Partnership Power!

A free article written by Ron Kaufman, leading author, trainer and keynote speaker.

A smart new way to improve your business, and your life!

The Four Steps to Success

In the beginning, great products were enough to guarantee business success. Product sophistication, six sigma manufacturing and zero defects clearly beat the competition.

But benchmarking, product imitation and reverse engineering soon appeared…and now everyone seems to make great products.

Next rapid delivery arrived. Those who made, shipped, installed and served their customers faster were rewarded with growing market share and higher profits. Digital delivery, cycle time reduction and 24-7-365 access (by phone and Internet) accelerated the speed of commerce, and competition. Now everyone's got a Website and courier services cross the planet overnight.

To stay ahead of the competition, even excellent service mindset has come back into vogue. Suddenly, being polite, competent and concerned has become as important today as it was in your grandmother's age. And while not every company has mastered this field, competition at the high end is quite intense. Whether you stay at the Sheraton Towers or the Shangri-La, dine at the Rainbow Room or the Hard Rock Caf?, fly British Airways or Singapore Airlines, the service you receive today will often be quite good.

With competition so intense, winning companies are growing in another vital dimension. In addition to great products, rapid delivery and excellent service mindset, market leaders are now building stronger partnerships with their most valuable clients, suppliers and employees.

The Four Styles of Interaction

What does it mean to "build strong partnerships"? Why do you need to master this vital skill? What practical steps can you take to achieve it, right now?

First, let's put "partnership" in perspective. There are four different styles of interaction in business (and in life) and three of them are not partnerships at all!

The One Shot Deal

The first style of interaction is characterized by a short term focus between the parties. Beyond completing the exchange of the moment, no lasting commitment is intended nor implied. Asking someone for directions, buying goods at a close-out sale, or picking up a newspaper from the corner newsstand are all clear examples of the "One Shot Deal". Many familiar phrases are associated with this kind of brief and immediate interaction: "Take it or leave it", "What you see is what you get", and "Here today, gone tomorrow". With no promise of future involvement between the parties, one more phrase certainly applies: "Caveat emptor" in Latin. In English: "Let the buyer beware".

 

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