Background

I've been suggesting to my clients, with increasing vigor over the past few years, that they invest some time and effort into developing a Complementary Marketing (CM) program. The more I investigate the potential of CM the more convinced I become that it's a viable way to grow your business at minimal expense. 

What is Complementary Marketing?

Let's assume you retail pool tables and game room accessories. One way to communicate with consumers about your pool tables  is through traditional advertising and, as the owner of an advertising agency, I would certainly advise you to advertise.

But, while you're advertising, you could also engage in a CM effort. The beauty of adding CM is that it costs you very little-and often costs you nothing-while it improves the effectiveness of your traditional advertising. This is true because your CM effort makes additional impressions on consumers and the information is delivered to consumers by a trusted resource, someone with whom they are doing business.

Example: while your TV, radio and/or newspaper ads are running, some consumers are hiring home remodelers to remodel rooms into a family room. When the room is finished the consumers are going to need to buy stuff  to put into the remodeled room including, perhaps, furniture, a big screen TV and, maybe, a pool table. Your goal is to make sure the home remodelers endorse you as a source the consumer should consider as they turn the remodeled space into the perfect family room.

How to start

1) Make a list of all businesses that serve your primary target market but that do not compete with you directly;
2) Do NOT restrict your list only to the obvious suspects (more on this in a moment);
3) Prioritize the businesses that, when a consumer buys from them, your product or service increases in importance to that  consumer.
4) Find out who the business owner is of each of your potential CM partners;
5) Develop a short, non-threatening presentation to deliver when you contact your potential CM partners;
6) Test your initial methods of contact. By this I mean call some of your CM prospects on the phone and set an appointment to introduce yourself, contact some via e-mail and cold call some of them (that's right, just walk in, ask for the owner, then tell him/her why you're there. It's not that scary;
7) Keep records as to which method of contact works best;
8) Invest at least two hours each week making the contacts;
9) Communicate regularly with your CM partners and potential partners;
10) RETURN THE FAVOR; if you want your CM partners to refer you, you need to refer customers to your CM partners.

Potential CM Partners

For the pool table retailer a few of the obvious CM partners are:

Home remodelers
Contractors
Bars and night clubs (and any other location) that hosts pool league play
Plumbers
Furniture stores
Electricians
Paint and hardware stores
Architects
Interior designers
Carpet stores
home furnishing stores & home decor stores
Real estate agents
and etc.

A few of the less obvious, but viable CM partners are:

Upscale restaurants (especially if the pool table retailer sells upscale tables):
Cigar Bars (reach upscale consumers)
Wine bars and wineries (reach upscale consumers)
Investment brokers (a pool table gives Mom and Dad more reason to bring the grandchildren to Grandpa and Grandma's)
and etc.

Complementary Marketing is word of mouth marketing on steroids.

Take a few minutes now to create your initial list of potential CM partners, then make some contacts. Revise your presentation as you gain experience. Expand your list as new potential CM partners occur to you.

This is an exciting, easy to implement, affordable idea. Give it a try, then let me know how it works out for you; I'd love to share your ideas with other business owners. Thanks, and sell a bunch!

Mark Dahl