The root of this blog is older than money. How do I find someone to sell to? How do I find someone to buy from?

The modern world and the technology explosion of the past few decades has given us more ways to promote ourselves and our products than ever before – ironically making it harder than ever to get the message out there.

So in an increasingly noisy world, here is a whisper of advice on finding trade partners.

Use Existing Customers.

Your current customers are crucial. Not only as today’s source of revenue, but also in supplying you with information on who and where your next customer is.

Your current and future partner fit the same profile. They both need your product and they are both ready to pay for it. Thinking about the former, will lead you to the latter. Asking for advice from your customers will generate more.

For example, in the course of most deals you make there will be a moment when it is possible to ask your client for feedback on the service and product you have provided, and this can simply and professionally be done by sending them a survey or questionnaire to complete.

Whilst the primary aim of the survey is to improve your company, it can also include the key question: “Would you refer our company to others?” If the answer is yes, ask to be referred then and there! And if the answer is no, then you have a good opportunity to find out why and fix things.

Leaving space on the survey for contact details of potential clients is an easy way to open doors, by sharing a mutual partner.

As Bill Gates once said, “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” But he could easily have included happy customers too.

Existing customers can also be a good source of testimonials. Any time someone mentions how good your product or service is, just ask them to put it in writing. Most people won’t mind doing this, as it only takes a minute or so to do.

Testimonials like this can then either be used on your website or other promotional material, and can be an effective tool in putting yourself ahead of the competition.

Team Up

Working together with another business to mutually promote yourselves is now so popular that it has a name. It is known as a ‘host-beneficiary’ arrangement. In this arrangement, another firm with the same target customer offers to use their database and resources to promote your business. You of course offer to do the same for them, or maybe offer something in return for each new customer.

Good examples of how this can work include potential co-operation between a high-end hair salon and a high-end car dealership or a lawyer and an accountant.

Co-operating with other companies is a fantastic way to increase your exposure, and can even be taken a step further to form what’s known as a “strategic alliance.” While a host-beneficiary relationship is usually a short-term commitment, strategic alliances can last for years.

Rebecca Larson, assistant Professor of Business at Liberty University, recalls how Starbucks went into an alliance with Barnes and Nobles bookstores in 1993, providing coffee shops in a number of their stores, benefiting both retailers.

Similarly, every new smartphone or tablet bought today comes with a number of pre-installed apps or products. Whilst some of these maybe generically made by the phone manufacturer, you will find an increasing number of them have been installed by ‘strategic partners’ hoping that you will start use their services once you see them available on your new phone.

What’s good for Samsung and Apple, may well be good for you.

Advertising.

The key to successful advertising is in generating promising leads in exchange for the money you spend. However, it can be all to easy to start major campaigns with unrealistic targets of return, and therefore unrealistic advertising budgets.

One good tip is to start off small and build your campaign budget slowly, learning and refining your message as you go. This also allows you to factor in the value of the campaign itself to your bottom line.

For example, spending a modest sum on internet banner ads, will allow you to observe the number of clicks you receive for each advert. In turn you can calculate the number of paying customers you receive per click. As you know how much profit you make from your average customer, you can ultimately put a value on each banner advert.

If your banner ads are seen by 200,000 people, and 2,000 of those are clicked, and of those 2,000 you generate 100 customers from which your average profit is $100 then the value to you of the banner ads is $10,000 in profit.

This information will be priceless when deciding whether to expand or stop your campaign.

Networking.

Whilst networking in the ‘old school’ manner of conferences and past business associations can be a time consuming, and therefore not particularly cheap, method of finding trading partners, the contacts it does find often have the highest value.

Nothing generates business better than person to person engagement, where trust can be founded on mutual understandings and sales pitches can be aimed for direct needs, not the mass message of advertising.

This makes any congress, conference or meeting of minds such as the highly successful ChemSpec events (http://www.chemspecevents.com/) a useful tool in promotion.

Of course today, even networking has gone hi-tech, so it almost goes without saying that it is necessary to have a professional looking and active LinkedIn, facebook and Google plus account. Whilst these access points may not be the main route to new business, they act as an easily searchable reference point for prospective clients.

Databases.

Much like using the Yellow Pages to find a product or service, there are a number of industry specific registries where you can, for a price, either list your company or, for a greater price, promote your company.

These directories, such as The World Chemical Distributor Directory have been a good investment of money in the past, and have become easier to use and more up-to-date in online versions. They do however, still require a dealer to make contact with each business listed to find a suitable partner.

To avoid this, many companies are increasingly using services such as http://spotchemi.eu/ to generate a more specific search. At this website, chemicals can be offered for sale on an online marketplace, or similarly, products can be requested for purchase. Only registered users can make offers or requests, and each of them has been verified as bone fide by trusted credit control agencies. So trading can be done securely, and you can find, sell and buy any product at one simple location.

Many Streams.

Ultimately, there is no one single method that will help you to find new business. Instead, it is by using mulitiple approaches, such as those listed on this page that will drive your business forward.

Finding clients is a bit of a paradox. They are everywhere, but you have to look in order to see them. Using a variety of methods, from marketing to networking to online trading, will ensure that you and your next business partner will find each other in the crowd.