Q. How many
customer/partner companies are necessary to
make the plan work?
Just one partner customer
doesn’t generally work. Normally,
a team of three to five makes
the most sense so the shared
ideas lead to a better product,
not just a common product or
solution for one of the partners.
The partners benefit as they
get the product on the ground
floor and fashion it to their
needs while we all profit more.
Knowing your own goals will
help decide who you choose to
be in your network. However,
ultimately, quality of partnerships overrides quantity.
Q. How long does it take
to begin benefiting from
partnerships?
It depends on how aggressively each party pursues the goals.
It starts with a meeting of decision-makers in each of the partner companies. It can be after
one meeting or after six.
From start to finish, developing
a new tool can take anywhere
from three to nine months. At a
meeting, all partners must come
to a mutual agreement on procedures so all expectations are
met on each side.
The partnership plan is about
building relationships, so digital or phone communication
doesn’t cut it. We need to learn
their business, and they need
to know our people. Our goals
are focused on what is needed
to make our companies more
successful on the segment of
business being covered.
The main partner provides
feedback on the best practices
and how they can leverage these
within their existing foundation.
Each partner walks away from
meetings with information they
can implement in their company.
Q. How do you get
employees involved with
the partnership plan?
Employees’ understanding of
the sequence of steps on the
journey to success will deliver
maximum business benefits.
They are your greatest asset.
Pass as much down as possible
to them, so you can move forward as a company leader.
A matrix organization with
employees dedicated to strong
teamwork is intricate in the
function of partnerships. Your
employees will be implementing
the tools produced from partnerships, so it’s vital they understand the company’s goals and
are managed.
Keep them informed of plans
with newsletters, e-mails and
meetings. Make sure they
understand why decisions were
made so they’re on board. The
key is to follow up with the
goals and reinforce them.
Like other aspects of the business, employees need to work
as a team regarding implementation of partnership products.
HOW TO REACH: nFocus Technologies Inc., (317) 546-0869 or www.nfocustechnologies.com
