.

Neil Rogers: you know a guy,

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Mm-hmm.

Neil Rogers: make the connection

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

Neil Rogers: via email, get him on
a call, whatever that is, make that

solid connection so they're not
twisting in the wind trying to figure

out, well, who's Neil Rogers again?

Why did he send me to you?

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

Neil Rogers: so, that is probably
more complex than some of the

other things like time management.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

Neil Rogers: I mean, okay, so
again, if you show up at the

restaurant, at the bar, you are late.

And one of the places I
worked at, you weren't alone.

You had two, three, sometimes five
other people on the bar with you.

in some of these places,
they're that busy.

You know, if you show up late,
somebody has had to cover you.

Or, you know, had stayed late after
their shift, you know, maybe they

didn't, you don't know what they needed
to do, what if they had to get home

to their family or whatever that is.

So you've let your team down.

So in that case, it's not necessarily
your customer, but your team,

which affects your whole overall
performance with your customers.

so showing up 15 minutes early is, you
know, the whole Lombardi time thing.

Well, it's true.

And, you know, nobody bats
a thousand, but try for it.

go for 15.

and then if you're setting up your day and
you're organizing yourself, so organize,

you know, the most organized win.

So again, if your station is set up,
organized, and you're ready for the

onslaught when you're behind the stick, a
bartender way of calling behind the bar.

you know, your bar,
everything is, stocked.

Everything's ready to go.

Here they come.

Now you're rolling.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Hmm.

Neil Rogers: And in these, most of the
places I worked at were just crazy busy.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

Neil Rogers: busy.

So if you weren't
prepared, you were toast.

I mean, you were behind the
eight ball all night long.

So the same thing.

You know, if, a new insurance guy
comes to your house to talk to

you about insurance and his papers
are all over the place and he

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

Neil Rogers: on his laptop isn't
working properly, and he didn't,

you know, how does that reflect on
the relationship and how is this

like, oh, you know what, you're

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: No.

Neil Rogers: not beaming with confidence

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Right,

Neil Rogers: And I

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: right.

Neil Rogers: I have said that
on a number of occasions.

it's like, geez, I'm just not
really feeling all that confident

that you're gonna pull the rest of
this off when you show up and you

don't have your materials together.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Right.

Neil Rogers: so those are the
things that we put in there, like

attitude, aptitude, appearance.

Folks, please a decent attitude.

Smile, will you, in the sales
business or you're in business.

you know, whatever it is.

And if you are a bartender or a server
or somebody in the hospitality business

and you're not having a good time.

You may want to consider doing something
else because not gonna have any more fun

working than you are, serving the public.

serving the public isn't always
the easiest thing, but you get

camaraderie with your teammates
Hey, I met my wife there,

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

Neil Rogers: so that's the type
of theme that we put into it.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

Neil Rogers: came to me when I
was, um, I was at a, an event here.

I live on campus here at a golf community.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Oh, nice.

Neil Rogers: my daughter was being
honored, um, up at the clubhouse, this is

before, you know, before we actually moved

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Mm-hmm.

Neil Rogers: And, you know, one
of the people under 30 to watch.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Oh, great.

Neil Rogers: time,

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Okay.

Neil Rogers: we went to the event, of
course, like good parents, but the guy who

brought five guys burgers to New Hampshire
is the guy that gave the keynote address.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Wow.

Neil Rogers: And if you're
sensing, when I speak in front

of people, this is how I talk.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Mm-hmm.

Neil Rogers: I'm gonna
use the words like Ghana.

I didn't go to Harvard.

Okay.

so this guy was my type of speed speaker
nuts and bolts, authentic, right?

I try to hide the Boston accent
a little bit, but you know, it,

Rears its ugly head every once in a while.

I mean, I've been up here, it's
not that far from Boston, but

uh, it's 40 miles from Boston,
but I've been up here 35 years.

But he got up there and he
gave this great, what I just

thought was a great speech.

He was talking about how he, you know,
the things that he did to, put the

company together up here, buying the
franchise developers, whatever it is.

And then he got into what, if you've
ever worked in hospitality, typically

there's a thing called pre meal.

they, uh, you know, they get
the team together and they talk

about what's out, what's 86th in
the, parlance of, hospitality.

And they might talk about the wine of
the night or the specials, whatever.

