What can you do to show initiative and get promoted in Partnerships?

Your personal goals and growth will provide a great compass and foundation for your partnership pursuits. With your passions and moral compass aligned you will experience accelerated growth and seamlessly create a lifestyle rather than a “job”. KPIs need to be realistic with a touch of ambition. How much do you believe in yourself? How sound is your plan? Do you have the resources? Once you have those KPIs share them with everyone who will play a part in making this happen. You can only do so much. The more you share the more your co-workers will invest and provide proactive feedback. Lastly, make those around you better. Leadership positions are given to those who exemplify this core value.

Goals are imperative in achieving longterm success. An infinite vision and attainment can be achieved and measurable through bench-marking. Monitor core metrics both KPI’s and OKR’s - they are imperative as you reach levels in growth. If you plan, and demonstrate passion - opportunities will present

In experiential marketing, goal-setting is an art. At Soko Productions, we merge individual passions with our pioneering vision. Start by identifying what excites you in marketing – creativity, technology, or strategy. Assess your strengths and areas to improve. Set SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound. Align them with your agency's mission, as we do at Soko, leading to industry recognition. Embrace continuous learning and openly communicate your aspirations. This approach not only fuels personal growth but also elevates our collective success at Soko Productions.

Goals are crucial for personal and company growth. Having goals means understanding the finish line and assessing the best path to accomplish it. It allows me to have a clear vision and prioritize actions. Goals are also great for establishing deadlines and measuring and tracking achievements.

Throughout my career, I have learned quickly that we don't do business from firm to firm; we do business from people to people! The reality is that we like to do business with people we like and enjoy. However, trust is the core of business, and it takes time to build trust. That requires listening, understanding the client's needs, and bringing a new perspective on how to solve a particular problem.

Like all parts of business, partnerships is about people. If you don't understand people, you don't understand business. In order to have effective communication both internally and externally, you need to have a solid grasp on self-knowledge and personality profiles. Know your own strengths, as well as your weaknesses and identify the other person's profile (DiSC) by using the 7-38-55 rule based on the spoken words, tone of voice and body language. Use empathy throughout your communication and be consistent with your actions and commitments. Express emotions, both positive and negative, by openly talking about your feelings and use emojis in your written communication. In our age of individualism, always aim for maximum personalisation.

Building trust and rapport is crucial in our journey towards innovation and growth. At Soko, we cultivate trust through honesty, transparency, and empathy. Effective communication is key: we ensure clarity in our messages and active listening to understand our partners' perspectives. Delivering on promises and resolving conflicts promptly is fundamental. We also invest time to understand our partners' objectives and challenges, showing appreciation for their insights. This approach not only strengthens partnerships but also enhances our reputation and influence in the experiential marketing industry.

As a B2B SaaS, we use both inbound and outbound approached to growing our ecosystem of tech partners. With inbound, aim for transparency and making it easier for potential new partners to reach out to you. My advice is to always keep information on your website up-to-date and use workflow automations for starting the initial conversation. Factors we take into consideration when evaluating inbound partners include USPs, target audience, geographical coverage, mutual customers, timeline for technical onboarding, joint marketing activities and commercial incentives. With outbound, do your research before identifying which providers to connect with. Track CRM requests from buyers and customers and see what connection your competitors offer.

Being proactive and creative is key in the experiential marketing industry. It's about anticipating partners' needs and staying ahead of potential challenges. At Soko, we emphasize forward-thinking, identifying innovative solutions before issues arise. Creativity lies in finding new ways to enhance value and efficiency. This requires staying abreast of industry trends and constantly seeking inspiration. Sharing ideas and insights with your team and partners, and collaboratively working on implementation is essential. Feedback is invaluable in refining these ideas, ensuring they not only meet but exceed partner expectations, reinforcing Soko's commitment to excellence and innovation.

Continuous learning and growth are crucial in partnerships. Embrace new challenges, expand your knowledge and skills, and welcome feedback. Set and track SMART goals for your development. Seek mentorship and coaching from experienced leaders to gain insights. Participate in training and networking events to enhance your competencies and connections. This approach, embracing change and proactively seeking growth, is essential for advancing in your role and contributing effectively to your organization.

I do many presentations to promote the company. In my experience, it is impactful to a client when I use real examples, such as past projects and how we were able to bring a new perspective to a problem. A new client might be going through the same problem and can see how we can help them achieve their goal. The key is not to promote myself or the company, but to promote the client's goal and elevate them.

What you can't measure, you cannot improve. To provide real-time numbers for the entire organization, I've created a CRM report showing the number of active marketplace connections throughout our customer portfolio. Join into quarterly update calls with fellow stakeholders to ensure that all teams know about the performance of existing partners and inform about upcoming new partners. Close collaboration with the marketing team in order to communicate partnership updates for to customers either through webinars, live events, in-app messages, social media posts and monthly newsletters.

To effectively showcase your impact in partnerships, document and analyze your results, aligning them with your organization's goals. At Soko Productions, we've found success by not only tracking outcomes but by turning data into compelling stories that resonate with our values. Create presentations that highlight your achievements in a way that reflects the broader mission of your organization. Share these insights with your manager, partners, and stakeholders to demonstrate your contributions. Remember to also celebrate your team's efforts, as collaboration is a cornerstone of our success at Soko. This approach not only showcases individual impact but also reinforces our collective achievements and dedication to excellence.

In seeking promotion, it's crucial to actively ask for feedback and express your aspirations. At Soko Productions, we encourage open dialogues for constructive feedback, a practice that has significantly contributed to our growth and success. Schedule formal meetings, not just as a formality but as an opportunity to genuinely understand your performance. When discussing a promotion, present a clear and confident summary of your qualifications and achievements. Highlight how your skills and contributions align with the company's objectives, much like we do at Soko, where every individual's growth is seen as integral to our collective success. Be adaptable to feedback and challenges, as this flexibility is key in our ever-evolving industry.