Search Interviews:

Jeremy Weisz 16:01

I’m curious, Michele, you know, I’m fascinated by this telemarketing thing. So, like, because I feel like I’m like you, where I’m just very consultative, try and be helpful. And you know, when I picture telemarketing, I almost picture the opposite, right? So I’m curious that mix of your personality of, like, listen, we don’t want to be pushy, we just want to help. With a telemarketing, what was in the script that you were comfortable with and what was the call to action if you remember?

Michele Ringelberg 16:35

Yeah, typically it, and it’s been a while, so I’m trying to remember, um, but usually, the telemarketer was saying, hey, like, Michele is the owner, she wants to share some free tips to help you. You know, get better SEO or, like, do more marketing.

Jeremy Weisz 17:03

There’s like a value proposition there.

Michele Ringelberg 17:07

And typically what I would do is say, Hey, I noticed, you know, your meta description is this like, you know, if you can just put your keyword like in that meta description, that’s going to help you a ton. And I would always like provide three free tips for prospects. And even if I wasn’t doing the telemarketing and I found somebody that I really wanted to work with, I would just email them and say, Hey, I’m Michele like, we, you know, do marketing for, you know, businesses like yours. I noticed this, and here’s just a free tip, like, here’s how you do this. So can you, you know, go ahead and do it, and if it works, great, if you’re struggling, let me know, you know. And it’s just, you know, the more that you can help. You’re not selling, you’re just, you’re providing that value. And it’s just, like, really helpful. 

Jeremy Weisz 18:21

Another thing, thanks for sharing that, Michele, I love that approach, because I you know, just try and be helpful to people, and if they’re ready for you, then they’re ready for you. You don’t really have to be pushy or in their face. It’s just they know you’re helpful and you’ll be there. Another thing that worked for you was trade shows. What are some of your favorite trade shows?

Michele Ringelberg 18:46

Well, like, with that client I was talking about that just wanted the email campaign. They had, like, encouraged us to go to the biggest trade show in the cannabis industry, which is MJBizCon. And so I sent Brittanie and I said, go check it out. See like, talk to people, find out, what are they doing for marketing, what are their struggles? And she came back with all these medians just from the trade show. And like, Oh my gosh. People don’t know, and they’re so excited, like, when I show them HubSpot, or when I demo, like, what we did for this client. And so that’s, like, the big one. So the first year, she just went, the second year, I think we just did it virtually, and and then we started attending, like, exhibiting, and I was stressed to the max about that, because, I mean, it’s a big trade show, so you’re paying big bucks to be there. And we just had a little 10×10 booth, and I’m like, oh, okay, you guys like, we have to get a client from this and we had all kinds, like, we had these really cute shirts that we were giving away that had, like, sayings on it. And so we had people just lined up, like, waiting to talk to us, because we had, like, bright, fun colors and almost everybody at this trade show is black or green, and we had, like hot pink getting blue, and so people just, Oh, my God, like, we just had to come over here because you look fun. And I’m like, That’s right, we are fun. 

Jeremy Weisz 20:38

Where is it, usually? 

Michele Ringelberg 30:40 

It’s usually in Las Vegas. And so we’ve been going every year since, and this year we’re doing, last year we did a 10×20. This year we’re doing a 20 x20. So upping the game a little bit.

Jeremy Weisz 20:56

What have you done that’s worked? I’m gonna also, I’m gonna share my screen, because if you go to thrivepop.com which you saw before, there is a resources page that they have on the site, and they have some really awesome informational ebooks here, which you can see, but I wanted to you have one on what to include in a trade show plan and strategy. So what are some of the things that you think about, because I’m sure your clients are also going to these trade shows for various reasons.What is in here, a few tips for people cannabis companies going to trade shows?

