Creating Strategic Alliances in the 21st Century
One of the questions we are often asked by our clients is, “How do I identify myself so I stand out amongst other business people?” Our strongest suggestion, label yourself! There are a number of ways to do this.
- Wear your name and company logo in all places you want to be recognized. Often times we discuss where to wear your name badge. As for the location, wear your name on your right side. When you shake hands with your potential strategic ally, they will be looking at your name and company (This will promote them to ask you to describe your business. It will also help them to remember your name.) Wear your name everywhere you do business or want to get business.
- Dress appropriately. Wear your company’s logo everywhere. This will also get people to ask you about your company. Many people tell me of great success when wearing the name and logo while shopping. These are relaxed environments. People’s guards are down. They maybe most interested to talk business.
- Always carry business cards. Store a hundred in your car. Carry cards in your planner, glass case, card caddy, and cardholder. Be prepared to gather information from those who do not carry business cards. When you are the one to initiate action there is a greater likelihood for you to collect the check.
- Make a professional statement. If you have not had a professional evaluate your image, do so. Everyone makes a statement when they walk into a room. Be sure your statement says to everyone seeing you “I want to know that person.”
Look for strategic allies everywhere you go. As with all your business objectives, have a plan to find strategic allies. The obvious places are business networking events and referral groups. The key to finding strategic allies is looking beyond the obvious. The obvious is the classic example, the real estate professionals. It is easy to see how the mortgage broker aligns with the realtor. However, can you see the wedding planner and how they align with the realtor and the mortgage broker?
Have you assembled the right questions to decide how to find and qualify strategic allies? Asking closed ended qualifying questions to find out what people do is an important aspect in identifying your alliances. It is important to be aware of time spent meeting people. It is easy to get lost in a conversation. How fruitful is each contact you make? Is this conversation going to lead to a sale? Will this conversation lead me to a new alliance? All these questions must be asked before arriving at the networking meeting. The answers to these questions should become part of the plan to attract allies.
Once you have identified your strategic alliances, what must you do to support them? The answer is communicate. The proper forms of communication are coffee/lunch meetings, telephone conversations, emails, written notes, and social media. Contact is required no less than monthly. Weekly is preferred. As a strategic ally, you must become part of their selling system, as you want to be part of yours. You need to know what are their hot buttons; the words needed to sell their product or service. Choose 12 to 16 persons to align with your company. Adopt their products as part of your lines of business. As example, the realtor now has a mortgage broker who is represented as well as real estate. These two professionals will also include the wedding planner’s service as an added benefit as if it were their own.
Also, it costs nothing to give a referral. Going out looking for referral for you allies costs you nothing, other than your time. Be generous with giving and you will reap 10 fold results in what comes back to you.
Finally, to discover alliances on the Internet, make yourself visible. Use all the tools available when using social media for business to get a clear message to your allies. One additional powerful alliance can make the difference in who becomes your next paid client. As example, when selecting the words after your name on LinkedIn, drop the words that specifically talk about you. Create words that speak about your prospects and their needs.
Gerry Rose runs INTEGRITY Networking Solutions in Oceanside, CA. He works with people in business who want to attract the right prospects and generate more referrals. More than 10,000 businesses have been presented the INTEGRITY Networking Solutions system in San Diego, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Orange Counties.
Gerry’s stimulating presentation Unlimited Prospects, Unlimited Referrals is ideally suited for small business owners, home-based businesses, and independent professionals who want clearer direction and want to attract more prospects, develop dynamic systems, and strengthen their companies’ accountability. Gerry does one on one consulting, conducts a range of keynote speeches from thirty minutes to full-day education workshops.
His book series, Unlimited Prospects, Unlimited Referrals, are available on the website, www.integritysd.com.
Gerry has more than 20 years’ experience directing business owners how to grow their businesses. He is a networking dynamo. Those who know him will assure you that he does a great job of bringing people together—which is why he started INTEGRITY.
Involved with networking organizations since 1984, Gerry is a Distinguished Toastmaster, a member of Toastmaster International, and has chaired numerous chambers of commerce and non-profit organizations.
Are you truly committed to attracting the right prospects and generate more referrals? If so then contact INTEGRITY Networking Solutions for availability and information. You can contact Gerry by mail at 1610 Quiet Hills Drive, Oceanside, CA 92056. Direct dial (760) 439-4623; e-mail to gerry@integritysd.com. For more information, go to www.integritysd.com
