Alliances: Drawing The Line

How far can you go based on your relationship with an alliance partner?

The imaginary line you draw in the sand will let you know when an alliance is getting close to failing. I would suggest setting the line a little higher than the disaster point. As a matter of fact, the line should sit around the seventy-five percent position. This way you can work with the partner before the relationship dips too far down. A partner that experiences lulls in sales may be a fairly normal occurrence, but when it is compounded by lack of communication and lack of marketing, you know that something else is the underlying problem.

Alliances and partnerships are simply a way for you to market your goods and services. They will always have lulls and marketing efforts will sometimes be lax. If you take the time to monitor all the details and be consistent with your support, then the alliance partner will not feel that you have over-committed with other partners, and they will still feel that they are important. You should also remember that having a service level agreement in place to define sales, marketing efforts and first rights of refusal will add to a successful alliance. You must remember that you are the expert in the field and that they will rely on you for help and support

A word of caution when it comes to support: You should always support the customers of an alliance partner. You should always monitor the amount of support you give to each of your alliance partners. You should always educate partners that need more help than others. There always needs to be a number of touch-points in order to be aware of a potential failure.

Bette Daoust, Ph.D. has been networking with others since leaving high school years ago. Realizing that no one really cared about what she did in life unless she had someone to tell and excite. She decided to find the best ways to get people's attention, be creative in how she presented herself and products, getting people to know who she was, and being visible all the time. Her friends and colleagues have often dubbed her the "Networking Queen". Blueprint for Networking Success: 150 ways to promote yourself is the first in this series. Blueprint for Branding Yourself: Another 150 ways to promote yourself is planned for release in 2005. For more information visit http://www.blueprintbooks.com

same day cleaning service Des Plaines ..
In The News:

New Android banking trojan Sturnus steals credentials, reads encrypted messages and controls devices.
Denmark's 3D-printed student village proves automation builds 36 apartments faster than traditional methods. Skovsporet project shows housing future.
Discover Android's new Sound Notifications feature that alerts you to smoke alarms, doorbells, and baby cries even when wearing headphones.
New SantaStealer malware reportedly threatens holiday shoppers with password theft. This Christmas-themed info-stealer targets browsers and crypto wallets.
The Christmas season brings a surge in Netflix phishing scams targeting shoppers with fake emails. Stacey P received convincing scam but verified account first.
San Francisco Giants invite Jamie Grohsong to throw ceremonial first pitch at Oracle Park after he learned to play baseball with a bionic hand following an injury.
FBI warns cybercriminals are stealing family photos from social media to create fake proof of life images in virtual kidnapping scams targeting victims.
Instagram's new 'Your Algorithm' tool lets you control your Reels feed in real time. The app now gives you power to customize what videos you see.
Major Marquis fintech breach exposes 400,000-plus Americans' data through unpatched SonicWall vulnerability, with Texas hardest hit at 354,000 affected.
Free up iPhone storage fast by clearing large photos and videos from Messages app. Simple steps for iOS users to delete attachments without losing chats.
Scammers are flooding inboxes with fake tracking alerts that mimic real carriers, exploiting the holiday rush to steal logins and personal data.
The Fox News AI Newsletter brings you the latest news on AI technology advancements and the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Texas family reunites with missing 11-year-old cat Grayson after 103 days using Petco Love Lost's AI photo matching technology and community help.
Tired of AI customer service loops? These insider tricks help you escape "frustration AI" and get real human help when you need it most for urgent issues.
Unlock richer audio from your streaming apps with simple tweaks to volume normalization, equalizer settings, and quality preferences for cleaner sound.
Scammers are sending fake Facebook settlement payout emails that mimic legitimate notices from the privacy settlement administrator to deceive users.
Holiday shopping scams surge as fake refund emails target distracted consumers during Black Friday and holiday seasons, costing Americans billions annually.
The AI-powered IRMO M1 exoskeleton features four modes, including turbo, eco, training and rest for hiking, running, cycling and sports with eight-hour battery life.
OpenAI announced upgrades for its ChatGPT Images platform on Tuesday, saying the program can now make more precise edits and produce images more quickly.
Chrome for Android now turns web articles into AI-powered podcast conversations. Get hands-free browsing with Google Gemini's natural audio summaries.
LastPass faces $1.6 million fine from U.K. regulators after 2022 data breach exposed 1.6 million users. Password manager failed proper security controls.
Petco disclosed a data breach exposing customer Social Security numbers, financial account details, and driver's license information due to a software error.
Baseball teams can now analyze complete swing mechanics in normal training environments using Theia's markerless AI system that processes standard high-speed footage.
Smart home hacking fears overblown? Expert reveals real cybersecurity risks and simple protection tips to keep your connected devices safe from hackers.
MIT develops needle-free glucose monitor using light technology. Revolutionary device could replace painful finger pricks for diabetes management.

Your Small Business Suggestion Box

A suggestion box is a really good idea for your... Read More

Starting a Small Business: Balancing Risk and Reward

In a perfect world, starting a small business would be... Read More

Find Your Niche & Follow It - Part 1

In this series of articles I'm going to show you... Read More

Challenging the Gospel of Growth -- Must Business Grow to Survive?

A cherished business doctrine is that growth must be a... Read More

The Key To Success - Choose The Right Partners

Do you promote yourself as offering prompt, reliable and quality... Read More

Franchise Companies Come and Go

Each day we hear of companies entering the franchising industry.... Read More

Serious About Writing A Business Plan... Start A Business Plan Library

Tap these treasures of ideas. The best money you can... Read More

1 Overlooked Key to Small Business Success

Is this you?You dreamed of owning your own business, doing... Read More

Financial Dose for Business

The goals of businesses have undergone much evolution from the... Read More

Small Business Survival

In today's economic climate, the first priority for the small... Read More

Top 7 Small Business Resources for 2005

If you want to start a business in 2005, and... Read More

How to Effectively Design Your Business Image

In many industries, image is one of the last things... Read More

Administration Of Your Small Business

You've been meaning to tend to the administration part of... Read More

Concrete Cleaning Discussed at World of Concrete Expo 03

If you are in the pressure washing business and are... Read More

Six Essential Skills to Business Success!

The following are six essential skills to business success. You... Read More

Become The Squeaky Wheel and Watch Your Business Skyrocket!

Providing high quality customer service is a must for any... Read More

The Key to Small Business Growth? Buyer Alignment

Unfortunately for all buyers, each selling organization and their individual... Read More

10 Best Practices to Consider as Your SBIR Negotations Approach Contract Signature

10 Best Practices to consider as your SBIR negotiations approach... Read More

Obtain Maximum Results For Your Small Business Through Better Time Management

Most small business owners are faced with so many responsibilities... Read More

Taking Stock

Back when I owned an inventory-based business, one of my... Read More

California Department of Corporations Attempts to PR Their Benefits to Consumers

On Monday the Department of Corporations in California revoked franchise... Read More

We Know Who THEY Are

Am I the only one that does not have an... Read More

4 Areas Where Your Business is Losing Money

In my 18 years of consulting I have heard it... Read More

Making Direct Mail Work for Small Businesses

If you own a small business, then you know the... Read More

An Example of Business Automation - eCards with pizazz

The last time I spoke and went into a bit... Read More

home cleaning services Mundelein ..