Michele Ringelberg 21:43

Yeah, I think people get so wrapped up and like the booth that they forget about the before and after, right? And so one of the things I always recommend is like an email drip campaign prior to the event, letting people know that you’re going to be there. Like, we’re going to be at this booth schedule, like, a meeting with us, we only have this many slots available, so we’re creating that urgency. And then when you’re at the booth, like, one of my rules is never sit down like you. You have to be standing up and like, ready to be talking to people. But you have to have some type of interactivity at the booth to get people over. Because if it’s just a table, or if it’s just kind of a boring thing, people just want to kind of keep walking past, right? But if you have something interesting, they’re like, what is that? How do you do that? Like, how can I get that? You know, and so just having, like, really cool things. And there was another company there that was selling shirts with sayings on it, but we’re giving them out for free, you know. And ours was much more clever, anyways. And so that’s why we had like, that line that was going around. And so that is, like, really important, and just making sure your team is, like, not to chatting, not on the phone. They’re alert. They’re like, ready to talk to people, and that they don’t take people that are not super edgy. Like, make sure, like, you’re taking your best people like to work the trade show. And then post is the follow up, right? You know, and making sure that you have some process of following up. And so what we typically do is we will hire telemarketing company to call for follow ups, like, Hey Michele, talk to you and you talked to her about this. She wants to meet with you and get those appointments. And you know what, what is frustrating at these trade shows is that people like, Oh my God. Like, I need you. Like, we’re gonna hire you for sure. Like, I love you know, everything you’re doing, blah, blah, blah, and then trying to get them on the phone is like, ah, but they were really excited. 

Jeremy Weisz 24:22

People get back to their busy lives, I guess. 

Michele Ringelberg 24:25

Yeah, I know. And so when you come back, it’s like, you’re like, trying to, like, just get caught up that I was getting frustrated with my team. On, come on, you guys. We have to call all these people. And it just wasn’t happening. So I’m like, I just made sure that it does happen. So, yeah, so like, making sure you’re following up, and then also, like, you know, get them into a drip campaign, you know. And so what we do is, like, we get them into like, a sequence, and then. They go into a drip campaign, so they’re always getting something from us, like on a weekly basis or monthly basis, depending, and so that we’re staying top of mind, so that when they are ready, they’re thinking, Oh, who’s that company that emails us all those cool ebooks. Oh yeah, that’s ThrivePOP. Oh, I know, ThrivePOP. And then, you know, as, like, time has went on, like when we go to the shop, I know you, you send me emails, you know. And so it’s also kind of that, you know, conversation starter, too. But that’s like the big things that we really try to encourage. 

Jeremy Weisz 25:47

Yeah, you already set systems for everything. And so it sounds like, Michele, you’ll help companies also execute on their trade show strategy. So like, if a company goes to a trade show, you’ll kind of help with the emails or follow up for a company at a trade show. 

Michele Ringelberg 26:04

Yes, yeah. So typically, like, we like, start with the strategy, and then we will then make sure, like, we’re, you know, we schedule or we, like, figure out goals for the company, whatever that may be. So say, if it’s this, we consider, like a trade show, a campaign, and basically, what’s the goals for this campaign? Okay, here’s what we’re going to do. If these are the goals, and that’s how we determine, like, what we’re going to do, but we do everything. So we designed the booths and then worked with the vendors. We will, you know, order all of the equipment and supplies, and you know, we will even stage the environment for you. Like, if you need us to do that, like, have all of the print materials ready, or if we’re needing to order promo items, all of that, but, but then, of course, all of the other things that go along with that, like the pre show and then staying on the sales team after, you know, and making sure, like, okay, like, make sure you’re putting the notes in, you know, so that we know what’s happening. Or, hey, like, we had all these leads now what’s happening? Like, did any of them close? And was that trade show worth it? Because you spent, some people spend $100,000-200,000 on going to this trade show like they don’t follow up. What is the ROI on that like? How many clients did you close because the owner spent all this money getting you there? So you know you need to be making sure that you didn’t just waste your time and just we’re chit chatting to people, and that’s super, super important. And the business owners want to know that they’re not just wasting that money, that we do have a plan in place for the events, because they’re expensive, when you consider the travel and the hotel and the food. 

Jeremy Weisz 28:22

It adds up very quickly. I want to talk a little bit about, you know, the types of clients you work with, and maybe we’ll talk about a few examples to highlight. I know one of the companies is Pip horticulture. Can you talk a little bit about them and what you did with them?

Michele Ringelberg 28:39

Yeah, so Pipp was the email campaign that they came to. They were hosting. Client came to us, and now they’re, like, one of our largest clients, and we do everything for them. But yeah, like they had a creative director, and she had, like, team, and she was on maternity leave, and so they knew that she needed help, and that’s why they called us, like, we just need to get an email campaign out, and she’s not back from maternity leave yet. And so we’re like, yeah, yeah, we can help. And then realized there were a lot of issues with some of their websites. We’re like, Oh my gosh. Like, we need to do this and this and this, and so it just like has evolved, and now we basically, their sales team depends on us. 

Jeremy Weisz 29:35

What do they do as a company?

