How can you manage partnership communication?

When it comes to partnership communication, my advice is as follows: 1) Meet the partner where they are - What makes them tick as a person? Do our values align? What are their needs and goals? How can my company fill a gap and solve some of the problems that they are facing? 2) Consistency is KEY. Being able to meet with frequency, reaching out to check in, showing that you are holding up to your side of the bargain. 3) A partnership is a transactional exchange (I want something from you, you want something from me), but it's important to remember that there is a person on the other side.

Experience tells me that if there's not a plan in place to manage partnership communication, inevitably issues will arise that in hindsight will emphasize the importance of prior planning. That said, understanding the terms of engagement and setting up the guard rails for communication will increase the odds for avoiding conflict and the perception of poor communication. Along with this, it's an important time to communicate anything that either party identifies as being "off limits" as it pertains to communication surrounding the partnership. For instance, if the partnership in question is coming on the heels of a failed collaboration with another entity and it's still considered a sensitive topic, then everyone needs to be mindful.

It’s great and the major thing in partnerships. The most important to set goals for each side and also steps of partnerships grow

I believe a more apt question would be how do you manage partnership communication at-scale? For those in SMEs or Startups with a handful of clients or partners, it is relatively easy to keep a 1 to 1, personalized communication channel open. Check-ins, feedback and expectation setting can more easily evolve organically. However, when managing partnerships at scale it becomes increasingly more important to set the foundations, outcomes and structure of that partnership right off the bat. Example: when building a referral program replete with a large network of affiliate partners it is crucial to have a communication plan that emphasizes regular feedback cycles, as this data can be crucial to informing product/marketing strategy.

For many years, somewhat ironically, to-partner(ship) comms has been somewhat one directional, almost always controlled by the the vendor 'owning' the partnership. The future of partner comms is absolutely about the needs/choice of the partner(s). In the indirect channel, partner comms are (weirdly) more about the vendor sending the comms, than they are about the partner(s) receiving the comms. This has a dramatic, negative impact on partner experience (PX) and partner engagement. Targeting, segmentation and personalization are the future of to-partner(ship) comms where the recipient is offered choice over what they receive and how/when they receive it. Hyper-personalised comms are possible and will become more mainstream going forward.

The most important tool for partnerships - providing dashboard of KPIs that you discussed with partner. Also some marketing materials, brand book and other guidelines. The last bit not least is convenient tool of docs managing, including contract database and possibility so e-sign it.

Technology can be a great way to enhance human connection in partnership communication, but it is important to use it in a way that complements, not replaces face-to-face interactions. By using video conferencing, document sharing, project management tools, and communication apps, you can stay in touch with your partners and collaborate on the go, while still building trust and fostering a strong, sustainable partnership.

Ensuring your tech stack includes a PRM like Impartner, cosell solution like PartnerTap and a partner insight tool such as Partner Optimizer is going to be key in moving the needle. What our research has found though is that culture eats tech for breakfast so unless leadership is behind the transformation of automating the PX/workflow, the tech stack becomes irrelevant. Buy-in from Sales, Channel, Marketing & RevOps is KEY in your metamorphasis. We must realize that we are better together internally before our external partners, vendors and alliances are able to adopt the better together mindset with your organization top of mind.

Selecting the right tools for managing your partnerships is important and should not be taken lightly. Moreover, it's important that each partner involved be open to considering tools that may be different than what they've used in the past, in order to achieve the desired outcome. If a new tool is selected, it's important to ensure that time is taken to under the tool, its use and overall functionality and how others have maximized use.

Interestingly, there are very few dedicated tools for partner comms. Which seems strange when comms has such a huge impact on PX and Partner Engagement. Most vendors still use email marketing tools and/or Marketing Automation tools to send comms to their partners. NONE of which were ever built with the indirect channel in mind. There is however an evolution pattern in the indirect channel tech stack... where the indirect channel adopts the direct business habits and behaviours over time. For example... first we had CRM, and the channel adopted and created PRM. Then came MA (Marketing Automation) and the channel adopted and created TCMA (Through Channel Marketing Automation). So the channel has form for playing catch up!

Part of being respectful to the contribution partners can make is to actively solicit their feedback and advice. You can learn a lot from partners - about their customer verticals, territories, key contacts, etc. In my experience, partners can even help teach your own teams how to sell and service partners more effectively.

Being respectful of time zones and working hours. Most people seem 24/7 tethered to the office post pandemic and it’s not healthy. If a text has to be sent does it have to be sent right away out of hours, is it urgent. Likewise tone of messages and content being shared. Distribution list.

You should be “advocate of partner” in your company, that means you should drive and defend interest of your partner in of whole of company. Also win-win configuration make partnership the most effective and long term.

Being respectful and responsive is crucial to the success of the partnership. In other words, as much effort is placed into preparing externally for the partnership, even more effort should be placed into the relationship with your partner. This includes and is not limited to creating a cadence for timely check-ins with your partner to demonstrate your appreciation and respect for the partnership.

I believe that respect?and responsiveness are intrinsic?elements of partnership communication. They demonstrate our commitment to collaborate with our partners in a?professional manner.

