I just did a Google search for kitchens and received the following results:

Results 1 – 10 of about 32,800,000 for kitchens

Let’s face it; it’s become increasingly difficult to generate qualified leads in today’s tough economy. With over 32 million results, how can we possibly appear on page one? As you slowly start reviewing the results you quickly discover that there are many companies battling over the word “kitchens”. Sure there are some remodelers like us, but most are manufacturers of building products for kitchens such as a variety of countertop manufacturers and fabricators, cabinet companies (stock, semi-custom and custom), lighting fixtures, sinks, faucets, flooring, etc.

That’s where partnering with others comes in. I’m a firm believer in strategic alliances. It’s even more important today than ever. Although there are many standard co-op programs available from industry manufacturers many of those may not fit your needs.

We’ve approached strategic alliances very differently than the standard program approach. We simply contact the potential alliance and schedule a face-to-face meeting. The goal of the meeting is an honest and open discussion to understand each other’s goals. It’s interesting what comes out of these discussions.

Usually manufacturers say that their goal is simple -we want to sell more product. Remodelers on the other hand expect a great product offering along with price and service. Interestingly, many times both of those goals are accomplished along with extra things that help remodelers tremendously such as:

o       Product literature to help describe features and benefits

o       Samples to share with potential clients

o       Product knowledge seminars and installation trainings

o       Cooperative advertising both traditional as well as on-line

o       Reciprocating links on websites

All of these lead to accomplishing both goals. It can be done, all it takes is starting out with an open and honest conversation about what’s important to each party.