Making deals with local businesses

tclaiborne

Hi everybody,
    I am working on coming up with a business plan to create alliances with local business who have clientele made up of my target market. I want them to market my special offers on my websites in exchange for me purchasing gift certificates and/or products/services from them on behalf of their clients. For example if they are a sports bar and grill,  I would purchase a $20 gift certificate for client who does business me or my partners. I have a great offer that I know I can sell to the end user, but would appreciate any suggestions about how to sell the middle man (the business owner)on the benefits to them, and what I should ask from them that would be effective yet non-intrusive
Thanks!
 

theswaynester

I guess I`m really not understanding the model.At the risk of not divulging too much... could you flesh out (or flush out... there`s a whole Startup Nation debate on this one) the model a little more?
Matt

RichardBuggy

It sounds like you`re talking about an affiliate program so I`d start by calling it that. This will help you sell it to other businesses because most will immedaitely understand what you`re talking about.
As an affiliate I would prefer a direct payment because $20 paid to me is $20 profit while a $20 gift voucher may only be $2 to $6 profit. You need convince the affiliates that using gift vouchers is a better option. This could be achieved by saying that it encourages the customer to identify the affiliate that recommended you because they don`t get a gift voucher if they don`t provide the name of the affiliate. You should also stress that without it many customers would simple take advantage of the special, not tell you about the affiliate and the affiliate wouldn`t get paid.

typo57

Ok - I`m lost here.  If you`re doing what I think you want to do ... most businesses are very protective of their client lists.  You could offer to share printing costs and postage if you`re allowed space on a direct mailer from the company who has the contacts you want as customers.  I tried offering the staff of the restaurant across the street a 10% return to them of each sale I made off one of their referrals.  Started getting too complicated as only two people were doing the referrals, but they all wanted to share in the 10% money back.  Then we decided to just place my brochures in their restaurant ... and I would put theirs in my shop.