Last week I hosted a teleseminar on MySeminars.com featuring industry experts Richard Nacht and Chris Bubny discussing the benefits of a community blog. We were fortunate to have quite a robust group of attendees that included loan originators, real estate agents and some ancillary services to the transaction.

The program was well presented as to the many options a community blog would offer as a co-marketing and co-branding tool. The consensus was that it would be a tremendous positioning tool for all parties involved. Several questions came up during the interview and immediately after via email, that proved to be most interesting. The focus of concern did not seem to be cost, or even content, but centered around exactly "how" to approach the partners to begin the blogging project.

The biggest concern came from identifying and the actual "process" of getting interested parties on the same page, which is what seems to be the initial barrier.

Curious isn't it? Sales is all about relationships and here was this concern about how to go about how to approach partners in a venture that was clearly a valuable service for all involved.

This was especially interesting to me. For the past 3 years my training partner, Michael F. White, a top loan originator coach for the mortgage industry and I have been helping agents and loan originators understand the power of aligning services and resources to maximize marketing and profitability. Those agent-loan originator teams that "get it" have done just that...they "get" the power of leveraging their respective services, winning sizeable market share and offering a unique advantage to their customers and clients, and amassing consistent referrals. But there are many more agents and LO's that have a real concern with how to approach strategic partners.

So here's the question: Why does it appear that there are barriers for any party to discuss a mutually beneficial marketing and branding option with each other? Assuming there are no regulatory issues to contend with (community blog sidesteps this issue nicely) why wouldn't it make good sense for agents and LO's and other services to align marketing and enjoy exposure to their local community?

Another concern voiced was: How would one go about presenting co-branding, co-marketing options to blogging partners? Would it be difficult to approach local vendors, organizations, bureaus or charities with an opportunity to blog? Some listeners thought so, and have asked for scripts, systems, and letters to help them get started, so it seems we perceive the need for a little guidance.

We noted that whenever it took a personal connection, whether via an offer to implement a partnership in a call capture system or a community blog, we still heard the need to help "bridge" the parties to each other...or to help initiate a relationship.

When it comes right down to it, the real winners understand the power of relationships. As in any relationship, it takes good communication skills to present the many benefits of working together.

It makes good sense to work in concert when any and all partners to the real estate transaction leverage their respective expertise to maximize marketing, time, money and effort. In today's competitive world, promoting each other whether it be via a community blog or a simple printed brochure stuffed in a brochure box, can offer convenience and service to the parties.

Another value to strategic alliances is the leveraging of effort. Nacht pointed out that in a community blog, there are opportunities to "invite" members of your local community to post information on the blog easily and again offers the LO or real estate agent the opportunity to approach local vendors with a valuable and economic option. When approaching blogging partners, showing them how they can profile community information without the full burden of cost or solely providing content is a terrific opportunity.

As the "E" factor makes it fast and simple to communicate, nothing will replace the power of personal connection. And, as the consumer demands more services, and as long as customers need financing, inspections and other services to buy properties, you may want to consider the power of strategic alliances.

Whether it be a community blog, or any option to combine services and information with your alliances for less marketing dollars and minimal investment of time and work makes good sense, and when done with mutual purpose, can produce multiple levels of profitability.