What's a "Partner-of-Choice™?"

Imagine yourself in the following situation:

You just successfully completed a deal. You provided a complex solution for your most valued customer.

Initially, you didn't have all the resources your customer demanded, so you had to create a temporary alliance with another company, your "alliance partner." We'll name them: "Alliance Co."

The customer was delighted with the results you provided, and now you are about to share the profits with your partner, "Alliance Co."

As you hand over "Alliance Co.'s" share of your recent profits, they tell you...

"Thank you very much. You know, this was a great alliance... You made money... We made money... and the customer is very happy. More importantly, all the time we were working together, we had the feeling that you were just as interested in seeing us make money and be successful... and, equally, you felt that we were just as interested in assuring that you made money and were successful. We added value to each other, and to the customer. All of us could sleep peacefully at night, knowing that we trusted each other. Although we may be in competition with each other in the future, we value and honor our ongoing relationship. When might we partner again?"

If this is currently how your alliance partners are talking to you ... consider yourself to be a Partner-of-Choice.

If this is not characteristic of your current relationships... externally and between you internal team members ... we can show you how to achieve that goal... If you are ready.

Questions:

How do you create this feeling of being a Partner-of-Choice?

What does it take for it to happen?

Where do you begin?

How do you sustain it over the long term?

Our Perception:

It requires a fundamental transition:

a shift in how you perceive yourself, and

a fresh look at what business is all about in the context of you... and all the relationships through which you've created and seek to sustain your business.

It takes a commitment:

to explore...

to embark upon a personal journey of inquiry...

to step outside the boxes within which you may be holding yourself, and your assumed role of what it takes for you to be successful in your business or profession, and

to open up to the possibility that there are a host of other people "out there" in business or in professional roles who also want to act more like human beings in their work, and are clueless as to how to connect with each other.

You begin with yourself... with a personal inquiry... asking:

Who am I?

What do I really want?

What is my reason for being (my raison d'être)... in this deal?... in this job?... in this company?... in this community?... on this globe upon which I'm involved in global competition?...

It makes no sense to spend your time and your money unless you are beginning from a deep sense of sincerity in wanting something more out of your job, business or profession, than just making money and feeling better off than the rest of the crowd.

Remember... Business-Is-Relationships... and your long term profit and loss record is ultimately nothing more than a scorecard on the quality of those relationships.

Your objective for your business relationships is to become known as a Partner-of-Choice

If you have any reservations, consider what's at stake.