Collaboration raises the tide for businesses

Have you heard the saying, “A rising tide lifts all ships”?

Collaboration raises that tide.

There is a myth that only one pie of customers exists for every business. The fact is, there are many pies. And they can be made bigger. All you need is collaboration. 

To make this work you need to have trust and long-term thinking. Are you in business for a season or are you going the distance?

Why not find and connect with related businesses in your town or industry and throw your cards on the table? Let each other know who your ideal customers are and how you reach them. Talk about challenges you are facing and goals you want to achieve. Then work as a group to help each other succeed.

Together you help each other get more of the right customers.

I was the marketing guy for a software consulting firm several years ago. We were the best in the country in several areas. We knew who our ideal customer was and what we created for them. When a prospective customer came to us and they weren’t the best fit, we referred them to someone else. Sometimes that company was a competitor.

We knew if a customer wasn’t right for us and we could point them in the best direction for them, then it was a win for us. The customer would get the best fit for their needs and they would love us for it. They would send people our way and probably buy from us when the timing was right and their needs changed to fit our services. The company we sent the business to would in turn do the same for us when the other shoe was on their foot. This practice was part of our marketing strategy.

Find a group of like-minded businesses and create a mastermind. This is the iron sharpening and idea-sharing that will move your business forward.

Gone are the days when a company is an island. Working together, organizations can change the landscape of an entire industry or region by providing better value to the right customers while helping each other succeed.