SolutionSelling

CoBranding January 20, 2003

Reverse Networking, Co-Promoting and Co- Branding

Reverse Networking

A promotional products company has found that the key to selling is personal face to face contact.
Here is the Mission statement for the company:

“Getting the right products in the hands of the right clients of our clients at the right time.”

They use the six degrees of separation (networking) to get in front of the right people.
Where this is not possible, they view the RFP process as an opportunity to get to know the right people—a win-by-losing strategy, if you will.
Even if they lose a RFP, they will go back to them and see if they can sell them a solution—maybe on a smaller sale just to give them a try.

Co-Promoting

They have also tried some new approaches such as co-promoting a Lexus Toyota dealership, a Fine Jewelers outlet and a high end shoe store. They created a line of promotional products that can be given out by all three so that Lexus customers become jewelry clients and shoe clients and vice versa. This is a new delivery (i.e., solutions) mechanism.
Where do you find Lexus customers? Well, in high end shops, that’s where.

Co-Branding

They also build web sites that sell the client’s promotional items—so that they not only give promotional items away, they allow co-branding and sales of their items. Why not have a Microsoft web site, say, that allows their channel partners to order Xbox t-shirts with a Future Shop logo on it?
It is amazing to me that people want to go around wearing Coca Cola or Ralph Lauren or the Gap or Old Navy clothing with company logos on the outside. But they do. Why not allow them to co-brand it too? It reduces the cost; in fact, people will pay your company for the privilege.

Dr. Bruce M. Firestone, Ottawa, Canada.