Mobile marketing executives shouldn?t ignore the directory of companies in the office building?s lobby. After all, a gift basket ? card: Hello neighbor! ? to a fellow tenant may turn into business.

Too often marketing firms are caught up in the whirlpool of conferences or bicoastal visits to generate new business closer home. No doubt they have their place in the lead-generation tool kit, but there?s nothing like checking out the backyard.

A mobile marketing firm in metros such as New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Boston, Chicago, Atlanta, Washington and Los Angeles will find itself in either a skyscraper or a spacious office park if located in a suburb.

A typical office building in New York will have hundreds of organizations. Make a mental note tomorrow to check out the listings in the lobby. Engage someone in conversation in the elevator ? it may creep out some, but you never know.

An office park offers similar opportunities. Working in the same complex, the walk to the car park, waiting for the elevator, standing in line at the food court ? these daily rituals may encourage nodding familiarity. Strike up a conversation and see where that goes.

The point is, timidity never won the race nor fear the top prize.

In this Great Recession, as the current downturn is being called, marketers are expected to generate smarter ideas with fewer resources. So think out of the box and flex those sales muscles closer to home.

Most office buildings have a mix of business-to-business and business-to-consumer firms. It?s a safe bet to imagine that each one of them has a wired Web site and some a toll-free number.

Friendly reception
For each consumer-facing firm that has a wired Web site, there is a possibility to add a mobile version. Run the diligence and make the outreach ? card and bouquet to receptionist, name of appropriate individual to contact ? and then request a 15-minute meeting.  

Once a meeting is secure, offer up a mobile site mockup of the targeted company?s wired Web site. And be prepared for pushback: Why does that company need a mobile site?

In response, make sure to study the target company?s audience and product line. Then explain how more consumers are moving to access the Internet through their mobile phone to shop, research or compare prices.

Also, discuss the merits of having a mobile site ready for instant demos at conferences and one-on-one meetings where a laptop computer is not in sight.

Pursue a similar exercise with SMS. If the company has a toll-free number, having a common short code and keywords is most logical for customer service and feedback.

Another point to make with SMS is how short codes and keywords can be used on business cards just as phone numbers and emails are as contact tools.

Pitching an application would require more qualifications.

An application would be ideal if the company is in a business where the interactions with customers are frequent. So an application can serve as a CRM tool and also negate the requirement to fire up a browser, then type in a Web address and click.

A good starting point in that initial 15-minute meeting is a mockup of a mobile site that is as close and realistic a depiction as can get. Demonstrate the virtues of SMS short codes and keywords and even applications, where applicable.

The leave-behind should include a one-sided flyer with the targeted company?s mockup mobile site image and a Web address to access for a month. Throw in a free 30-day trial of a short code and a couple of keywords. And explain why spending a few dollars on a mobile site, SMS or application will help grow their revenue base.

Make the flyer simple. Talk in the targeted company?s language and not in mobile jargon. Offer a friends-and-neighbor price. As a closer, mention that customer-service help is only a few feet or floors away.

But the first step is the lobby.