The last few days we’ve been discussing the all-powerful strategy of giving to get. I told you about Bob Burg and John David Mann’s great book, The Go-Giver, which is all about this strategy, and we’ve invited you to become a PushupsForCharity Founding Partner, which is the most complete fitness marketing application of this strategy I’ve ever seen (PUC is closing down tonight – today is your last chance to join us).

So let’s continue with the give to get theme.

I want to show you a straight forward strategic alliance system you can deploy quickly that will lay the foundation for your biggest-ever explosion of new clients this January.

Let’s start with a quick review.

In order for strategic alliances to work effectively there must be structure, systems and tools.

Just a verbal agreement to cross-promote almost always produces less than satisfactory results.

Your strategic alliance business partners have good intentions, but unless there is a mechanism, a process for endorsing and referring you that is easy to do, and mostly done-for-them, they have trouble following through because they’re busy focusing on their own businesses.

And the fact of the matter is, before you can even get to that point – where other local businesses will agree to endorse/refer you – you have to establish some sort of relationship with the business owner.

And frankly, that’s usually the biggest stumbling block.

What do you say to them to entice and compel them to work with you?  How do you initiate the relationship?  How do you prove to them that it will be a RECIPROCAL relationship, and that you’re not just out for yourself?

And how do you establish MULTIPLE strategic alliance partnerships quickly and easily, so you can get multiple local businesses working for you like an unpaid marketing sales force? (If 2-3 strategic alliances are good, 8-10 are better, right?)

Well, that brings us full-cirlce back to the ultimate business growth strategy, giving to get.

And here’s a simple way to execute that strategy so you prove your intentions and willingness to promote them…first…then ask for reciprocation (give first, get later).

Let’s walk through this step by step:

1. Make a list of the 10 best businesses in your local area that you’d like to have strategic alliances with. They should be businesses that cater to your ideal clients and they should be exceptional businesses you want to associate with and endorse.

2. Build a page on your website called “(Town) Resources” or “Friends of (Your Business Name)” or something like that.

3. On that page, list out the 10 local businesses and a short blurb about each one. The business name in your listing should be a text link to another page on your website devoted exclusively to that business.  The exclusive page should be keyword optimized for THEIR business (to attract people searching for them).  You should write some nice stuff about them and why you recommend them, and then let the visitor know they can get a special discount or deal from that business by opting in on your page.

4. You can “plus” that offer by letting visitors know they’ll get special discounts/deals from 9 other local businesses too (your other local SA’s).

5. Now you go visit the 10 business owners, show each one the page you created about them on YOUR website – which clearly demonstrates your “give to get” positioning.

6. This naturally leads to what they (the business owner) can do for you. So then you transition into a conversation about how you’d like to place the I-AM RAINMAKER “take one” card in their place of business, or have them send out an endorsement email/letter with a special offer for your services, or whatever you want them to do.  Just be sure you provide the tools for execution.

That’s the simple process to follow.  Now let’s look at how this benefits you.

>> The obvious benefit is that you BLOW AWAY prospective strategic alliance partners by building a page for them on your site. And believe me, when you show them the page, they will be very impressed – because nobody has ever done anything even remotely approaching that for them before.  The chances of them not wanting to reciprocate, and not being impressed by you and eager to work with you are slim to none.

>> You benefit from local search queries utilizing the keywords of these businesses (your site’s page might end up with a higher ranking than their website, just depending on how savvy they are). This brings fresh visitors to your site.  They are not highly targeted (they didn’t search for your fitness business or fitness services in general), but they are local folks who probably meet at least the demographics of your ideal client profile, and this is a friendly, non-threatening and helpful way to introduce yourself (more on that in a moment).

>> You benefit from local lead generation by getting these folks to opt-in for the special discount/deal offer (a segmented local list like this has tremendous value and provides almost limitless promotional opportunity).

>> You benefit from the goodwill you get as a result of providing the special discount/deal to these local folks.

>> You benefit from the ability to build, nurture and cultivate a relationship with these folks, the majority of whom probably need some weight loss/fitness support/help/service (as 60-70% of all people do).

>> And here’s a biggie – you benefit from being able to include a special offer for your serivices in the PDF which has the discount/deal offers from your SA partners.  This document should also include a welcome letter from you, credentialing, testimonials, reasons why they should choose you (your USP) and any other info that will further the relationship/sale.

Is It Really Quick and Easy?

Yes, it really is. Here’s what you need:

1. A PDF document including -

- Cover letter from you with your picture
- Testimonials, credentials, usp
- Special offer for your services
- Special offers (discounts/deals) from your strategic alliance partners

2. A templated webpage where you drop in info about each strategic alliance partner and then an opt-in form to get the special discount/deal PDF

3. A plan for how you’d like your strategic alliance partners to promote you (I suggest you create a special holiday “gift” offer that you ask them to send out to their customers AND ask that they allow you to place the I-AM RAINMAKER “take one” card in their business)

That’s it.  As far as EFFECTIVE, short and long-term, ever-growing business-building goes, it doesn’t get much simpler than that.

And the most beautiful thing about this is that it’s evergreen and ongoing.  You build the page one time for your SA partner and capture more and more leads over time.  A percentage of those leads redeem the special offers for your SA partners (which reinforces your SA partnership/relationship) and a percentage redeem YOUR special offer, becoming clients.

But best of all is that because you gave first, your SA partners are now ready and willing to give back to you by promoting you this holiday season so January is HUGE month for you.

And that’s just the beginning of your relationship with your SA’s.  More and more can (and should) come of the relationship as you move forward.

Not everyone is willing to do the work to lay a solid marketing foundation for their fitness business.  And those folks end up “spraying and praying” month-in and month-out.  They move from one “I’ve gotta get clients NOW” tactic to another, never establishing a foothold in the marketplace, never getting traction and never gaining marketing momentum.  And that’s a recipe for continued frustration and, frankly, weekly or monthly panic.  It’s a crappy way to run a business and a crappy way to live.

Your goal must be to implement long-term (DEEP CORE) lead generation, evergreen marketing systems that consistently pull in new clients and supplement those with regular short-term, promotion-based marketing tactics.

If you’re lucky, from time to time you’ll come across a marketing system that does both for you. PushupsForCharity is that kind of system. It has EVERY element you could ever want in a fitness marketing system. Every one. But only if you’re a Founding Partner. And that opportunity goes away tonight.  If you’re smart, you’ll grab one of the remaining Founding Partner positions right now.

As a Founding Partner, you don’t just benefit from your efforts, you also benefit from our national marketing efforts here at NPE, and from the collective efforts of the other Founding Partners. It’s a win-win-win all the way around.  If you can’t see the power of this, if you need further “convincing” then you’re not wired for give to get. The principle escapes you. And that’s too bad.

Here’s your last chance to be a PushupsForCharity Founding Partner.

Here’s another fitness marketing post you may enjoy.