One of the best places to find new partnering relationships is through client referrals.
If you’re taking on a new client and you get introduced to someone who’s a very deeply niched expert, invite them to lunch or coffee. You could say, “We should really get together and talk about whether we have any clients that could use your expertise and vice versa.” After you’ve both already proven your abilities on this mutual client account, the trust is there, and partnering is pretty much a done deal.
So when you’re fortunate enough to have one of these things fall in your lap because a new client introduces you, that’s tremendous. Definitely take advantage of it.
Partnering Relationships Won't Magically Appear
Beyond having them fall into your lap, you are going to have to get out there and actively seek potential partners. Going out to the chamber of commerce, you’re going to stumble across other people who say that they are consultants. The key thing here again is to be able to differentiate yourself.
If everyone is saying we do PC hardware, software, LANs and service, then you know, it’s very difficult to figure out whether there’s competitive issues that would prevent you from coming together and forming successful partnerships and contractor types of relationships.
When Partnering, Look for Specialists
The key thing is being able to explain that you’re looking for something a little bit unique. If you’re going to be the generalist and provide the total end-to-end solution, you just want to focus on meeting up with people who are specialists.
You can also surf the Web to see who else is out there in your local market. You may stumble across some potential partners that way. However, it’s so much easier if you’re meeting them face to face. Forming these partnering relationships are easier if you meet in person at a channel event or a user group meeting or by an introduction through a mutual client.
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