Here’s another example. You’re a professional organizer and your expertise is to go into your clients’ homes and help them organize their basements, or go through their clothes and prepare for a large donation, or rearrange their kitchen to make it more functional. Whatever it is you do, there are many vendors out there that you complement. How do you turn other vendors into third-party partners? First, think about whom your clients spend time with and what other vendors they employ. For example, you could approach home improvement professionals, such as carpenters and painters. Ask them to distribute your new business flyer, and you do same for them. There’s no risk. Of course, you’ll want to make sure you’re associating with only reputable vendors, since you won’t generate a lot of reoccurring business by passing around flyers for unethical businesses.

All of my examples work in reverse too. If you’re one of vendors, then consider approaching flower shop or accountant and initiate your third-party relationship.

P.S… It’s my experience that what keeps us from growing our businesses is our lack of confidence in ourselves. As far as I’m concerned, if you own a business, then you have expertise necessary to get your job done, and gusto to approach others and ask them to sell you. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t have chutzpah to have started your business in first place. Now go, build some third-party relationships and make some money, and remember, spend very little.

To build credibility be direct about what you are doing. Tell people you want to meet with that you are researching a new service and want to learn more about their collection problems, concerns and strategies. While this may not sound like greatest opening line, most people like to talk about themselves and appreciate it when others show an interest in their problems.

Let them know that when you complete research phase, you will distribute a summary of your findings to them. Its much easier to get people to give you 20-45 minutes of their time if you aren’t trying to sell them but approach them looking for advice.

When you are done with your interviews, write a summary of common problems and strategies you identified. Don’t forget to include a section in your report that describes how your services will solve these.

Using this research/ positioning strategy you can: - Refine your product or service idea to meet prospects’ needs - Create content for articles to publicize your knowledge - Establish yourself as expert

Having perfect product or service to meet your target market’s needs is a plus but it won’t guarantee a sale. Establishing yourself as expert, one who knows and understands their concerns will help to pull in clients. Whether you are researching a new service or want to ramp up sales for an existing one market your expertise to sell your services.

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