I’m developing a good list of referral writers who are willing to pay a referral fee for the business I forward to them.

I’m so dedicated to the concept of partnering that I have a page right on my website listing trusted colleagues in diverse areas of expertise (one practitioner per area of specialty) so that visitors who find that my services are not right for them can immediately find an alternative expert. It works great and I don’t have to field a lot of inquiries that would not result in business.

I partner closely with another high-end exec coach/writer whom I’ve known as a friend and colleague for years. We buddy coach and share business ideas. People would say we serve the same clients, but as our brands are so strong we each attract the clients who are right for us, even though our demographic is so similar (CEOs and CXOs).

It’s wonderful to be in an industry where, in general, there is such camaraderie and generosity. It always comes around in good ways, for all of us — practitioners and clients!

When we, as careers professionals, begin to pare down to a niche target client-type, whether by industry or professional level, we need to “fill in our blind spots”, as you say, and find other select, pre-qualified professionals to take up the slack.

I’ve done just that by qualifying a small group of accomplished, credentialed resume writers whom I can recommend without reservation to potential clients who aren’t a good fit for me. Everyone involved wins with this arrangement, including boosting the professionalism and credibility of our industry as a whole.

It’s great to see your blog rolling. Looking forward to more thought-provoking posts. I’m going to tweet this one now.

-Meg