Say it Better

Free eBook: 30 Ways to Keep Your Practice Thriving

Are you a CPA, hair stylist, dentist or other service provider? Consider this gift part of your economic survival kit. In a bad economy it is vital to show clients or patients the extraordinary care (and extra value) that differentiates us from their alternatives, deepens their loyalty and inspires avid referrals.

The gift is "30 Ways to Keep Your Practice Thriving" - the handout from my seminar at 32 dental conferences, most recently for the Oregon Dental Association.

But you can adapt it to your kind of service-based business. I'd be delighted to send it to you when five people subscribe to this newsletter at your recommendation - and so note your referral when they sign-up.

As well, I'll send those you refer a gift. My ebook on how to profitably partner. We've sold over 10,000 copies. It covers ten proven methods, over 100 success stories, steps, pitfalls to avoid, 14 ways to jumpstart a simple first alliance and more. It is SmartPartnering. Of course, we'll also send you a copy.As we savor these holiday times, exploring ways to coddle our clients seems like a positively related activity.

Steve’s Fat Mouth Gets People Talking and Buying

It doesn’t matter how successful one has been. Most of us are reticent to be the first to do something radically different. That’s why there are so many “me to” imitations once we discover a competitor offering a much better way to see, buy share or do something.

Luxury and vacation home developers. Realtors. Resort owners. Two years ago in Hawaii, they were sitting comfortably in their seats at their annual conference, listening to me suggest that they seek out unlikely allies who serve the same kind of clients they serve.

Even if you make a quarter million a year (as most of the people in this audience do) you are still wary of looking foolish when doing something different.

That day, I suggested ways to forge a “first-ever" SmartPartnership that would make them the top-of-mind choice in their market. Perhaps even attract media coverage.

Or win a prize that many of their would-be clients and partners will hear about. Well, that’s what one person in that audience actually did – and told me about it today. Steve Saunders’ firm, The NextProperty Group, finds spectacular but under-developed property – especially for boomers seeking a second home or income property. Read how he partnered with local business owners to attract clients for their businesses – and for his. See how you could adapt his “Big Mouth” or “town crier” role to be the person people think of first when they want to buy your kind of product or service. Have a “talked about” title of your campaign, newsletter or special service. Add a contest that shows off others’ smarts.

Like Friendster you can profitably partner

Even straggling Friendster here in San Francisco finally gets a big financial boost today, (benefiting from the members it has attracted). Google will become the online social network’s exclusive search and ad provider – thus monetizing the site in a big way.

That’s a SmartPartnership, and a loss for Yahoo, noted Mashable earlier and today - as did Reuters.

What can we all learn from the growing number of profitable partnerships?

Well, consider what companies serve your kind of client, customer or cause. How could you advertise or, better yet, offer customer-attracting tips at each other’s online or physical location? Pamela Slim of Escape From Cubicle Nation dubs this the "lichen as business strategy.

You don’t have to be a big company like google to attract more customers while spending less. You just have to find non-competitive organizations and find a way to co-brand, cross-promote, create a “sell the situation” bundle of combined products or services, provide your product as a gift to your partner’s biggest spending clients (as your partners will do for you) – and more.

Become their first choice

by becoming one-of-a-kind in your market – with the right partners and partnering methods, as I’ve noted in past posts. Give prospective clients, members or cause supporters another reason to check out your organization – by involving a complementary partner. For example, this week, one new online social network, Real Girls Media’s DivineCaroline.com will share content with DDHG Partners’ DontDateHimGirl.com. Together they offer their mutual market of young women more reasons to check them out and possibly join.

Similarly, businesses that market to dentists with complementary products (cabinets and chairs) “may get twice the visibility at half the cost,” as Nancy points out.

As San Francisco discovered, creating a captivating theme can help you forge profitable partnerships to reach the same market better together. In 2004, to attract more tourists and spending, the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Diane DeRose forged creative SmartPartnerships to launch the campaign, "Only in San Francisco." Local radio and TV stations, billboard firms and the newspaper all donated advertising space and time to the campaign.

