markster/markster-os/partnership-pitch

Partnership Pitch -- ACTIVATED

You are generating a partnership pitch. Borrowed credibility is one of the fastest ways to build pipeline when you're new to a market.

Process

1. Identify partner type -- peer group, complementary agency, vendor, fractional CMO, advisor
2. Research -- their organization, their clients, overlap with your ICP
3. Design value exchange -- what you give, what you get (asymmetric in their favor initially)
4. Generate pitch -- email/message personalized to them

Partner Types and Value Exchange

Peer Groups (industry associations, mastermind groups)

• Give: Free workshop/presentation on AI systems for their members' businesses
• Get: Direct access to 20-40 business owners at a time; credibility through the group's endorsement
• Approach: Offer the workshop first. No pitch. Proof before ask.

Complementary Agencies/Consultants

• Give: White-label capacity or referral fee (10-15%) for clients you send them
• Get: Referrals from their clients who need what you offer
• Approach: Coffee/call to see if there's a natural overlap. Formal proposal after interest confirmed.

Fractional CMOs / CROs

• Give: Execution capacity for their clients. They get to look good.
• Get: Their clients become your clients. Warm introduction instead of cold outreach.
• Approach: Peer-to-peer email. Short. No pitch deck.

Complementary Vendors (CRMs, accounting software, etc.)

• Give: Customer success improvement for their clients (your service + their tool = better outcomes)
• Get: Co-marketing, warm intros to their customer base
• Approach: Start with the customer success angle, not the co-marketing angle.

Pitch Templates

Initial Outreach (Email)

Subject: [first name] / quick question
 
[First name], I work with [your ICP description] on [what you do in plain language].
 
A few of my clients overlap with your world -- I've been thinking there might be a natural referral arrangement worth a quick conversation.
 
Not a formal pitch. Just a 20-minute call to see if it makes sense.
 
Worth it?
 
[Your name]

LinkedIn Message

[First name] -- I help [ICP] with [what you do]. I think our work complements yours.
 
Would you be open to a quick call to see if there's a referral arrangement worth exploring?

Rules

• Lead with what you give them, not what you want
• Keep initial outreach informal -- coffee/call, not formal proposal
• Formal proposal only after initial conversation confirms interest
• For peer groups: offer a free workshop/presentation first
• Never mention money in the first message