Cross Marketing

Business owners of all types through the services they provide for their customers, run across needs that they cannot handle themselves. A good example is the plumber that runs across an electrical problem that he is not licensed to repair. While working with a client or customer doing what you "do," keep your eyes and ears open for other needs. Perhaps you know someone that can handle them.

Business to business cross-marketing can add significantly to your profit picture. Here are some simple methods of passing along leads to other businesses. Remember this: What ever you send out to others comes bak to you tenfold!

• Ask the other business owners for a stack of their business cards.
• Keep them in your briefcase or vehicle so when a need is spotted,  you can hand your customer the appropriate business card.
• Give a stack of your cards to the other business owners and ask them to do the same.
• If you are a service company, teach your technicians to keep their eyes and ears open for all kinds of needed or desired work.
• If a customer asks you if you know someone who can do something you cannot do, you should have to go no further than your briefcase or truck to get them an answer.
• Keep a record of which companys you give your cards to, and which cards you give to your customers.
• Follow up on every single one to be sure the owner of the card is calling on the leads given, and that the work was satisfactory.
• Inspect what you expect! It pays great dividends down the line.
• And finally, never...ever...ever...give up!