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12 Ways To Create An Order-Pulling Niche
A niche is something that sets your business apart from your competitors. To c.ompete with other businesses nowadays, especially online, you need a unique niche. Just make sure your competitors are not using the same niche. Below are twelve ideas...
"Ezine Publishers: Your Best Friends!"
What do you need? Information on website building, a good article, a new resource, exposure for your business? Ask a publisher! Chances are, they have what you need, or can get it for you. Publishers are your friends and most importantly, your link...
How To Get To The Top Of The Marketing Food Chain
Copyright 2004 Priya Shah http://www.PriyaShah.com Are you tired of living off handouts from big-name marketers, earning meager affiliate commissions? If you truly want to live and breathe the rarefied air of the super-marketers, what you need is...
KNOCK! KNOCK! aka: Internet Marketing Application for 'non-Internet' Businesses
My doorknocker is getting rusty! I don't know about your neighborhood but it seems only the occasional vacuum cleaner saleskid flashes free dishsoap through my screen door anymore. On the other hand, the phone sure rings a lot more and I'm sorry to...
Six Reasons Why Your Alexa Rating Is Still Important.
Six Reasons Why Your Alexa Rating Is Still Important. 1. Additional Exposure For Your Site. At the end of 2003, Alexa.com's results were being closely linked into the listings of its' parent company, Amazon.com. This currently means that when...
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Should You Offer Commissions For Customer Referrals?
As a small business owner you may find yourself in a situation where you want to partner with another business but they are asking for a commission on your services. You will want to be prepared to handle such a request BEFORE you find yourself in this situation.
Whenever someone asks you for a commission in exchange for marketing your product or service, it is basically an affiliate or referral program. This can be one of the most powerful forms of marketing because it promotes word-of-mouth marketing. Who better to refer clients or customers to you than someone who fully understands the value of the services you have to offer?
Often these people are your current satisfied customers, or as is the case with this question, they may be strategic partners. Strategic partners are those individuals or businesses who agree to refer business to you, sometimes in exchange for you doing the same for them, or perhaps for a commission. Either way, it is important to make sure it is a win-win situation for both sides.
If you consider these individuals or businesses are in effect doing your marketing for you, then you realize paying a referral incentive or commission is merely a marketing expense.
When you consider that referred customers are "warm leads" and are a lot more likely to purchase from you than a "cold" prospect because they come with an endorsement from someone they trust, then you see even
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more how valuable this referral marketing can be.
My suggestion is to approach this as a potential business partnership. Make sure they completely understand the benefits you can provide to their customers and let them know you would like to design a mutually beneficial partnership. Before you offer to pay them a commission, find out what is important to them.
What are they looking for that you can possibly help them to get? In this case the potential partner IS your target audience so know them and approach them with a relevant proposition. Be willing to pay a referral fee or commission if that is all they are interested in, but also be open to other ideas.
I have negotiated some amazing partnerships just by spending some time talking and brainstorming with potential partners. In other cases I have straight affiliate/commission partnerships. It all depends on the partner and how we determine we can BEST HELP EACH OTHER to be successful.
(C) 2005 Debbie LaChusa
About the Author
20-year marketing veteran Debbie LaChusa created The 10stepmarketing System to help small business owners and solo-preneurs successfully market their business, themselves without spending a fortune on marketing. To learn more about this simple, step-by-step program and to sign up for her FREE audio class and FREE weekly ezine featuring how-to articles, tips and advice, visit http://www.10stepmarketing.com
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