NFIB

Thinking Outside the Box
04/ 15/ 2003

by Kathleen Landis

What's a cost-free way to build your business? Ask clients for referrals, says Maribeth Kuzmeski, business consultant and author of Red Zone Marketing: A Playbook for Winning All the Business You Want (Facts on Demand Press, 2002).

If you are already asking for a good word, then extend your referral network through what Kuzmeski calls "strategic alliances." In these referral partnerships, two business owners in complementary industries, or with the same target market, cross-refer.

"These alliances allow both companies to create an advantage over competitors by broadening the scope of their operations," says Kuzmeski.

Best Foot Forward

Feet and backs link Greg Eisele, owner of Spike's Athletic Footwear in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Linda Lombardo, D.C., who owns Lombardo Chiropractic, also in Daytona Beach.

"Chiropractors treat every extremity and joint in the body," says Lombardo. "Since Greg sees lots of sports professionals, he also sees sports injuries, especially foot and back problems. He sends these clients to us."

At the same time, Lombardo refers patients needing good-fitting footwear to Spike's. "If people don't have a good foundation from the bottom up, their alignments don't hold," says Lombardo. "Greg knows feet; he knows shoes. He can put the two of them together."

Gravy Train

Her students' dogs connect Kathy Morris to a vast source of potential clients. Morris's Jump Start Dog Sports trains students to train their dogs for obedience and agility competitions. The Yorba Linda, Calif.-based comapny trains 450 students each week. That's 450 dogs that may one day need veterinary services.

Veterinarians see dog owners who are potential candidates for Morris's training. It's a natural alliance, says Morris, who cites veterinary referrals as the backbone of her business.

Morris takes referrals to a personal level, too. She taps her students who own service businesses when she needs those services, and passes out their brochures. "If I have to pick up the Yellow Pages, I look to my own student body first," says Morris, who contracts with students for cement and fence work, and to tint her office windows.

One Way Streets

Realtor Avon Burgess frequently sends business to home inspectors, roofers and movers, even though business rarely returns. Why? Burgess needs them. Their proven track records and expertise enables Burgess to close sales and cement client relationships. "I give my clients 100 percent of what I've got," says Burgess, who specializes in residential sales with Lyon Real Estate in Fair Oaks, Calif. "My referrals get the benefit, but they, in turn, are giving me the services I want."

"To find and cultivate alliances, you need look for them," says Kuzmeski. "There are many businesses that might be great partners for exchanging referrals. You just have to ask and think creatively about how two businesses could benefit each other."

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This article originally appeared in the April/May 2003 issue of MyBusiness magazine.

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