You’re proud of the products or services you offer and you have a strong clientele. Now what? You can ride this out for a while but like any relationship your customers will eventually desire ‘more’. Why wait for them to have one foot out the door before you fulfill that need.
Think beyond yourself.
If you can’t find a problem, create one, then solve it. What could enhance your customer’s experience? Don’t limit your thoughts around what you can offer.
Focus on customer touch-points and cycle. What could extend your connection and relationship with your customers? If you come up with a solution that is beyond your expertise consider partnering with someone who is an expert in that area.
Partnerships can provide quick solutions, great relationships and expanded experiences for you and your customers. Sure, you could spend time and money trying to be everything to everyone but why sacrifice what you really are good at and known for.
Partnerships can make you cool.
Partnering with another company can be a great opportunity. Great press, renewed attention, and access to your partner’s connections and trusted clientele.
Sometimes it can even make you cool. In recent news Southwest Airlines partnered with Beats Music to offer a curated music experience onboard. (http://www.swamedia.com/releases/southwest-airlines-launches-new-onboard-entertainment-service-with-beats-music)
Southwest’s image has been on the rise for the past several years with their superior customer service campaigns. They used to be known as the cheap airline but now they’re more known for free bag checks, smiles and snacks. Southwest has become the affordable airline with extended experience. They saw an opportunity to take that further based on the number of customers wearing headphones while riding through the sky. Beats Music extends that desirable experience for their customers and creds Southwest Airlines cool for doing so.
Of course, it goes without saying it’s all about finding the right partner that you can both benefit from and work well together. You want someone that will scratch your back if you scratch theirs, so to speak.
Look to scratch some backs
At Astronauts & Poets (http://www.astronautsandpoets.com) our partnerships have been ideal extending our services for our clients as well as our partner’s clients. And beyond the business value, the relationships have been fun and enjoyable. It’s a good feeling having experts on your side. They make you better – you make them better.
New experiences, partnerships, and thinking beyond yourself can lead to extended relationships that are beneficial to you and your clients.