What one marketing strategy is common among successful businesses?

There is one common marketing strategy I see in businesses that succeed that no one talks about.  Probably because it isn’t a product that can be sold so people often don’t consider it to be marketing.  But it is.

Businesses that succeed often have developed some sort of strategic partnership with other businesses, so they have leads coming in without them having to go out and work for those leads.

This could be through affiliates, businesses in similar industries, or businesses in the same category that do different things.  As a business owner, it is important to develop professional relationships with lots of different types of business owners because without those relationships, the opportunity for strategic partnerships does not exist.

Most businesses owners are just thinking about one sale at a time.  If you can find a strategic partnership, that one sale can keep you in business if your main sales avenue ever sees a decline.