Last week I received a copy of Inc. magazine with a letter from Vistage CEO Sam Reese explaining the new partnership between Vistage and Inc. He wrote an article for the magazine that shows up on P92, about his many take-aways from being a CEO before and now at Vistage. Some Vistage members were highlighted in the following pages of the magazine. As a tie-in, Vistage Members are all getting a free 6 month subscription sent to their offices. Nice, huh? Vistage gets access to Inc. subscribers, Vistage members get a free subscription.
It seems like a good partnership for leverage. However, to be effective it must connect with the intended audience.Some holes were pointed out at our Vistage Chair meeting last week. For example; magazines sent to our Members often don’t get to their desks or get lost in the rest of their mail. An article on page 92 of an unsolicited magazine is unlikely to be noticed. If you want to make a big point to them, give us the magazines to distribute at the meetings so we can explain the connection at a moment when they pay attention.
If you don’t think that is necessary, consider this: Members don’t read their emails. If you want to get through to them, you have to send them a text to tell them to read an email. Seriously.
As good an idea as this partnership is, and I believe it is, those who are supposed to be in the loop must be brought in. Brainstorming those steps is a critical part to creating leverage. If you want to create successful leverage, make sure you connect all the links.
On the social media leverage side, I have a Vistage member creating a new app that will go viral as Instagram influencers like the samples they get and post themselves wearing the products. The role of influencers on Instagram is well known and highly rewarded. And,Instagram followers are well aware of the links. They feel like the influencer is a style maker who sorts out the good stuff and lets you in on what’s cool. This is a partnership with a carefully thought out, step-by-step strategy, that will create super leverage.
If you were going to start a competitor to your business, who would you want to partner with to outperform yourself? If you know the answer to this question, start tomorrow. Brainstorm with your team and others to leverage the partnerships that could create a huge new future for your business. And, carefully lay out the connection strategy so all that brilliant thinking gets seen and acted upon.
image courtesy of www:bevelwise.com