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Best Way to Ask For Partnership

kustomkaninekustomkanine subscriber Posts: 4
edited January 2007 in Marketing
I am wanting to partner with local pet businesses by giving them a coupon to hand out to their customers for my business. I currently create custom dog clothing. What is the best way to go about asking for this partnership? Should I offer more than a coupon? Is it enough to expect that it will be of value to their customers, so they will want to give it to them, or not?

Comments

  • InactiveMemberInactiveMember subscriber Posts: 12
    Dress nicely, walk in, ask to speak with proprietor. Have tiny pitch:
    "I design custom dog clothing. Would you be interested in a referral partnership? If so, perhaps we could set up a time to talk."
    That`s how I would go about it.
  • pmccordpmccord subscriber Posts: 1
    kustomkanine,

    It depends on what you want to accomplish. What you are describing isn`t a partnership, it is asking a store to do you a favor.

    If all you want is for your coupons to sit on the counter (if you`re lucky) and gather dust, then simply asking them to hand them out might work. They more than likely won`t hand them out--but they might stick them on or near the counter, at least for awhile.

    If you want a referral relationship, then asking for that might work--but with more than likely the same results as above, at least until you have sent them several referrals that they are aware of. When looking for a referral relationship, as the initiator, you will have to produce before you can expect referrals in return.

    If, on the other hand, you`re looking for a true marketing partnership where there is real interaction between partners and customers, then you`ll have to approach your potential partners with a real way for them to stick money in their pocket. Most companies--even nice little mom and pop--don`t want another "soft" benefit they can give their customers and clients (a benefit that doesn`t put anything on the bottom-line--like giving a coupon for another company who probably is selling items similar to what they already have). They want the cash register to ring--one way or another.

    I`ve helped a number of clients set up very successful marketing partnerships and almost without fail they have had to do the bulk of the work at the beginning before they got real support and active interest from their partners. They are interested in what you can bring to the table for them before they are interested in what they can bring for you.

    In your situation, since you are creating one off clothing for their customer`s dogs, joining forces by giving them a way to sell your product (a book of photos of clothing and "customers"?) and a decent commission for the sale could jump start your sales. You`ve turned them into your retail outlets--and they will be able to see value in that if you clothing is reasonably priced for their particular client base.
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