By Michael Sheppard, BizX Account Executive

Just like any business purchase, making a barter purchase requires planning and strategy in order to get the most out of the barter network as possible. Having open lines of communication with your Account Executive and letting them know everything that is going on in your business and everything you are looking to buy, can make you much more successful in an exchange.

One of the main tactics that barter members should use is to ask for anything and everything from their exchange, but with the expectation that everything may not be fulfilled. The longer the list they have to work on, the more products and services they will be able to find for you.

This was exactly what happened when KEXP, a public radio station in  Seattle and New York, was planning on broadcasting live from the Ace Hotel in New York City. They had an extensive list of needs to make this broadcast possible. They needed hotel rooms and since they were broadcasting from a new space, they needed a lot of the equipment necessary to make a broadcast possible. They had a list of about 20 requests, which required multiples of certain equipment and specific brands.

By using their trade exchange’s reciprocal relationships with other exchanges, their needs for the broadcast were able to be fulfilled. Hotel rooms were found just a few blocks away from where they were broadcasting and all of their rental gear was fulfilled. They saved over $5000 cash.

Initially, they thought asking was a long shot, but learned that asking never hurts especially since a barter network’s job is to find ways to save your company cash.