Two ears, one mouth
The most successful partnerships start with listening.
If you pitch a value prop or try to solve a problem before really listening, there will be info you failed to uncover that might cause you to totally miss the mark.
Worse, you'll miss the opportunity to establish trust and show you care. (Speaking from experience here;-).
Listen. Let their answers to your questions guide what you say, rather than trying to steer them with your words!
Freaky Friday
Brent Adamson wrote an article recently that will 2x your partnerships team if you extract the lesson and apply it to your strategy.
Swap customer with partner in this quote to see what I mean:
They employ a version of the Socratic method, not telling customers what to think but instead helping them create a framework within which to make their own decisions. The aim is to support customers regardless of the outcome.
Now try it for the entire article! 👇🏼

Partnerships in the Wild

Partnerships happen
But only when people make them happen! Partner with us. Tell us what you'd like to see more of in the PhD!