Why Collaborating With Competitors Builds More Referrals

What if your competitors could actually help grow your business?

In this episode of From Overlooked to Consistently Booked, Meaghan Chitwood sits down with Alan “Dutch” Kerr of Swipe for a Cause to talk about one of the most misunderstood ideas in business:

Collaborating with competitors.

Because the businesses that grow long-term often aren’t the ones protecting territory…

They’re the ones building relationships.

IN THIS EPISODE, WE COVER:

•  Why competition doesn’t have to create conflict 
•  How collaboration leads to stronger referrals and better customer experiences 
•  The difference between a scarcity mindset and an abundance mindset 
•  Why “doing what you do best” creates more trust 
•  How referring business to a competitor can actually strengthen your reputation 
•  Why curiosity and communication are critical in business relationships 
•  How BNI naturally creates collaboration instead of competition 
•  The long-game mindset behind sustainable business growth 

THE BIG IDEA

Most people walk into networking thinking:

“How do I get business?”

But the businesses that build the strongest referral networks ask:

“How can I help?”

Dutch shares how working with competitors instead of against them creates:

•  Better customer experiences 
•  Stronger referral relationships 
•  More trust in the marketplace 
•  And ultimately, more business for everyone involved 

Because sometimes the best thing you can do for a customer…

is refer them to someone else. 

WHY THIS WORKS

When you understand:

•  What you do well 
•  What someone else does better 
•  And where your strengths differ 

You stop operating from fear.

And you start building:

•  Collaboration 
•  Respect 
•  Long-term relationships 

That’s the abundance mindset.

THE “SHOCK MOMENT” THAT BUILDS TRUST

Customers remember unexpected honesty.

When you tell someone:
 “You know what? I think this other person may actually be a better fit for you.”

…it creates trust instantly.

Because people are so used to being sold to.

That level of honesty stands out.

And those moments become stories people tell.

WHY BNI CHANGES THE WAY PEOPLE NETWORK

Dutch shares how BNI helped shift his perspective from:

•  Nervousness 
•  Competition 
•  Self-focus 

…to:

•  Listening 
•  Curiosity 
•  Collaboration 
•  Relationship-building 

Because over time, you stop thinking only about yourself…

And start genuinely caring about the success of the people around you.

IF THIS EPISODE RESONATES

This is exactly what BNI is built around:

Relationships.
 Collaboration.
 Trust.
 Referrals.

If you want to grow your business through real connections:

Visit a chapter near you:
 https://bit.ly/4n3WFPD

COMING UP NEXT

Next week, we continue the conversation with Dutch and talk about:

How solving problems and providing real solutions creates trust that lasts.

CONNECT & FOLLOW

•  Subscribe for more episodes of From Overlooked to Consistently Booked
•  Share this with someone who sees competitors as enemies 
•  Drop a comment: What’s one collaboration that changed your business?

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:08

Hi, I'm Megan Chitwood, and welcome back to From Overlooked to Consistently Booked, where we have real conversations with real professionals. This month, I'm joined by Dutch Kerr of Swipe for a Cause. And this week we are talking about collaborating with competitors. So this is a really unique topic for people because everyone automatically sees their competition, or generally speaking, more people than not see their competition, immediately cringe. And you have a really different philosophy than that.

SPEAKER_01 0:41

Yes, yes, absolutely. No, I don't look at you don't I don't look at the people who are in the same industry, especially in this, even if they're in the same town as competitors. There's always something that someone specializes in that is different than what you specialize in, or something that you're comfortable doing and they're not comfortable doing. And I think what you do is the first thing you should do is if you when you when you meet your competitor, you should sit down and talk to them. Find out what they like about their industry and what they don't like about their industry. And nine out of ten times you're gonna find that some of the things they don't like to do are things that you excel in. And the things that you don't like to do, they excel in. And when you have that conversation, you can actually work with each other. So if you do have a client or you have a potential client and you're talking to them and they you're like, well, this isn't really in my wheelhouse. I mean, I can do it, everyone can do it, but is this gonna be the best service for them? Well, say, you know what, I this might not be right for me, but I right this might not be the right fit. But let me let me find out. And you call your competitor and say, hey, listen, you should go down and check them, tell them that you know you talk to me and and that's and send them down there. And now he's gonna excel at it, he's or she is gonna remember that, and they're going to you've already had the conversation. So they're sending um clients your way and you're sending clients their way, and at the same time, you're both developing a really good reputation for customer service because you're doing what you excel at.

SPEAKER_00 2:10

So how do you how have you always been that abundant have that abundance mindset, or did you have to figure that out and get there?