It's, and then they give a
little bit of a rah rah speech.

we're not in the burger business,
we're not in the fry business,

we're not in the soda business,
we're not in the shake business.

We are in the hospitality business.

I stepped back, I looked at my wife
and as I intimated earlier, I met

her as she was a server at this place
in Boston I worked at, said I've

never left the hospitality business.

been bartending on the road
for the last 35 plus years.

Same stuff over and over again.

people, showing up on time, being well
presented, know, all these simple things.

Um, and that's where, when, when, you know
what hit, I won't say the word, and we

were all trying to keep from, you know,

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: That's right.

We'll keep our rating
on Apple Podcasts, but

Neil Rogers: Right.

So is that when you started.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge:
yeah, that's right.

Neil Rogers: Oh, so, um, I, uh,
um, I wrote, I, I, I, approached me

and said, you should write a book.

What am I gonna write on?

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

Neil Rogers: I had done some writing,
but I'd never written a book.

And I had done some writing
on a bar that I worked at.

My first bar I worked at,
one of our guys turned 70.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Hmm.

Neil Rogers: He's now almost 80.

It's been eight years
since we had this party.

and it was just like a
very emotional time for us.

I found the old t-shirt art, and
I recreated the t-shirts for us

and we all wore them that night.

And there was the decorated everything
with the full sail and all this.

And, um, I'd written about it.

I had written something about,
growing up and also about an interim

part, you know, where I grew up in
Melrose, Massachusetts, but also

this place where the full sail was.

So I had these three pieces and I went.

maybe I should do something
on this hospitality bit.

And that's when I just started outlining
the whole gig and coming up with these

thoughts, and then I pick up things like,
and these stories all wind up in the book.

when I talk about the most organized wins,
I was down at a restaurant here in Nashua.

They had just built this place.

It was a chain, a local chain of sorts.

Although I think I've seen them, in other
areas of the country, not your average.

Joe and I walked in and I'm
watching this girl work behind the

barn, and she's pretty darn good.

I mean, she's moving pretty quick
and, you know, very attentive and

all that, running around like a.

So finally, I engaged her.

I said, I did this a little
bit a hundred years ago.

And she said, I said, uh, didn't
they design this from scratch?

She goes, yep.

I said, bartender did not
help 'em design it, did they?

No.

I said, it's obvious to me.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

Neil Rogers: And then there's a, but to.

the story, I tell that the positive
end of this is a guy right here.

Uh, he's got a, you know, kind
of a breakfast sandwich job.

They serve dinner, but
it's, you know, it's all the

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Mm-hmm.

Neil Rogers: Most of their
business is done probably between

and three in the afternoon.

You walk in there, you order a salad,
and you say, then you decide, oh,

I wanted something special on it.

If they've keyed it in, they've
gotta go back and tell them.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Oh wow.

Neil Rogers: they're already making it.

Yeah.

you said so you're getting a
fresh salad, a fresh whatever.

Because in the back, He probably spent
the extra for the software that does that.

And that in the back, in the stations
where all the, the cooks are, don't

have to move three feet for anything.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Uh, okay.

I.

Neil Rogers: So it's all right there.

He knew he was gonna be busy.

And he was busy, much like this
place T is in Boston where I worked,

they knew they were gonna be busy.

They had experience, they had a place
over in fan hall marketplace that they

were really busy at, and this one was
a little bit over on the water they

wouldn't even let you work more than four
shifts because it was so, so crazy busy.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Oh wow.

Neil Rogers: because they thought
they would, you know, burn people out.

Now, you know, to me, I don't care.

I was a kid.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: It's.

Neil Rogers: Some people were
paying their rent outta this place.

I still have been at home.

So, um, so anyways, um, but you did
not have to move very far for anything.

'cause they planned

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

Neil Rogers: most organized wins.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

Neil Rogers: that just

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: I.

Neil Rogers: you know, in all of, And
then as I, you know, I think about

the guys that I worked for and were,
ultimately mentored by or worked with,

you know, and all of 'em are the same way.

It's like, this is how I set up my thing.

This is how I do this,
this is how I do that.

And that's the process
by which I work every

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

Neil Rogers: process is huge in sales.

So we, um.

anyway, so that's where it all
kind of ties back and ties in.

Uh, you know, my favorite one I
always love to tell because I really

believe it's worth screaming from the
mountaintops to any of your listeners.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

Neil Rogers: and then it was this
guy, but it was in the food business.

