WAY 12

Birds of a Feather

One of the most valuable, stimulating, creative, and exciting things you can do is to network with other businesses who operate as you do but who aren't your direct competitors. Even better, make opportunities to visit other facilities similar to yours to see what different companies are using as business models. This helps both parties learn from their mutual strengths and weaknesses and lets them benefit from each others' successes and failures.

ACTION ITEM

Consider putting together your own small group to identify other companies like yours and build relationships that can pay off for everyone involved. There are many resources that can help you identify these companies. The secret is to understand that help is out there!

A medical clinic in the Northeast had an unbelievable track record for attracting patients. They had successfully used their system and infrastructure for almost twenty years, but they realized that new ideas similar to theirs could have a huge payoff. Through a medical association, they were able to identify a dozen other clinics across the United States very similar to theirs, but in noncompetitive locations. They sent a broadcast letter to these clinics and quickly formed a small group that meets twice a year. They spend two days together reviewing their facilities, talking about their operations, and generally brainstorming about what is working and what is not for each of them. It's amazing how, when a group of businesspeople come together to share their very best ideas, everyone goes home with new excitement for their business. It's probably one of the biggest payoffs that you can get if you are working on a serious and ongoing prospecting effort.

TAKEAWAY

Yogi Bear, my favorite cartoon character,
always said that you can see a lot when
you look. Think about how much you can
accomplish if you start building relationships
with people who have ideas like yours
.