Do you promote yourself as offering prompt, reliable and quality service?
Of course - none of us promote ourselves as anything less, and equally we strive to
provide this level of service all the time.
So what happens when you take your networking to the next level, and start to offer
referrals, or even establish partnerships or alliances for certain activities?
Whatever you do at this point creates significant impact on your business and
personal reputation - potentially positive and also potentially negative.
One of the successes of Global Business and Development Solutions (globizdev.com) is not just that we are
an alliance spanning Australia, South Africa, UK and the USA. Rather, our success
results because we share like values, and each commit to providing the same level
of service, whether individually sourced, referred, or a shared client.
I am using the word 'partner' loosely - as a catch all for someone we refer business
to/from, someone we collaborate on a project with, someone we join market and so
on.
Regardless - choosing the right partner is critical.
So how do I choose the right partner?
At some point depending on the level of activity you enter, it could be important to
get specialist legal, due diligence and other financial advice - which is beyond the
scope of this article. Some key principles I have followed to successfully establish
partnerships and alliances include:
• Looking for organisations and individuals who share the same values as you
• Ensuring you enter the arrangement with their success in mind, not just yours
• Being prepared to not lead every initiative
• Looking for partners with complementary products and services
• Identifying gaps in your own knowledge, skills and experiences and seeking
partners to 'fill' these
• Not expecting overnight success
• Being prepared to foster a long-term mutually beneficial arrangement
Will following these steps guarantee success and remove all potential for conflict?
Obviously not.
However, following these steps is core in demonstrating a genuine desire to work
with others, to support each other in growth and development.
Remember, too, that establishing such arrangements is likely to be just one element
of an overall sales and marketing plan for you or your organisation. Even if you
have an excellent partner, or partners, marketing efforts individually and collectively
remain important.
I you are an independent professional, or a small service organisation, you might
benefit from the Free Marketing Plan Workbook from Action Plan Marketing, which
you can download from globizdev.com on the Additional Resources page.
I have found enormous personal and business benefits from establishing quality
partnerships, and I hope you enjoy similar successes.
Mel Dunn is Managing Director of Global Business and Development Solutions,
which works with individuals and organisations that are committed to business
success and the success of others. We work globally and locally and focus on
providing sustainable solutions for our clients.
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