If you're looking for allies to help you add prospects to your pipeline, you have to find the right people. They need to be reputable and know what they’re doing. They need to be respected by their own customers. And they need to be convinced that advancing your business would be a win-win for both of you.
I've had experience working with trade allies in a variety of industries. I've also had several graduates of our training come to me and say, "We've got this new product we're rolling out, and we're trying to establish a trade ally network." The first thing I say is, "Just answer me frankly – why should a trade ally spend time pitching your product to their customer when they have a finite amount of face time with that customer? Why would they opt to talk about your product over some other product they could be selling?"
You need to get the effort/reward ratio just right. Making the offering crystal clear and easy to convey stacks the deck in your favor. Providing generous compensation in return for minimal effort appeals to the “path of least resistance” tendency seen in so many trade allies. Your trade ally has to see your offering as the one that yields the best return for the least amount of sales effort.