To promote your town or other public place consider adapting variations of other parts of this campaign:

SFO, the airport, displayed banners throughout the International Terminal.

Max’s Restaurants sold an "Only in San Francisco" sandwich.

One evening was dubbed "Only in San Francisco" Night at our in-town ball park and several lucky people received uniquely San Franciscan prizes.

The advertising agency created  merchants’ kit that included "Only in San Francisco" posters, post cards and other materials so that most any business in San Francisco could participate.

The SFCVB promoted "Only in San Francisco, Only with Visa" offers.

See’s Candies, headquartered in the Greater Bay Area,  created a special candy collection.

The SFCVB created a "Wish You Were Here" Web site, with a sweepstakes. Locals could send e-postcards to their friends and both parties were thus entered into drawings for San Francisco vacation packages and prizes of local interest.

To encourage visitors to explore more neighborhoods outside the usual tourist haunts, SFCVB organized a corps of “Neighborhood Ambassadors.”  They shared their knowledge of the things that make their districts unique and inviting.

They established as a San Francisco photo gallery where many of the best Bay Area photographers’ photos of the region were showcased.

They created "Only in San Francisco" tour packages  that motivated more kinds of merchants to participate - because they were a part of the packages.

Of course, it helps to have a pro-partnering advertising/promotion/branding agency to take the lead in crafting the partnerships and the tools that are used. In this case, I was impressed with the adept work of Eleven.

Ladies Who Launch – Better Together

What to expect when you partner, in smart ways? Here’s what the business partner of the author of What to Expect When You’re Expecting - expected for her life.

Lisa expected she’d birth a business as she supported a cause and created community. With the right partners it all happened faster in ways that have made her proud and happy.

“Lisa Bernstein says she always wanted her professional life to be ‘about’ something,” is the opening sentence that pulled me into the inspiring interview in Ladies Who Launch.

She “joined forces with Heidi Murkoff and the late Arlene Eisenberg, authors of the bible for moms-to-be 'What to Expect When You're Expecting,' and launched The What to Expect Foundation.”

“They created the non-profit What to Expect Foundation to help low-income expecting families receive comprehensive health and literacy support so they too can expect healthier pregnancies, safer deliveries and happy babies. The Foundation's Baby Basics program has reached about 200,000 women nationwide through clinics and health departments.”

From waiting tables to volunteering to promoting books to creating the business that mirrored her values, used her best talents - and is profitable - read how Lisa turned her jobs into stepping stones to this place in her life.

Lisa seems to have an innate talent for attracting the partnerships that enable her to leverage the value and visibility of her work. This year has already demonstrated how it helps her flourish in her work and life.

"This year has brought two great things. One, just as we were ready to expand our program, Clorox came to us and said (they) would really like to do a program where we can stop the spread of cold and flu among families. Thus the birth of the "What To Expect Guide To A Healthy Home" funded by Clorox. Again we've helped moms learn about something important, and then we took the fees and donation from Clorox ($1 million) and can use it just in time to expand our program.

"Also, we've just partnered with Glaxo Smith Kline to do a What To Expect Immunization program. Again Heidi has donated her time, and we'll receive $1 million - and will expand the program into baby's first year of life."

Reading these interviews can be addictive. Visit other parts of Ladies Who Launch, brought to you by the bright partners who co-founded it, Beth Schoenfeldt and Victoria Colligan.

Kevin Bacon is Giving In and

so can you.

The Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon “connectedness” phenomena stayed stuck to him so Bacon finally decided to use it to do good. Using his celebrity status, Bacon, his wife, Kyra and other celebrities partnered with AOL, Entertainment Weekly and the organization, Network for Good, to launch a site that enables you to find and support the cause that your favorite celebrities support.

Not my approach to giving but popular with many. I appreciate the good intentions and admire the SmartPartnering but wish they’d at least provide an “About” on the home page. As Michael Arrington notes, one can "make fun of it."
Stan Wasserman praises the cause site on his blog with Visible Path, a firm that helps you make your strongest work connections through people who already know and trust you.

