Partnerships: Start with a Story

Provide a description of how customers will benefit from the partnership first.

Quite often, after a high-level decision is made to discuss the formation of a partnership, one company or the other presents a “standard contract.”  With this simple first step, positioning is likely to begin, and individual company protection efforts will take center stage.  Often, the word “customer” never enters the picture, which, of course, is the only reason for forming a partnership.  Start with a story about the customer and consider contractual issues last.