So I sold, uh, you know, my next
job after being in the restaurant

business was selling to the restaurant

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Hmm.

Neil Rogers: And so, um, and this
guy was kind of the, you know.

Tops of the tree sales guy in
this place called SS Pierce, which

was a food distribution company.

There was 200,000 items.

This guy knew most of it.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Wow.

Neil Rogers: I been doing it
for a long time or he knew

groups of it and he kind of,

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Mm-hmm.

Neil Rogers: whatever.

he knew what he could sell any
at any time, and he was kind

of a wise ac kind of dude.

Still is.

I still see him now.

he was so touched when I acknowledged
him in the book and told him

it was a whole chapter based
on this one thing he told me.

so, you know, and I did everything.

what do you need from me?

I'll go do this.

I'll go do that.

I cover his roots when he went
on vacation and, you know,

he'd just, always be giving me

A little tip, a little tip.

So finally says, listen, you
forget everything I've told you

Remember this one thing, whenever
anything goes wrong, start here.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Mm-hmm.

Neil Rogers: What was my role in this?

I have done better?

So before you lash out in this world,
it would've been, well, it looks like

the truck driver left it on the truck,
or, oh, the guy who picks in the, uh,

in the warehouse, he screwed up again.

Or the, oh, that customer service person,
man, she's always messing up on me.

Nobody looks good.

the problem.

Don't let anybody know
there was a problem.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Hmm.

Neil Rogers: Forgot
something off the truck.

Get it to them however you have to do it.

go up to the warehouse,
pick it up and deliver it.

You might be working at eight o'clock
at night, but that's the game.

so really practicing humility and
that, this is kind of a fun bar

story that I tell with this one.

And it's in the book.

It's uh, this guy Dennis Mayer,
who was a bartender with us.

And as I always tell, he was way
too smart to be working with us.

It's like, what are you doing, dude?

We're just floundering and
trying to figure things out here.

some woman came up to the and she
ordered a vodka martini extra dry.

Straight up Dennis Mader,
just the way he always does.

down the glass, ice down the mixing
glass to pour the booze, get that

chilled up, takes the ice out of
the up glass where they're gonna

put the booze pours in the booze.

Little lemon twist on it,
puts it in front of her.

You know, that's just not dry enough.

Okay, Dennis comes walking past me and he
goes, I've been doing this for 15 years.

I didn't put a drop of
vermouth in a martini yet,

but what did he do?

Iced down the glass,
pour it in front of her.

Not really kind of in her
face, but so she could

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Mm-hmm.

Neil Rogers: so

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Sure.

Neil Rogers: pause the drink, puts it in
front of it, does the whole routine again.

Takes a sip.

That's the one.

So what did we learn here?

Dennis could have, proved her
wrong, and try to be right, he

did the best thing he could.

It was just like, do you
think he didn't waste that

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Mm-hmm.

Neil Rogers: that went into a
glass stayed underneath the bar.

Somebody ordered a vodka tonic.

they got that vodka.

So,

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Wow.

Neil Rogers: was, there was
no, no big beef at the bar.

No one said no, this, I'm
telling you right now.

I'm telling you right now,
that is not dry enough.

You put too much removed from that.

I can hear it.

just, it'd be just in that accent too.

And it, there might be
a couple of in there

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Right.

Neil Rogers: Ah,

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Interesting.

Neil Rogers: so I can
keep going on that all

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Well,
Neil, you know, you make an

interviewer's job very easy.

I would say, obviously I think
hospitality really informs.

your philosophy and your
practices in marketing.

tell us a little bit
about Roger's marketing.

Now, I know you do, um, you have a
lot of creative physical marketing.

tell us about what you do and how that
philosophy, coalesced into your business.

Neil Rogers: So we're in
the charge key business,

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

Neil Rogers: logo

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Mm-hmm.

Neil Rogers: swag,
whatever you wanna call it.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Right.

Neil Rogers: when used properly, it could
be the most powerful marketing you use.

It's the only marketing
anybody's gonna thank you for.

Unless you're getting taken to,
you know, ball games and stuff like

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Sure.

Right.

Neil Rogers: I mean, in terms of like if
you visit with somebody and you leave them

a little something and it doesn't have to
be a lot, I'll show you something right

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

Please,

Neil Rogers: listeners out there.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: please.

Neil Rogers: Can you see that?

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yes.