By the way, for those interested in the backstory on this phenomena, back in 1967, sociologist Stanley Milgram described the "small world phenomenon," the idea that every person in the United States is connected by a chain of six people at most - a seminal precurser to FaceBook, Linked In and the power of other huge online social networks today.

People should feel like they know

… who you are and what you stand for. That's putting personality behind your cause.”

When I read that sentence to describe the mission of the cause marketing firm, Personality™ I knew I wanted to read more about their methodology and the people behind it. Those of you who’ve read my book, SmartPartnering, know that I feel passionately about the power of partnering with other organizations that match your values and brand personality. I know, first-hand, that 1 + 1 of the right partners (read compatible brand personality with different resources) can equal far more than 2 in generating stand-out value and visibility.

As you add each new “right” partner, your capacity to delight your kind of “customers” goes up exponentially. Any kind or size of business, non-profit or even government agency can become more valuable with this approach.

If you, too, believe this is a flattening world, favoring those who practice the Power of Us, then you’ll want to look closely at the brand personality of You and of your organization. Although Brad Abare’s firm, Personality, is dedicated to supporting cause campaigns, their approach and insights can help anyone.

Read, for example, about the film company behind the movie Amazing Grace or the Wow Jam.

Or, see how the brand personality, Obama has inspired 4,000 people to start blogs and 2,400 groups to pop up on his site, within five days of the site launching. Those groups are as diverse as Iowa Union Members for Obama, New Hampshire Firefighters for Barack and Hip Hop for Obama. Popular Resonance Partnership blogger, Marianne Richmond provides thoughtful commentary on the power of this palpable connection.

Then see how MediSys, a three-hospital health network in New York City puts the human face on their facilities through a blog that includes video and audio “embedded right in the page.

That’s a first among hospitals that makes those who follow seem “me too.”

TypePad reinforces its brand personality by shining a spotlight on the innovative way their clients, including MediSys use of their services.

Another of my favorite “first of a kind” brand personalities that TypePad spotlights is beguilingly unique Amy Stewart, “author of Flower Confidential, an adventurous exploration of the global cut-flower industry.”

Collectively, these fascinating brand personalities certainly raise the bar for the rest of us.

No where to hide

“In the foreground, two cowboys with frustrated emotions; in the background, one beer and two brand name sodas. Brokeback Mountain is a great story, beautifully told. But do we really need to be reminded repeatedly that they all drink Budweiser? And what about that huge, luminous Coke machine sitting across from Ennis while he eats his apple pie? More curious still, why is Coke’s arch rival Pepsi in the same movie?”

Thus begins Condordia’s study on product placement in films.

Are you getting tired of seeing products stuck into movies, sporting events, TV shows - even books and public restrooms – or do you accept product placement as unavoidable now?

Partnering of all kinds is probably the most rapidly-growing form of marketing since it is such a potent tool. In addition to product placement there’s many other ways to partner: cross-promotion, co-branding, joint sponsorships, cross-selling - and at least nine other forms I’ve discovered. Pamela Slim says it’s akin to the way lichen works. Hear more at Small Business Trends Radio.

With the wrong partners or methods you can irritate or totally alienate the very people you seek to serve or sell to. Done right, you can become their top-of-mind choice by multiply your credible moments of exposure, offering differentiating value or attracting media coverage for your “first-ever” offering.

Just this week, Borders Books and gather.com partnered to offer gather members the “First Chapters Writing Competition, which will give one aspiring novelist a publishing contract with Touchstone/Simon & Schuster.”

No matter what kind or size of business, club, cause or other group, your most efficient and credible way of growing it is in forging smart partnerships with other organizations that your kind of “customers” already like and trust.

Instead of “solo” advertising you can generate more value and visibility – with others.

That’s more satisfying and less expensive. Discover how in SmartPartnering.

Like to jumpstart your first SmartPartnership?

For laughs see JibJab and John Landis’ Great Sketch Experiment

What happens when movie director, John Landis (Blues Brothers, Animal House and Trading Places) joins creative forces with Verizon Wireless and JibJab … for laughs?