SPEAKER_01 2:20

Um I think it was something that uh well I I think, yeah, I think I think that B and I kind of brings that out in people because so if you go and sub for another B and I, you're gonna run into someone who's in the same industry. And naturally you're gonna have to respect them because that's their B and I. You wouldn't want them doing that to you, and and you've already, you know, you've that's the kind of person that that B and I generates. So you're already learning about them, you're listening to them, and you're respecting them. And you realize, okay, well, you know what? You know, when while you're sitting there subbing for someone and they're talking about what they're doing and what they're excelling at, if what they're uh telling you is different than what you're normally doing, well that's a natural indicator that this person has a different strength than you. And um kind of one-to-one with them. You know, I mean, commun it all starts with communication. Yeah. There, you know, just don't be afraid to talk to people. And I think that I remember uh uh funny thing, when I first started BI back, I think it was uh 2014 or something like that, I remember how nervous I used to get when it was my time to speak. And I have to be honest with you, when I was brand new, I was like, all I was thinking about is me. I heard no one else because I knew I was it was gonna be me. But after I spoke and the nerves went away, I was listening. Like first days, you know, maybe it was a little like you know, still self-conscious, like, is their commercial better than mine, or you know, whatever, you know, or were they saying something better than what I'm saying? But after a while, you're listening to them and you're like, you start care, you know, you start processing what they're saying, you start remembering what they're saying, and you start carrying what they're saying. So when you go and sub for someone else in a B and I, you you you're naturally doing the same thing. Um, one of the natural things about B and I is you start, uh, your communication skills improve, your um your listening improves, your ability to understand other people. And as a result, if you run into a competitor in B and I, you actually automatically respect them and you have something to share. Uh you could go. The best thing is when you have a competitor that you really get along with, and you guys go out and have dinner together or and you talk about the industry. You can help each other. There's nothing wrong with that. You just you can't don't. There's so much room. There's so much room to excel. If you just communicate, just talk to them. And if you're nervous about something, you know, if you're worried that they're gonna take it, talk to them. Say, hey, listen, you know, I've been thinking, or she, I've been thinking about, you know, I think you're what do you think about uh the way I'm feeling right now? Because I feel like we're kind of stepping on each other's toes. You know what? I was thinking the same thing. Let's figure this out. Work with each other.

SPEAKER_00 5:04

You're B and I. Why wouldn't you? It is interesting that it's a culture of people who want to help others and so naturally baseline you get there. But I still think we see a lot of, you know, wait a second, my competition, my competition is here.

SPEAKER_01 5:18

I think when you're new, you might.

SPEAKER_00 5:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:22

But um and one of the things that's interesting about B and I in Alabama or North Alabama, because I've never been in B and I in South Alabama, um is uh there that it's uh kind of taught. That whole balance I was talking about last time, it's kind of that that's part of it, you know? The uh ability to um to uh it's kind of just you just it I don't know how they do it, but it's like this natural thing that just you don't feel that comp competition, you feel that um that collaborative spirit, you know, you're working together on a certain thing and you're and a certain goal, and the goal is to help each other.

SPEAKER_00 6:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:04

Uh I I've had many times where I'm like, well, you know what, I know someone I can call for this. This is he's a baby he'd be a better fit for this restaurant or something of that for sort.

SPEAKER_00 6:14

Yeah. I love that and you're talking about credit card processing as an example. Yeah, of like, hey, he he'd be better for this one than than I would be.

SPEAKER_01 6:22

And it's a win-win because what are you gonna do down the road if you do get, say, that restaurant or whatever it is, and it's not a good fit. See, the whole the thing that is always true is if you do something wrong, they're gonna tell 500 people. If you do something right, two people will know. Yeah. Well, just get it right. It doesn't matter, just get it right. Um, make make the person's gonna be happy if you can find the right fit for them. If you're not the right fit for them, know who is. They're gonna remember you did that, they're gonna see what kind of person you are to do that, and they're gonna get referrals.

SPEAKER_00 6:53

It is the long game versus the short game, right? The short-term sale that's gonna create that's gonna create pain because I'm gonna call you a million times. You're not gonna love it. No, absolutely. And then the longer game of you're right. They'll I mean, I think the fastest way to get those two people to talk about you is to say, this guy referred me to his competitor because this computer was gonna be a better, better fit for me. Yeah, yeah. That no that those guys I think it's the shocking moments that you create for for the customer that makes them sit up and go, oh wow, this person actually really cares.

SPEAKER_01 7:29

Yeah, absolutely. I think that's it. And also for your competitor. They know you care, they care. Um you're you're working together to make a good experience for your community, wherever it is.

