Promote Your Competition

Expend energy promoting your competition for referrals, subcontracts or joint assignments. In many fields, a portion of all new business can come from the competition. Recognize that competitors' marketing efforts may result in:

• assignments that they view as being outside their field of specialty
• business they are too busy to handle
• projects of such scope that they need to retain the services of another professional to work jointly

When involved in a subcontract or joint assignment with another professional, avoid activities that appear as attempts to market yourself for future business. If clients perceive that working with you at a later date is more desirable, they will contact you. But marketing to competitors' clients directly is inappropriate and will hurt future business that may come from your peers. This inappropriate behavior will also diminish your professionalism in the eyes of the clients you are both serving.

When you hire subcontractors, make sure you have a written agreement that includes a noncompete clause. This clause protects you from their setting up shop on their own and taking your clients with them.