They invited sketch comedians in the U.S. to perform their best sketches and six up-and-coming stars won. Then Landis directed a short film of each. Starting today, you get to view them and vote for your favorite in this contest dubbed, the Great Sketch Experiment. Voting ends Nov. 16th.

They are available at JibJab.com or on Verizon Wireless' V CAST service in the V CAST Showcase channel.

As part of the promotion, Verizon will allow its wireless subscribers to access V CAST on a daily basis for $3, eliminating the need to sign up for the $15 V CAST Vpack monthly subscription.

(How can you burnish your brand and attract more customers with the right partner?)

As Carly Mayberry notes in The Hollywood Reporter, “For JibJab, the venture is a way to bypass the traditional means of discovering and distributing new talent and is the first time it is venturing outside its own studio for new content.”

(How can you gain a new distribution channel for your idea or product via partnering?)

The winning comedian gets a $10,000 development deal with JibJab - and their performance will be featured on Verizon Wireless’ V CAST service.

The finalists in the contest who get to compete in the short films are:

• Famous Last Nerds – Erik Weiner and Jordan Allen Dutton (nearby to me just over the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco)

• Karla – Marion Austin Oberle and Megan Kellie (Los Angeles)

• Train of Thought – John Boyle, Ryan Miller and Kaci Aitchison (Seattle)

• Elephant Larry – Alexander Zalben, Stefan Lawrence, Chris Principe, Jeff Solomon and Geoff Haggerty (New York)

• Riegel & Blatt – Sam Riegel and Rob Blatt (New York)

• Mark & Ari – Mark Sarian and Ari Voukydis (New York)

Now that’s tough competition and a SmartPartnership that may go viral.

See some of the comedians in action tonight on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno… and get inspired to launch your own partnership to stand out in this over-advertised world.

Become their top-of-mind choice by partnering

From Led Zeppelin and Cadillac to Diddy and Burger King, increasingly music acts are forging alliances with marketers to reach more of their fans and customers – more directly and vividly.

Yesterday at the American Cinematheque Awards, T-Mobile unveiled special celeb-only Sidekicks. And Starbucks launched a 25-city tour for Mitch Albom's latest book that you can buy in their stores. Over at Project Runway, TBone exultantly posts about his cross-promotion with Bravo. It is happening all around us.

With the right partners and methods, you, too, can generate stand-out visibility and value to those you seek to serve. Simply find other reputable organizations that serve the same kind of customer as you. Then decide on a mutually beneficial “Smart Partnership" as explored by Denise and Patsi over at Build a Better Blog.

Here’s two more quick snapshots of profitably partnering.
Give People Another Reason to Try Your Service or Product

That’s how Applebee’s and Weight Watchers attracted new customers without advertising more. When Weight Watchers designed and branded low-cal menu items for Applebee’s, followers of their diet program could eat out without guilt, at Applebee’s. Applebee’s fans got a first-hand introduction to Weight Watchers.

Become Their Top-of-Mind Choice. Offer a Tantalizing “Extra”

Who knows how many people chose to stay at the Ritz Carlton rather than at another luxury hotel because of an added thrill - complimentary use of a brand new Mercedes during their stay? Mercedes & Ritz Carlton forged a smart partnership and became the top-of-mind choice with their kind of (upscale) customers and so can you - regardless of the kind or size of your business.

The bonus benefit? Priceless media coverage of your "first-ever" offer.

That’s why SmartPartnering, in all its forms is the fastest-growing, most versatile and efficient way to attract more clients or support than any other single outreach tool. Think co-branding, cross-referring, product placement, bundled packages, jointly-sponsored events and services.

Warning: Because partnering is so powerful, used wrongly (wrong partners or methods), it can anger the very people you seek to serve. In these obesity-aware times, think Crispy Kreme offering donuts to students with great report cards. Or Delta Airlines putting advertising messages on their flip-down food trays. (In your face!)

Conversely, with the right partners and methods you or your organization can become one-of-a-kind. Naturally that makes you the top-of-mind choice to people who matter in your world..

Read about profitable partnering in the Wall Street Journal's Startup Journal and consider jumpstarting your first SmartPartnership.