One of the most overlooked aspects in Partnerships is providing feedback. This is a fundamental aspect in maintaining transparency, progress and alignment. Feedbacks on both positive and negative side of things helps to maintain an accurate scenario on the status quo. Encourage partners to provide feedback on the partnership's progress and the quality of communication. Use this feedback to improve communication processes and address any concerns.

In my experience, opportunities for partners to provide feedback is extremely important. The feedback provided, should be honest and aimed at making the partnership better. Of course, it matters how and what you communicate, so practicing tact is strongly encouraged. To add, creating an environment for crucial conversations to occur is an important part of any relationship, so taking the time to establish open communication will pay dividends in the long run.

While regular feedback and updates are valuable, too much information can overwhelm partners and lead to diminished focus. Striking a balance means sharing crucial information without inundating partners with constant updates, allowing for efficient communication and productive collaboration.

Provide an always-on platform that is simple and easy to use but critically has Executive exposure within the vendor. Partnerscore.io enables partners to share thoughts, challenges and grievances in a quick and easy manner that gets visibility and action. Constantly checking the health and sentiment of the partner relationship identifies risk and the opportunity for corrective action before it is too late.

Regular personal interaction focused on exchanging feedback is vital for the success of any partnership. While phone calls serve a purpose, face-to-face meetings genuinely stand out in their effectiveness. Quarterly Business Reviews (QBR) are particularly important in this context. They provide a structured opportunity to update key stakeholders on the current status, progress, and emerging challenges. These meetings are crucial for reflecting on shared objectives, providing and receiving feedback, and collaboratively planning future strategies. In essence, feedback is the cornerstone of these interactions, ensuring that all parties remain aligned and engaged in the partnership.

Inevitably, issues will arise Therefore, it's important that adequate time be taken to establish a rapport so that it will be easier to address conflict. Despite your best effort, be prepared to deal with unexpected issues and remember that it's not about you, it's about ensuring that the objectives identified are met.

Conflicts are a natural part of any relationship, including partnerships. However, they can be turned into opportunities for growth if they are managed effectively. By communicating openly, honestly, and respectfully, and focusing on finding solutions that benefit both parties, partners can learn from their conflicts and come out stronger on the other side.

The sooner you start to see conflict as US (my company + client) vs the problem the sooner you'll get to a resolution. With that said, accountability is a best friend to growth and improvement. Use it generously and kindly.

Agree with this. I am constantly seeking feedback to assess and ensure we are as adaptive and responsive as we need to be. I like to collaborate to 'sense check' the improvements and best ways of implementing change. I do like to listen to the team I work with and really benefit hugely from the experience and knowledge in the room regardless of backgrounds

Regularly reviewing and enhancing communication processes is vital for successful partnerships. Assess what's working and what isn't, seek partner feedback, and act on suggestions collaboratively. Monitor the results to ensure ongoing improvement and a healthier, more productive partnership.

The secret to managing partnership communication is to continuously evaluate and improve procedures to guarantee efficient cooperation and goal alignment. This entails getting input from all relevant parties, figuring out what needs to be improved, and making the necessary adjustments to improve channels of communication. Partnerships can flourish and succeed on both sides by creating a culture of constant improvement.

Use both formal and informal channels for communication. It is often important to step beyond formal channels (e.g. half yearly reports, quarterly meetings) and engage in informal means of communication - such as coffee catch-ups, periodic phone calls, going on field trips together, so on and so forth. This keeps the partnership comms line healthy and dynamic and also indicates that the partners are heavily invested in the partnership, willing to provide time and energy to it.

Effectively communicating with partners hinges on the crucial practice of understanding their context and stepping into their shoes. By grasping their background, experiences, and perspectives, we can tailor our explanations to resonate with their unique viewpoint, making even the most intricate problems comprehensible. Tools like ChatGPT or GenAI can be instrumental in drafting such narratives. They can simplify complex information into easily digestible formats, ensuring that our message is both clear and relatable to our partners. By marrying empathy with technology, we can bridge gaps in understanding and foster stronger, more transparent relationships.

One thing that more often gets forgotten, but is an effective pillar of communication, is understanding the need of the audience (in this case your partner), and tailoring your communication to meet that need. Sure, partners will in most cases have the same overarching goal, but be aware of nuanced differences your partner might have in terms of the results they seek, and align your messaging accordingly. Be aware and adopt accordingly. That is also a good way to show your partner that you respect their needs.

Partner(ship) comms is not just about sending out emails every time you (vendor) have something to say. In order to communicate successfully you need to be encouraging two-way/multi-directional conversation that matches the content you want to share with the content that your partners want to receive. So, what is important to you VS what is important to them. And the best way to find out... stop assuming and start asking. If you feel like your partners are not engaging (enough) with you, they are almost certainly engaging with someone else, and that will almost certainly be one of your competitors.

Assign an account manager/representative to manage the communications. When several stakeholders contact a partner, there will be additional communication loops among the same teams. It will save everyone's time and avoid further complications. Assign a primary contact to your partner and let that contact handle all the communications to ensure that the language, deliverables, requirements, and assignments follow a specific tone suitable for your partner's culture.