How creative are your alliances?
Most people in business know the value of alliances. These are other business people, in non-competing categories, who can (and do) refer business to you.
Yet are you as creative as you could be in setting up these alliances?
My accountant told me about one recently that immediately grabbed my attention. Here is the story!
Time for a car service, so he takes his car in to the car dealer. While waiting to have it booked in and the paperwork completed (and unbeknown to him) a local “panel beater” does an inspection and writes a report on all the small marks on the car. These are the little scratches and dents you get in car parks and maybe also from inattentive parking. Just as he has finished signing the paperwork for the mechanical work the service attendant tells him about the “other inspection” and advises him that they can also get that work done with just another hour or two. Can my accountant friend collect the car at 4.00 pm instead on 1.30 pm? He agrees (as he will be in the office all day anyway).
Value here for both parties!
The customer gets two jobs done on the same day saving him the inconvenience of going to another repairer on another day. And he gets a car back looking much better than when he left it for service.
The car dealer gets extra credibility with his customer and also loyalty from another supplier. Needless to say that the panel beater also cross-refers to the car dealer.
Everyone wins!
So who do you know that offers a complementary service or product that you could offer at the time of your offer or quotation to your clients?
And have you set up an arrangement with them that works both ways?