Michele Ringelberg 29:37

They are grow racks for the cannabis industry, so they are marketing to other businesses, or like grow facilities, and so they can grow more and like increase yields, which is what’s really important for a grower. And their racks, they started out in retail so they are in like, say, Target or Walmart, and they had, like, the shelves that, you know, you move, you know, and adjust, and so that when people, like, you’re in the back room and you’re putting clothing on the shelves, that type of shelving, and then they just decided to get into the horticulture space. And it’s been, like, really great for them. And they hit mobile as a parent company. They have multiple companies, but this is the focus is on the horticulture for the cannabis.

Jeremy Weisz 30:42

Very interesting. Yeah, I remember I had someone, Michele reminds me. So I imagine not just cannabis, but you help people kind of in, I don’t know, farming or that industry, because I remember I interviewed a guy, he started Tiny But Mighty foods, which was like a popcorn, like tiny popcorn. I forgot what it was called, something like, I don’t know if it was heirloom popcorn or something, but that’s what he was. He was like a farmer who was able to get more yield out of the corn as a consultant. Then he just decided to start his own company producing these popcorn kernels, because he could get, whatever it was like, 30% more yield, which is a huge amount considering the acres of crops these people have. So that’s really interesting. Potter’s Cannabis Boutique. 

Michele Ringelberg 31:30

So Potter’s came to me, and they hadn’t opened yet, and so they have a grow facility and a dispensary, and he shared with me his story, which I thought was really cool. And basically, Cory is the owner, and his son died in a motorcycle accident, but that him and his son had this dream to have a grow facility and dispensary, and so when he came to us, he’s like, yeah, like, I need, you know, help with, like, the branding and everything. I’m, you know, I’m getting ready to open, but I want, like, my son’s picture on this logo. And I’m just like, oh, this is gonna be. How are we gonna do a logo? You know? Because you don’t want it to be too busy. But then he wanted all the words and and as designers are, like, too much. And so, like, I can’t picture, like, how this is going to be. But my senior designers, like, I already have an idea. I already got it, you know. And so she came up with this really cool logo for them. And so we did like, all of the branding for them, and just help them, like, with everything. Like, he wanted us to come and, like, check out the showroom, and where should we place, like the merchandise, and, like, one of my strategists used to be, like a regional director at Old Navy, so she’s like, you gotta put this here because of this. And, you know, so it was kind of like fun to, like do that, but then roll out, like everything, like the packaging, because he is a grow facility, he’s packaging his own product. So we were able to, like, do that for him, and really kind of, like, push him and like, show him the importance of marketing. Because sometimes with the dispensaries, they just want to get it out there, and they’re rushing, you know? We’re like, No, we gotta do this the right way. I know, like, it’s taking a while, but this is how we have to do it. And it’s just like, educating them, you know? And they’re doing really good right now, and they’ve been in business, like, a couple years, and I think it’s really cool that they just are, you know, that his son is so like, entwined in it, even though, like, he’s not there anymore. And his son was a photographer, and so like, the picture of him is, like, he’s like, taking a picture with the face. And basically, they have pictures like in the dispensary of his son’s photography. And it just like was, it’s just a great company, you know, he’s, like, very sincere. And I just, they have a really great story. So I thought I wanted to share that with you.

Jeremy Weisz 34:44

Yeah, I love it. And if you’re looking at the screen on the video, you could see, here’s the logo, and it’s someone, his son taking a photograph. Yes, really, it’s cool. It’s. Clean. You guys did a great job of getting everything in there that needed to be in there. I’d like to just ask about, you know, quickly, Michele, you had something that stuck out to me in the eBook, which is the do’s and don’ts. And I’d love to hear maybe one of the don’ts or whatever you feel, because I know you have to kind of tread lightly sometimes in this space.

Michele Ringelberg 35:29

Yeah, yeah. I think the more authentic that you can be, the better. And when you’re trying to pretend to be a certain way because you think that’s what your audience wants. It doesn’t and it doesn’t work. You know, you have to be very authentic in everything that you’re doing, and honest and um, like, whether it’s on social or, you know, in your communication be real, and because you are working with people, because there’s a person on the other side of the computer that’s reading your story and re and you need to be able to connect with them, and that’s so important. And people forget that. They just think about, I’m just trying to sell, sell, sell. Well, you know that will come like, but you know you have to also be natural, you know? 

