There are a few ways to succeed in ADR business: Serve a market that’s already served but do it better or differently than the rest. Compete on price point (high end or low end). Or fill a niche that’s under-served and succeed by being among the first.
Jim Melamed is a master at the latter (and maybe the others, too, but I’m focusing on the latter), seeing opportunities in the marketplace and creating ways to address them. Mediate.com had its foundation in that kind of market awareness and now he’s announcing InstantAssist.
InstantAssist’s tagline is “Immediate Conflict Advice,” and its market niche is described this way:
Recognizing that mediation requires all participants to agree to joint discussions before anything beneficial happens, Mediate.com has recognized the need for individuals to obtain wise conflict resolution counsel before and independent of mediation. InstantAssist Consultants are experienced mediators ready to help you move your conflicts toward effective resolution. We are here to help you make smart decisions.
Individuals and organizations can purchase InstantAssist in one of four ways: A 20- or 60-minute telephone consultation (20 minutes is $74.95), a gift certificate purchased for someone else, becoming an affiliate, or the business blanket program, which is essentially a form of contracted ombuds packaged without all the ADR jargon. InstantAssist is clear about its target market, too: business networks and franchises.
Jim’s and Mediate.com’s new initiative is just a lovely example of the ways being tuned in to the marketplace allows you to see gaps waiting to be filled.
For more on Instant Assist:
Copyright © 2008 by Tammy Lenski. All rights reserved.
