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I enjoyed a very energising Skype chat this morning with Ron Kunitzky the Founder of Geyser Marketing and author of  ’Partnership Marketing: How to grow your business and transform your brand through smart collaboration‘.  I got off the call feeling incredibly grateful for the work that I do – because I genuinely enjoy building relationships with and connecting other likeminded people for better outcomes.

I do it all the time in my personal life and it’s my profession.  It’s been proven time and time again that the human race do better together.

As Ron and I concurred, it’s also a profession that is mastered by only a few globally.  Not because it’s rocket science but because it’s an optimum combination of personality traits, attitude, experience, training, networks and really good systems.  You can’t fake it.

Nothing gives me more pleasure than helping other people and businesses get ahead.  What I get out of it is a bonus – the satisfaction that comes from getting exceptional results.  Rather than thinking about the WIFM (what’s in it for me)- I think about the WIFYY (what’s in it for you and you).

But before we go on – what was that BIG SECRET I promised to reveal?

(drum roll please) Partnership Marketing can be a very effective marketing strategy for businesses of ALL sizes and stages.  The even better news?  The basic principles are the same.  Because they are the same as the basic principles of ANY successful relationship.

So what are the key principles of creating and SUSTAINING a winning relationship?

1. Listen – you know you’re with your best friend when they know you don’t like milk in your tea, tomato or runny yolks!  You feel special and you know you’re with someone you trust when they bother to understand and know you.  Business partners feel the same way and you need to know one another’s businesses before you can determine if you can drive value for one another.  You need to really listen before you can ascertain if there’s a genuine and sustainable connection.
2. Have integrity  - in the words of Oprah Winfrey ‘Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not.’  This applies to your dealings with anyone – my network trust the integrity of the opportunities I present and that is worth its weight in gold.  I believe in business karma as much as personal karma which makes it quite easy to make the good choices.
3. Be honest and transparent – in my experience, the truth always comes out in the end. Any partnership built on faulty foundations will not last and a lot of time and energy is wasted in the process.   First and foremost, be honest with yourself.  People always respect the courage that it takes to speak the truth that comes from a place of good intention.  I have only ever seen good things come from this sort of honesty and I value giving it as much as I do receiving it.  Partnerships are often a great place for testing and if an offer doesn’t work say so and try something else together.
4. Be authentic – there’s a great deal of ego in the corporate world and many other places too but the people who stand out in my mind and network are those who were confident enough in themselves and their businesses to be true to both.  Not everyone will love you but you’ll never be forgotten and those who do love you will most likely be loyal friends and contacts for life!  It’s a great way of attracting the right relationships around you too.
5. Value yourself – if you don’t value yourself and your business then who is going to?  I have worked with many clients who are sitting on incredibly valuable assets but they don’t see it.  I have painfully watched friends make poor choices and neglect themselves because they didn’t care for themselves like a priceless jewel.  You need to connect with yourself and your business on a deep level to attract the types of people and opportunities that will manifest success.  I read a quote last year that really stuck with me ‘What is around you is a mirror of what is going on inside you’.  When you value yourself and your business it will be in good order no matter what size or stage and you will make great choices and surround yourself with all the right people and opportunities.
6. Value others- when you neglect something it suffers, doesn’t remain at its best and no longer serves you as it should.  This applies to everything from your car and clothes, to your friends, suppliers and clients.  I have noticed that people who really value money attract money.  People who really value their bodies and health, look and feel great.  People who genuinely value their businesses and careers thrive.  And those who value their relationships are surrounded with an abundance of clients, customers, love and loyalty.Everyone wants to be appreciated and respected and it goes a very long way in creating and sustaining amazing relationships.  I go as far as connecting with the peers in my industry that I respect even if they are potential competitors – because I believe there is enough to go around and recognising the key contributions of others to our industry only serves to give it more credibility and strength to grow.  I also practice what I preach – there are always innovative ways to collaborate for mutual gains.
7. Show gratitude – it doesn’t cost a thing to say thank you, to give someone a genuine compliment, to show them that what they’ve done yielded great results and made a big difference to your life or business.  It goes a long way and means a great deal.

 

Since when has a good relationship let you down?  Are you ready for a relationship?  Take our fun quiz and find out!  You can also pre-register for our upcoming world first eCourse which will enable you to draw on the experience, secrets and systems of the worlds finest Partnership Marketers and apply it in your business.