It takes two to tango and two to develop a great marketing partnership. It’s key that both partners are engaged and looking out for the best interests of the other. What are the warning signs that your partnership is not much of a partnership after all?
Here are my top six:
Lack of Communication
Your partner is not responsive to emails and phone calls. This demonstrates that they aren’t invested. If you have an agreement than the partnership will likely happen but there’s a good chance it won’t measure up to your initial expectations. A partner who invests their time and energy is going to give you the best results.
Self-Interest
The partner entirely focuses on their own marketing goals in the partnership and your goals are an afterthought at best. A partnership can only be successful if everyone’s goals are met. A self-interested partner is much less likely to compromise and not worried about you meeting your own objectives.
Lack of an Agreement
A solid partnership doesn’t necessarily need a formal contract but if you find your marketing partner is evasive when putting terms together then you could be in trouble. Don’t move forward with a partnership until you have buy-in from the partner and both parties clearly understand what the expectations are along with your individual obligations.
Shifting Deal Points
A partner can make many promises out of the gate and over time they morph into something new or completely vanish. This can occur when your primary contact doesn’t obtain buy-in from other stakeholders in their company or when they are merely telling you what you want to hear to make the deal happen.
Difference in Values
If your partner is willing to take shortcuts or make compromises that are not in line with the best interest of your customers and/or your corporate culture then you should bolt as quickly as possible. A partner that doesn’t recognize your own values can cause major customer service issues and may even spur legal action in the worst-case scenarios.
Lack of Details
Make sure your partner knows their business and marketing channels. If they are vague and don’t provide clear answers to your questions then you may wind up in trouble. Make sure that there are no unanswered questions prior to moving forward.
When you’ve picked the wrong partner it’s going to be a very short-lived partnership. Make good choices to ensure long lasting partnerships and be alert for any of the red flags above.
Happy partnering!