Neil Rogers: what's in the sky there?

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Uh, let's see.

So part of it is the streams, pixelates
a little bit, but, uh, maybe tell

us for those that are listening

Neil Rogers: name,

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge:
for, there you go.

Neil Rogers: calendars

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Hmm.

Neil Rogers: the name is in.

We give these out every year.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Okay.

Neil Rogers: Customers go crazy for them.

You think in this day and age
with calendars everywhere,

who's gonna want a pay calendar?

They call us.

Are you gonna be sending those
calendars again this year?

You'll be sure.

Yeah.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Wow.

Neil Rogers: And so, so those types
of things, those are a little bit of

surprise and delight, you know, so
people get those, oh, isn't that nice?

And it's not a gazillion dollars,

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Right, right.

Neil Rogers: you know, if you're
mailing 'em, it's starting to get

a little bit costly to mail things.

I mean, when it used to be

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Mm-hmm.

Neil Rogers: But it's the same
thing I talked about earlier

about understanding what their
needs are and what they're going.

So whenever we can truly
partner with somebody.

And when they, when they just accept us
for our experience and what we do, which

is a lot of time, we, it's a huge win-win.

You know, we, we develop what is
known in the last chapter of the book,

hospitality Happiness, and what that is.

I'm digging what you are doing.

You're digging what I'm doing.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

Neil Rogers: You, I'm your go-to.

I don't disappoint you.

If I do, I make good on it.

Whatever it is, I am Dennis
Mayer making you another martini.

And you know, that's how
our whole operation is.

And, um, so we pride ourselves
on over-delivering, you know,

listen, bats a thousand,

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: right.

Neil Rogers: game.

You try to hit it outta the park,

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

Neil Rogers: but yeah, so it's the
same type of philosophy and when I'm

prospecting, it's the same thing.

We take 'em through a seven step
process and we don't just count on.

Belligerently leaving them voicemails
and emails and badgering them.

We try to get creative and we try
to show them things that they may

not have seen or show them an effort
that we really wanna do business with

you and we think we can help you.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

Neil Rogers: what it all boils down to.

it just, dovetails nicely with all of
my experiences in sales, be it behind

the bar, which was some form of sales.

They all just came to me.

I didn't have to find them.

my food experience, I was in
athletic footwear and apparel.

And then we've been at this
for Approaching 30 years.

so we really, pitch that as one of
the things that we can help them with.

I'm now trying to work with a, nationwide
franchise company that does, employment

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Hmm.

Neil Rogers: recruiters type thing, right?

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

Neil Rogers: They're all like five
person offenses as individual offices.

I wouldn't wanna work with 'em.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Sure.

Neil Rogers: Because it's
just not lucrative enough.

But I've developed systems where I can
do, I've got people now and so they

can manage all of the order stuff.

And then I'm looking to get, right
now I'm working with like 20 of them.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Hmm.

Neil Rogers: I'm working, I next, I'm
going to 250 soon, and then someday

I'm gonna probably have all 800 of 'em.

But then that's when,
so that's the end game.

so if I've gotta talk to somebody over a
$40, you know, business card order, sure

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

Neil Rogers: I have all the
patients in the world for it.

But if you're calling me out on my
pricing, and I just gotta tell you,

you think anybody's making money
on $40 worth of business cards?

They're not.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Right.

Neil Rogers: So it's,

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Right.

That'll work.

Neil Rogers: of Lost the
lost leader for sure.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

well, Neil, this is, I think, a
really good, you know, there's a

lot of gems here that you shared.

If somebody wanted to work with you,
learn more about your book, your

philosophy, or even work with Rogers
marketing on some physical, creative,

marketing pieces, where can they find you?

Neil Rogers: so on two sides on the
book side and philosophy wise, you

would go to positive activity.net.

See, we didn't even get started on

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah, I know.

Neil Rogers: Right.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: you
might have to do a part two.

Neil Rogers: you'll find, direct
link to the book and then you'll

find our blog and we've got talk
about some real gems in the blogs.

I mean, again, it's all the same.

It's just stories and, you know.

Okay.

I remember that.

Yeah, I should do that too.

How much time do we have, do
I have a story or two left?

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Please share.

Neil Rogers: I'll give you an example.

so I was, um, this is in, uh, in May.

this is, this is a good one.

I think everybody's gonna love this one.

Say I went to a sales
meeting last September.

