Turn a Business Dilemma into a Marketing Opportunity

One of my colleagues in Ali Brown’s Millionaire Protegee Club had a dilemma. Another person she knew slightly, in a similar coaching business, asked for her $350 information product for free, saying she would use it with her clients and recommend it. My colleague had a bad feeling about it, and didn’t want to give her product away so that this coach could use it free with her own clients.

Here’s how to turn that dilemma into a marketing opportunity. First of all, realize that this person has an interested in your product – even though she wants it free, she DOES want it. That’s a start. Here are the steps to take:

· Get a face-to-face meeting if distance isn’t an issue, otherwise, use phone

· Thank her for her interest and tell her you are complimented that she is so positive about the product

· Tell her that you would like to create a win-win for you both

· You won’t give your product away, but you would like to offer an affiliate relationship

· The terms are that she buy your product at full price, offers it to her clients personally (through her e-zine, on her website, etc.). For every unit she sells, she gets a 50% commission.

This strategy goes a long way toward solving the dilemma.

1. From an attraction standpoint, 50% is a very high commission; the coach will be intrigued with the opportunity to earn some decent money. Be sure to point out that with only two sales she has repaid herself the full cost of your product.

2. It keeps the coach from using your product in an underhanded way, and keeps her honest.

3. It gives YOU 50% of your product sales to a market (hers) that you otherwise would probably never reach.

4. It puts that coach’s recommendation on your product, which you can turn around and use in your own marketing materials “recommended by XXXX.”

5. You can even as part of the deal get that coach to do a video testimonial of your product and place that on your website (the coach will do this; it gives HER exposure, too!).

All in all, this strategy lets you make a customer and a salesperson out of a potential problem person. You have offered good terms, so there is a very high likelihood that she’ll go for it. If she turns it down, you have made your position clear and have still solved your dilemma.

I love solving marketing dilemmas like this. Try using this strategy when you have a similar issue, and let me know how it goes.