When do you need to get more involved with the day to day activities of your business partner?
The best business relationship you can have is one where the client does not know whether you are a contractor or whether you are an employee. Working alongside the client, you are the one that offers solutions to problems. These relationships take time to develop, but if your expertise helps make them a profit, then they will be more open to having you "on staff". In order to place yourself in this type of position, you need to possess an expertise that the client does not have. You also have to make sure that you have a working knowledge of their processes and procedures. You are not there to make policy decisions but to push them in the right direction when your technical expertise is required. I know a company in the aeronautics industry that works so closely with one of its clients that they help them design their airplanes and give them advice on where they can save money and improve on their processes.
This company is so ingrained in the other organization that upper management takes them for granted. The main problem they are facing is getting in front of the decision makers so that they can do more business. This is not a bad problem to have, but you still have to maintain your identity. Companies that work this well together have gone past the dating game and are now well matched and have a solid long term relationship. This does not mean that you want to work for one company; it simply means that you need to get close enough to your client that you know how you can be of value and let them know where they can make improvements.
Getting involved with other businesses is the best way to cement a relationship and to ensure longevity with the projects. It will also eliminate the threat of competition as they are an unknown and you know the trade secrets on an intimate basis. You need to bond the relationship to make sure you stay in the client's mind.
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
scheduled cleaning services Winnetka ..1. Resolve to build a consistent network system.Since referrals are... Read More
My colleague, Jane, recently lamented to me an all too... Read More
Why should you always maintain a good report with a... Read More
When is advice free and when should you charge for... Read More
We all know how glorious those first warm days of... Read More
Why should you do informative talks to smaller groups?Informative talks... Read More
You can provide affordable health care plans to your employees.... Read More
Here is an interesting case study of a company, which... Read More
Last week's question from Anthony R. on how to choose... Read More
Anyone in business today realizes both the natural dependency on... Read More
So you think you're not justified in taking time away... Read More
Fuel prices these days are quite high and they take... Read More
If you're like the rest of us, you've spent a... Read More
How do you know when an alliance needs to be... Read More
One thing I have noticed in my travels to different... Read More
Many small business startups fail within the first 2 years... Read More
To wash an airplane there are many items you will... Read More
If you interviewed business owners of failed businesses, a majority... Read More
Last summer the FTC put forth a report and then... Read More
Business Process Automation or BPA for short. This was a... Read More
Since you own a business you probably have liability insurance... Read More
Boston itself covers 50 square miles of concrete and traffic,... Read More
You know your prospects need what you sell. You know... Read More
Last year, trillions of dollars transferred hands on the internet... Read More
An observation while returning home from a seminar: Getting away... Read More
reliable maid service Lincolnshire ..COLLABORATIVE NEGOTIATING:Collaborative negotiating is a win-win strategy that can focus... Read More
Obtaining a business credit card enables the small business owner... Read More
TACTIC #1 -- Never simply slash your prices, unless you're... Read More
It is estimated that 78% of all small business start-ups... Read More
We hear a lot of talk about junk mail nowadays.... Read More
Many small businesses do quite well due to the blood,... Read More
If small business had no important outside audiences, it wouldn't... Read More
Most businesses accept checks as form of payment for goods... Read More
The FTC- Mighty Federal Trade Commission has unilaterally decided to... Read More
A thing worth doing is worth doing badly. Yes I... Read More
Due to the over regulation in the Franchising Industry and... Read More
Whether it has been thrust upon you by external market... Read More
What does buying a fat pig have to do with... Read More
How far can you go based on your relationship with... Read More
Ok, so next to the taxman, your company payroll department... Read More
If you're an entrepreneur responsible for your own small business... Read More
For many small businesses, the "S" corporation is the business... Read More
We are noticing an increase in the length of time... Read More
When working properly, computers enable small businesses to make big... Read More
Many investors and business ethics professionals are calling for more... Read More
A cluttered world of marketing communications diminishes the ordinary. The... Read More
No matter type of business you operate you've got to... Read More
Business Process Automation or BPA for short. This was a... Read More
Most business owners know when they need an accountant, but... Read More
If you discovered the bottom line in your business depended... Read More
Small Business |