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Grow Your Business: Friends & Strategic Partners

Featured Author:

Ann M. Evanston

Ann M. Evanston is CEO of AME Institute and AME-zing Woman, organizations committed to developing great leaders worldwide. She specializes in teaching strategies of influence and buy-in. She is also the Executive Managing Director of eWomenNetwork, San Francisco and San Ramon. As an entrepreneur for more than 10 years, she understands what it take to create small business success, increase income to revenue, and work from home doing what you love.

Learn more about Ann here and add her to your WomenCo. network!

More articles from this author:

• Your Product is Not Your Brand: You Are!
• Small Talk: How Powerful Communication Grows Your Business
• A Marketing Strategy for Success: Tips for the Small Business Owner

Your marketing strategy will be more powerful when you build a network of trusted friends. This is a very different category than personal friends. Many women who get involved with a direct marketing line – as well as many marketing pros – will tell you that the fastest way to grow your business is to make a list of all your friends and family, and then start marketing to them first. But have you noticed that when you try that approach, they rarely seem to want to buy from you? It’s frustrating, isn’t it?

So a trusted friend is different. A trusted friend is someone you hold a business relationship with—and with all the advertising we get every day, this is an important strategy. Think about it! Are you more likely to read that SPAMMED email sent to you anonymously, or an e-mail a trusted friend sent, saying they thought you would be interested? Then imagine your trusted friends forwarding e-mail from you to others. Powerful concept!

Trusted friends are business partners who:

• Know your business and respect what you do

• Understand and value the small business owner

• Believe in relationships and referrals

• See potential clients for you in their own daily business

• Will, if the opportunity presents itself, refer business to you

• Are often willing to advertise you on their web site

• Over time, may package and bundle with you

Another way to describe a trusted friend is as a “strategic partner.” Strategic partners are people who are in alignment with your business, and are not in competition; their customers often need what you offer.