So, the Urban Dictionary defines a “frenemy” like this:
frenemy
Someone who is both friend and enemy, a relationship that is both mutually beneficial or dependent while being competitive, fraught with risk and mistrust.
I define it a little more like this:
business frenemy
Someone who could be considered competition for you, but whom you have turned around and made into a strategic partner.
Here’s the deal. There are people out there doing something similar to what you do. There are businesses out there that are looking to reach the same audience you want to reach. Maybe they’re selling something very close to what you’re selling, or maybe they’re selling something totally different to the same audience. Either way, they can be your new business frenemies.
Here’s how.
Write a blog post interviewing one of your business frenemies.
Now, it would be really easy for you to interpret this as, “write a blog post interviewing one of your business friends,” because that’s a lot safer and easier. You already know this person, you have a relationship with her, and you’re pretty sure she would say yes if you asked to interview her.
But unless her business reaches your ideal audience, it’s not going to do either of you much good.
On the other hand, if you reach out to a business frenemy—someone who might be seen in certain lights as a competitor—it’s kind of a win, win. You’ll be reaching her audience, she’ll be reaching yours, and in truth, they’ll be the same audience.
(P.S. This is an Attention post. Find out what the heck that means here.)
Why do I want to introduce my readers to my competition?
In most cases, you really don’t have any competition, my lovely. Because you are UNIQUE.
Say it with me now. UNIQUE.
There’s no one who does exactly what you do, exactly the way you do it. There just isn’t. You’ve got some special sauce that you bring to your business.
Even if you have a business where you sell the exact same thing as lots of other people (I’m thinking of people who sell products like Mary Kay or 31 Bags), you sell them in a completely unique way. Your customers come back to you time and time again because _____________. (You fill in the blank.)
So don’t be afraid to reach that gal who’s rocking her biz just because her biz is similar to yours. It might be exactly the joint partnership you’re both looking for.
Knowledge without action is pretty pointless, so make a list right now of a couple of people who share your audience that you might be able to interview, and then leave a comment below letting us all know you’ve done it!
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