I also went to one in July, but last
September, and it was a couple of,

I was a young guy there that I met.

You know, he, you know, he, you
know, they, they think you're a

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Mm-hmm.

Neil Rogers: been around a long
time, you know, I'm in the company.

I was the first one of the
first two inducted into

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Hmm.

Neil Rogers: And so, um.

So anyways, you know, you get that kind
of starey thing and I was like, no, you

know, just chat with the kid and Yeah.

I'm, I like, I was mentored.

I'll be happy meant you need to
know, kid, I'll, I'll take you along.

Whatever I can.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

Neil Rogers: And so anyways, uh,
that night, the dinner and the

awards banquet and all that was
at the Harley Davidson Museum.

We were in Milwaukee

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Oh, nice.

Neil Rogers: and so I What a great city.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

Neil Rogers: empty.

It's empty though.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Oh, really?

Okay.

Neil Rogers: the people?

Beautiful lake and all this stuff.

And then I'm thinking, does this
have lake effects snow in the winter?

So that's the only thing kind of buffalo.

I don't know.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Hmm.

Neil Rogers: so the event
is supposed, you're supposed

to have something bikey ish?

Well, I don't have anything.

I brought a black T-shirt.

Right.

That's, I'm not, so as I'm leaving
the trade show, the, on all of our

meetings we have trade shows where our
vendors there, I'm walking out in the

skies, He's got a, um, d Sublimated,
you know, d Sublimated logo is one

where it's actually in the material

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Mm-hmm.

Neil Rogers: right?

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Mm-hmm.

Neil Rogers: and so all over
it, all these biker type logos.

I said, Hey, what are you
gonna do with that thing?

He said, well, I dunno.

Bring it home.

I don't sell.

It goes, what do you want for it?

How about 35 bucks?

I said, fine.

He said, gimme a car,
do a, do a deal with me.

Fine.

Either one, whatever way he gives me

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Yeah.

Neil Rogers: I go to the meeting,
and uh, into this kid Taylor,

right, and Taylor says to me,
Hey Neil, that jacket is awesome.

I looked at Mr.

Taylor, I will never wear this again.

And he goes, can I have it?

I said, sure can.

So I, um, went

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Mm-hmm.

Neil Rogers: my night ended a hell a lot
earlier than he did, I guarantee you that.

And so the next day we've got, you
know, the farewell breakfast and, you

know, I dunno if you've ever traveled
like this, but typically the farewell

breakfast is not very well attended.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Right, right.

Neil Rogers: of people, people
had earlier flights or whatnot.

So he's sitting over there at a
table by himself uh, I said, um.

I walked over to him, had
the jacket behind my back.

Taylor, how are you?

Good, Neil, what's going on?

I said, oh, great meeting, huh?

a lot of good speakers,
a lot of good content.

You learned a lot.

And he goes, yeah, I did.

I said, I'm gonna give you the
best tip you've had all week.

I threw the jacket on the table,
I pointed to him and I said, do

what you say you're gonna do.

I walked away.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge:
It's a good lesson.

Neil Rogers: it's in my blog post.

It's called No Beer Plans.

You know what beer plans are?

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Hmm.

Neil Rogers: ones you make after
a couple beers with your buddies.

We need to get together.

I'll give you a call.

Oh, yeah.

Let's, but we'll get them

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Later,

Neil Rogers: it's gonna be great.

You guys wanna travel it?

Oh, then nothing ever happens.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Right.

Neil Rogers: ever tell me.

don't ever take me up on something
because I'm gonna show up at your door.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Okay.

Well, uh, well, fantastic.

Well, so, um, give us
your Rogers marketing.

how do people find you At Rogers?

Neil Rogers: is that that website?

And that's Neil, NEIL mark.net.

And then, um, you know, and then
on the positive activity side,

that's our speaking site and
all that, our program site, uh,

that's neil@positiveactivity.net.

But either one, I, I answered anything.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Awesome.

Neil Rogers: yeah.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: well,
Neil, thank you so much for joining.

I, uh, will include these links in
the show notes, but, uh, you know, I

feel like I was just along with the
listeners really soaking this up.

And, and learning a lot.

So thanks so much for, for your
wisdom and, uh, you know, look forward

to collaborating in the future.

Neil Rogers: Sounds great.

Thanks Reid.

Reed Hansen, MarketSurge: Thanks, Neil.

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