How Chamber Events Became a Secret Weapon for Local Ad Sales

You know what doesn’t get enough love in the digital age?

Good old-fashioned in-person networking.

John Apolinar from Scottsdale Scoop has turned his local Chamber of Commerce into a high-powered sales funnel — and he’s not even “selling” in the traditional sense.

He’s just showing up.

And the results? A growing list of warm leads, real meetings, and booked sponsorships from the kinds of businesses every newsletter wants.

Let’s dive into how he’s doing it.

Just Show Up (Seriously)

John keeps it simple. He attends Chamber events — sometimes morning meetups at 7 AM, other times evening mixers. No magic trick here. Just showing up, saying hi, and having real conversations.

He doesn’t go in guns blazing with an ad pitch. Instead, he asks people what they do. Inevitably, they ask what he does, and that’s his cue to casually mention the newsletter and the engaged local audience behind it.

Most people are curious. Some are interested. A few are ready to talk advertising right then and there.

The key? He’s not pitching — he’s just talking about what he’s building.

Target the Right People at the Event

Here’s where John gets strategic.

Before the event, he’ll identify businesses he knows are Chamber members and would make great newsletter sponsors. Think high-ticket industries like real estate, luxury services, and professional services.

Once he’s at the event, he’ll find those folks and ask for a few minutes to chat before things wrap up.

That’s how he landed a meeting with a luxury home builder — by pulling them aside during a Chamber happy hour.

Just a few minutes of face time turned into a real sales opportunity.

How He Pitches (Without Really Pitching)

John frames his newsletter as a way for local businesses to get in front of a highly curated, engaged audience. He doesn’t drop pricing right away. He leads with alignment:

“Hey, I think what you’re doing would really resonate with my audience. Here’s who’s reading it. Would love to find a way to get you in front of them.”

That naturally leads into a deeper conversation — and often a meeting.

Bonus Tip: Find the Marketers

One of the biggest insights John shared: aim for businesses that have a marketing person, not just a founder doing everything.

Marketing managers speak the same language. They have budgets. And they appreciate things like exclusivity and audience targeting — because that’s their job.

When you pitch to a founder, it’s coming out of their pocket. When you pitch to a marketer, it’s coming out of a budget.

That shift in mindset can mean the difference between “maybe next quarter” and “send me the invoice.”

Final Thoughts

You don’t need a sales team to close local advertisers.

You just need to get in the room.

So if your newsletter growth has stalled or you’re tired of cold outreach, dust off that Chamber of Commerce invite. Start showing up. Start talking. You never know which handshake leads to your next big deal.

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