When we first started, we had a bunch of lawyers and they were very, you know, uptight and stiff and, you know, and I’m just like, I just can’t, I can’t I’m that’s not how I am. So like, how am I gonna do like these lawyers, you know, because we’re just not on the same page. And so I started thinking, like, Okay, I was trying to please everybody, and it wasn’t working, because I was trying to be, like, a way that I’m not I was trying to be stern and like, highlight, you know, like intense, and that’s just not me, and I’m not good at, like, sugar coating. I just say it like it is. And I just want to make sure that, like, when clients are working with me, like, if something’s not going well, I’m gonna be straight, and I’m gonna tell you, like, this campaign is not doing well because of this, like we made a mistake, or we didn’t get this artwork in time, or whatever it may be, because the one of my biggest peeves is just people that lie or, like, are just not truthful, or try to spin things. And I’m not that way, like I was saying earlier, I’m not, like, a pushy salesperson. It’s like, here’s how we charge and I’m just, there’s no tricks to it, you know? And this is just how it is, and this is how we are. And like, one of our core values is transparency. Because I just, like, I want to be honest, and because it’s going to help me in the end, because there’s so many companies out there that they come to me and they’re like, yeah, like, I was having this person do, but then they didn’t do any of the work that they said. And I’m just like, what you know, because we are so, like, detailed on, like, document every single thing we do, and tracking every time that we’re working on your stuff. So, you know, like, what exactly we’re doing. So, um, so, yeah, I forgot what the question was, but.

Jeremy Weisz 38:58

Oh, it was, it was just talking about the do’s and don’ts, and one of the big don’ts was not being authentic, right? And so you tell your clients that, but you also practice that because that’s also one of maybe what ended up subconsciously, consciously attracted you to this industry because your personality maybe lends itself more to the owners of these type of businesses than comparing to law firms, which, you know, my business partner, John is a recovering lawyer, so I tell him, he’s stiff all the time. But I have one last question, Michele, I know we’re a couple minutes over. I don’t know if you have time for it. If not, that’s fine if you have to go. But my last question is, I need partnerships. I know partnerships are important to you. I love for you to talk about some of your most important partnerships, and you have this also on your and it could be these companies who are on your page or not. But who are some of your important partners?

Michele Ringelberg 40:02

Yeah, so I think for cannabis like we are, I’m on the marketing committee for the National Cannabis Industry Association, and when we first started going down the cannabis road, I knew we didn’t know a lot, and so I joined so that I could learn. And so that was really helpful, because you’re meeting with other people that have been doing marketing in this industry, and just learning so much. And so that’s like a big one, and I’m still, like, on their marketing committee. The Michigan Cannabis Association, BIPOCANN is another partner, and so they like focus on equity and inclusion and those types of things. And so the bottom list of logos are different platforms that we use, like in the cannabis industry, to do different things, like there’s a email and text platform like Springbig and Alpine IQ, and then a lot of the dispensaries are on Weedmaps or Leafly, and it can get confusing, so we manage that for our clients. 

Jeremy Weisz 41:26

And what is like Weedmaps and Leafly do?

Michele Ringelberg 41:27

So basically it’s a platform, and they have an app, but businesses will put their company on there so that people can find the dispensary. So it’s kind of Google Maps to the extreme, but it’s specifically for dispensaries. 

Jeremy Weisz 41:51

Oh yeah, that’s cool. I see that.

Jeremy Weisz 41:54

Yeah, and so you can search an area, and then you’ll see, like, where all the dispensaries are near you type of thing you can, like, buy online. You can, like, have it shipped to you, sometimes, just depends. But yeah, so like, we’ll do like weekly deals for clients. And you can do like emails out of there. You’re going to advertise on there. Lot of different things. Make sure, like your page is optimized for, you know, SEO, so that you’re telling your story right on there. And also, like, making sure your website’s integrated, so that the inventory is correct to make sure that, hey, I just bought this on here. But I got to the store and they said they didn’t have any, what’s up. You know, we want to make sure that, you know, it’s syncing properly. And what they have Leafly and Weedmaps is what they have in the store.

Jeremy Weisz 43:01

It’s a lot of moving pieces here, Michele. First of all, I just want to thank you. Thank you for sharing your journey, your lessons, and you know the ups and downs in the journey. I want to encourage anyone to check out thrivepop.com. If you know someone in the cannabis space, send them to thrivepop.com they have some amazing resources there. And check out more episodes of the podcast. And I just want to thank you Michele, and we’ll see everyone next time. Thanks, Michele.

Michele Ringelberg 43:29

Thank you.