How to Get a 100% Return on Your Marketing Investment Guaranteed!

One of the most effective ways to market your products/services is to create strategic alliances. Strategic alliances are partnerships with companies who sell to a client base similar to yours but they sell different products/services. The idea is to find partners whose clients may also be interested in your products/services.

Many times people will casually agree to spread the word about each other's products/services. This is the idea of 'you send me clients and I will send you clients.' This isn't very effective for the following reasons:

1. The agreement is vague and undefined.

2. One or both of the people may not fully understand what the other does.

3. People are busy and forget.

4. Both people may be waiting to 'get something' first before they get into action to help the other.

5. One of the people may be more interested than the other.

6. There may be a higher value for one person than the other.

To eliminate all of these issues, simply create a specific offer for potential strategic alliance partners. Offer to give something to your partners for every person they refer to you who ends up purchasing your products/services. This can be a percentage of your fee or total purchase, some of your products/services, or something else you mutually agree upon.

The motivation for partners to send you clients isn't only about what they will get in return. It is just a way to thank them for their effort, let them know that you are serious about the alliance, and to create commitment.

Think about it, you're probably currently spending money doing some kind of marketing or advertising. There is no way to know for sure that you will see a return on this investment. When you create strategic alliances your investment is guaranteed because you only 'pay' once you have a new client.

What's more, strategic alliances leverage marketing efforts because a partnership allows you to market to many people via your partners (one-to many) instead of one-to-one.

Strategic alliances are a triple win. Your partners win because they are able to be a resource and help someone find what they need as well as receive an incentive for their effort. The person who buys the products/services wins because they find what they need. And you win because you have a new client.

Get started by simply thinking about companies you know who may be potential partners and contact them to see if they are open to the idea. An alliance doesn't have to be complicated and in most cases a written agreement isn't necessary. The goal is to create alliances with people you trust and who trust you.

Here are some examples of strategic alliances:

* Nutritionist and a Personal Trainer or Gym

* Employment Recruiter or Language School and a

Relocation Agency

* Tax Advisor and a Financial Advisor

* Artist and an Interior Designer

* Massage Therapist and a Hair Salon

* Professional Organizer and a Moving Company

* Consultant and a Trainer

* Website Designer and a Copy Writer

In order for your partners to give you a genuine referral it is important that they have sampled your products or experienced your services. If they understand firsthand the benefits of your products/services it will make it easy for them to tell others about you.

These are just a few ways your strategic alliance partners can help you:

- Mention your company in their newsletter

- Give a coupon for a sample of your products/services

- Send a letter to their clients introducing them to your products/services and perhaps offering them a special deal

- Add your website link to their website

- Simply telling clients about your company when the opportunity arises

If your partners want to create their own specific offer for you in return for you sending them clients, that is great as well. It is an added bonus and it isn't a requirement in order to create a beneficial partnership because the agreements are separate from one another.

By now you can see the value of creating strategic alliances. So what are you waiting for? Look through your contacts and see which companies might be perfect strategic alliance partners for your company. Then get into action and contact them!

(c) 2005 Stephanie Ward

Life & Business Coach Stephanie Ward helps business owners set their profits on fire! Get your free monthly profit tips plus bonus report at: http://www.fireflycoaching.com

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Google News Updated : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 05:49:35 GMT Bush: US authority able to solve financial crisis - People's Daily Online Telegraph.co.uk Bush: US authority able to solve financial crisis People's Daily Online - 1 hour ago US President George W. Bush arrives in the Rose Garden at the White House to makes a statement on the economy in Washington, October 10, 2008. President Bush vows action on financial crisis Los Angeles Times Bush's Lullaby to the Markets Washington Post Birmingham Star - Wall Street Journal - CNN - Bloomberg all 1,302 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 04:12:49 GMT Paulson Indicates Need to Purchase Bank Equity `Soon as We Can' - Bloomberg Telegraph.co.uk Paulson Indicates Need to Purchase Bank Equity `Soon as We Can' Bloomberg - 1 hour ago By John Brinsley and Rebecca Christie Oct. 11 (Bloomberg) -- US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson indicated that pumping government funds into banks is a priority and said financial markets will remain volatile. US planning to buy equity in financial institutions Reuters Treasury Weighs Investing In Banks Washington Post International Herald Tribune - MarketWatch - CNNMoney.com - Bizjournals.com all 1,783 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 04:21:05 GMT McCain Lauds and Attacks Obama in Same Day - New York Times CBS News McCain Lauds and Attacks Obama in Same Day New York Times - 41 minutes ago Senator John McCain of Arizona and his supporters at a rally on Friday in La Crosse, Wis. By ELISABETH BUMILLER LAKEVILLE, Minn. - After a week of trying to portray Senator Barack Obama as a friend of terrorists who would drive the country into ... McCain Moves to Soften the Tone at Rallies Washington Post John McCain, speaking to supporters, tries to defuse an anti ... Los Angeles Times Reuters - DetNews.com - Austin American-Statesman - The Miami Herald all 304 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 05:08:14 GMT Democrats Are Gaining, Registration Data Shows - New York Times Los Angeles Times Democrats Are Gaining, Registration Data Shows New York Times - 2 hours ago By NICHOLAS CONFESSORE and GRIFF PALMER Some longtime Republican strongholds in New York are becoming increasingly Democratic, a striking change driven by demographic shifts, intense voter registration drives by Democrats and allied groups and sagging ... Campus registration drives in full swing KARE Ott, Hook face off for open county office St. Joseph News-Press The News-Press - Winston-Salem Journal - Tampabay.com - Beaufort Gazette all 739 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 03:20:33 GMT US Near Changing Stance on North Korea as Terrorist - Wall Street Journal BBC News US Near Changing Stance on North Korea as Terrorist Wall Street Journal - 1 hour ago By JAY SOLOMON WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration is hoping to announce as soon as Saturday that it is tentatively removing North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, in a bid to kick-start a stalled nuclear disarmament agreement, ... AP: US to remove North Korea from terror blacklist The Associated Press US May Remove North Korea From Terrorism List, AP Reports Bloomberg Los Angeles Times - Voice of America - Financial Times - The Miami Herald all 1,714 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 04:02:40 GMT G-7 Commit to `All Necessary Steps' to Stem Global Meltdown - Bloomberg Voice of America G-7 Commit to `All Necessary Steps' to Stem Global Meltdown Bloomberg - 1 hour ago By Simon Kennedy Oct. 11 (Bloomberg) -- Group of Seven finance chiefs, meeting after stocks plunged and as a global recession looms, vowed to prevent the failure of vital banks while failing to unveil new initiatives for thawing credit markets. Group of 7 Nations Seek Coordination in Rescue New York Times In latest bold step, Treasury will buy bank stakes The Miami Herald CNNMoney.com - The Associated Press - Boston Globe - FN Arena News all 890 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 04:03:42 GMT Genomics project unites four Wisconsin research institutions - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Genomics project unites four Wisconsin research institutions Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - 19 minutes ago By KATHLEEN GALLAGHER Wisconsin’s four biggest academic research institutions will collaborate on an initiative aimed at giving the state national stature in the fast-emerging field of individualized medicine, Gov. Marshfield Clinic gets biggest donation yet Chicago Tribune Wis. governor unveils gene research triangle Forbes Bizjournals.com - GenomeWeb News (subscription) - WJFW-TV - WISN.com all 51 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 05:29:44 GMT Clickbank Datafeed Earn Money At Home

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