SPEAKER_00 7:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:40

And it just makes business better, it makes everybody, it all ties together. And um, if you're all trying to do the best for the client and you're trying to do the best for each other, and you have that natural curiosity which I talked about last time, where you're curious about the other person, you're curious about what they do. Why is he in credit card processing? Why are you in credit card processing? That's a great place to start, or whatever business that you're in. Yeah. Why are you guys doing the same thing? What brought you there? You know, how did you get into this? How come you're still in it? You know? How come you didn't want to do anything else? I mean, you start right there and you've already got a conversation, and you you become friends. You live B and I buddies. Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 8:24

I do, yeah, it is, it is just collaboration is so much easier and leads to so much more success than, you know, this is mine, this is supposed to be mine. It's just so, I find it just so hard to teach.

SPEAKER_01 8:36

Well, I think it's interesting because that is that that is very well explained right there. This is my that is not, it's not even in the vocabulary anymore. This, you know, it's what can I do? What can I do for somebody else? Whether they're your competition, a fellow BNI member, or just someone you just meet. What can I do? It your whole life changes. It's giver's gain. I mean, I know it sounds, well, it is it is the philosophy, and it sounds a little cliche because we say it all the time, but it's really what I don't know what other way to say it. You know, if you give and you give, like you give to the point, you're not giving to gain, because then that's not really giver's gain. Right. You're giving because you want to give.

unknown 9:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:17

The byproduct is you're gaining. You're gaining respect, you're gaining business, you're gaining, um, you're gaining self-respect, um, you're you're gaining friends, you're gaining everything. And you're starting from a perspective of business where it's not about, oh, I gotta kill it, I gotta kill it today. No, that comes later. What what you and that's for your competition or anyone else. You know?

SPEAKER_00 9:40

So how do you think that you're thinking through competit working with competition and things like that? Like, how do you think that it adds to your success?

SPEAKER_01 9:49

Working with well, first of all, you learn more. You're sharing more knowledge. Um, you're learning what the other person can do that you can't do. Or you can do. I mean, you can everyone can, you know, you can find a way. There's always a way. Yeah. But do you want to just find a way? Maybe that person's a little bit better than it. And and that's okay. That's okay. Do what you do well. You know, you're learning, you might become better at it, but hey, you know what? Maybe he'll teach you. You know? Yeah, you know, uh, it's just you teach each other and you work with each other and you make things better for and and then as a result, well, I mean Huntsville, Alabama has the best credit card processors in the country. Why? Because we all work together, we're not competing against each other, you know, and they all happen to be MD and I. Why? Because givers gain. It's like a natural fit. It just works.

SPEAKER_00 10:36

I love that vision. And uh yeah, I love that vision. And the end result of we have the best, we have the best credit card processing in the and but look at it from a community standpoint.

SPEAKER_01 10:45

Let's just take Huntsville, Alabama, not just credit card processing, but any other business on BI COP. Well, if you're the best in the country at it, if you're the best that does it, how much is that city gonna thrive? Yeah. You know, and what what I mean when you think about the value that you get from BI, the philosophy, the things that aren't taught in business school or anywhere else that are taught in BI, like the philosophy behind it, I mean, your whole life changes. Everything changes. You stop thinking about yourself and you start thinking about other people, and it's not just business. It's about it's that whole balance we were talking about. That's that's that's what I'm talking about. It's your bal you balance your life. And why do you balance your life? Because of the people that are important in your life. Because in the end, and I know everybody hears this, you'll never see a U-Haul truck behind a funeral. Yeah. You know, and nobody on their deathbed said, Boy, I wish I worked more. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:38

Oh my gosh, amazing, amazing way of looking at it. And what amazing life philosophy as well.

SPEAKER_01 11:44

Well, I wish I could say it all came for me, but it didn't. You know, it it it's um paying attention to uh what you're taught and how you do it. And you know, you're there every week. Yeah. And every week you're learning something. And uh, you know, I've been in B and I's in other states, and uh I will I can honestly say that the leadership team in Alabama is one of the best there is. All the presidents and of the chapters, every time I visit a chapter, I mean I'm not just saying that. I mean, I'm I'm not from here. Yeah, I do I you know there's things I like to brag about my hometown and my home state, but uh one thing that that that we do we do have the best B and I down here in Alabama.

SPEAKER_00 12:28

Awesome. Thank you so much for for the compliment. Um, and thank you for tuning in this week from overlooked to consistently booked. Join us next week as we continue the conversation with Dutch and talk about winning trust by providing solutions and solving problems. If you like real conversations like this, please like and subscribe to the channel and drop us a comment below on something you'd like us to dig into next time. And if you are interested in learning more about BI and how it could work as a resource for your business, visit northern.bialabama.com. Or if you are outside northern Alabama, you can visit BI.com. Thank you so much for next to the city.