MindValley Labs Internet Marketing Blog

In my last few posts, I've shared various things I've learned, and the several insights that Brad Antin of Centerpointe shared with me.

You might be wondering how Brad Antin and I ended up talking business.

Did I walk up to him and say, "Hi, I'm Mike, I actually plan to be your biggest competitor, could you please tell me your secret?" Not quite.

Because all of us have a very different mindset, and that's the one crucial difference that differentiates us from the rest.

I believe in a world of abundance. I think there's enough for everybody, so I'm not competing with them.

I approached them because we are in the same market and together we can help each other become vastly more successful. That's the attitude I have, and that's the attitude they share.

This market is enormous, the demand is almost insatiable and we're only 2 tiny fish. If we can work together to help each other rise, that's great.

So, I told them, we operate in the same market as you –spiritual and personal growth, we have similar businesses and similar sized lists, let's figure out how we can work together.

Brad Antin immediately said he'd love to promote one of our products to their list, which is great because they have one of the single most responsive lists on the Internet.

I approached him like that, and I flattered him. I told him, you know what? I'm your biggest fan. I've bought your product just to figure out how you guys do business because I'm floored, what you have done is phenomenal, and we're not anywhere close. I'd love to talk to you for 5-10mins and learn more about what you guys do.

That's how I approached him --it was flattery and a mindset of abundance. But I didn't lie –he knows that we're in the same market, and he also has the mindset of doing cross promotions and helping each other grow our businesses.

Partnerships are some of the best ways to grow and improve your business.

My question to you is –is there someone in your market whom you can work together with? Is there someone doing better than you are? How are you going to approach them and work together towards a more successful future for both your businesses?

Last 5 posts by

• Do you think SEO in other languages is easier? - September 18th, 2008
• Google Slap - How to recover from a Google Slap? - September 8th, 2008
• What Does Your Order Button Say? - August 29th, 2008
• Will Knol Rule The Search Engines? First Analysis Indicates...It Just Might - July 23rd, 2008
• Are small businesses dropping out of AdWords? - July 23rd, 2008

About the Author

Prior to MindValley Media, Mike was the Head of New Ventures Strategy at eBay where he conceived of the strategies that led to the investment in Craigslist, the launch of Kijiji.com and the acquisition of Skype. Mike has an MBA from Stanford and previously worked for the Boston Consulting Group. He is also a certified Google AdWords Professional.

Check out other posts by Mike Reining

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