When I became a consultant after 30 years in corporate marketing, I realized I no longer had teams that reported to me at my disposal. For each project, I now had to build a coalition of subject matter experts who were running their own consultancies — each with their own clients and their own priorities. It has been the ultimate on-the-ground partnership experience.
But the risk in any consulting partnership is that the client will see a collection of people, not a cohesive unit working together toward one goal. That’s why it’s important to collaborate seamlessly as one team; in order for any project to be successful, I need to make my team look good — and they need to make me look good, too!
In fact, “make your partner look good” is a key tenet of improv, which is the height of on-the-spot creative collaboration. When you’re doing improv and your partner takes an action, you support them and build upon it; you don’t take over or redirect the scene. And, even more importantly, it means you go all-in with the collaboration — you don’t protect yourself to try to look better. You’re on stage as one unit and collectively responsible for every laugh, no matter who lands the punch line.
You can apply the same concept to your business partnerships, too. But, when an established marketer has brought you into a partnership, how do you make them (and therefore, yourself!) look good when you have your own clients and endless priorities pulling at your attention? Try these eight ideas:
01.
Before the project begins (emphasis on “before”), discuss ways of working. Establish a collaboration model and the rules of engagement (who is the primary contact for the client? Who takes the lead in an emergency? When should you pick up the phone and call someone vs. sending an email?). A clear communication plan now will help prevent misunderstandings in the future.
02.
Establish expectations for responsiveness. Share with your partner the best way to reach you and your standard response times: “I’m always reachable via text. Emails are best for a 1-2 day turnaround, and I typically respond to Slack messages within four hours.” And then follow your guidelines! Even if you don’t have an answer to a question you’re being asked, acknowledge that your partner is reaching out. Notice if someone is having to repeatedly remind you, “Did you get my message?” — it’s a sign they are anxious the ball might get dropped. And if their approach isn’t working for you? Proactively communicate what you need, too.
03.
Follow the schedule. It sounds obvious, but it’s one of the easiest ways to become someone’s favorite partner: Meet your deadlines. And if you can’t, give as much notice as possible and do what you can to alleviate disruption.
04.
Be respectful. Don’t overemphasize your brand or company; in fact, do what you can to enhance your partner’s brand, since they brought you into the project. There is no doubt they will do the same for you down the line, either by supporting your project or connecting you to other opportunities.
05.
Align internally before meeting with the client. Schedule the “meeting before the meeting” when you all get together to discuss the work, your approach, the roles everyone will play in the meeting, who will lead the conversation, and who will be in a listen-only mode.
06.
End every conversation by requesting feedback. (Using it as a “goodbye” can help you remember to ask more consistently.) How’s it going? Are you getting what you need? Anything I can do better?
07.
Avoid surprises. It’s natural to want to hold on to bad news, but if something is going wrong or you foresee a problem, let your partner know as soon as possible. Of course, you won’t want to rush issues to clients without a solution, but bring your partner into any obstacle promptly so you can manage the situation together. Be willing to make a sacrifice (work late, do an extra round of revisions, etc.) to show good faith.
08.
Stay in touch. Periodically check in with your partner about how things are going and what you could do to improve while staying decisive and moving the project forward. Keeping the connected thread of communication will help make the experience enjoyable so that they want to work with you again.
In the end, the keys to a successful partnership are pretty simple: Meet your commitments. Let your partner shine as the expert. And make them look good. If you can do that, you’ll be the most valuable contact they’ve got — and they’ll loyally remember you for future opportunities as a result.
