We begin with your own position. What do you do best, who are your best customers, what do they buy before or after you, and which gaps in your offer would a partner fill? We identify what you can give a partner: audience, expertise, access, credibility, delivery capacity or a product. Partnerships fail most often when one side has nothing clear to offer. Then we map candidates. We look at businesses your customers already use, suppliers and distributors, professional bodies, complementary service providers, non-competing brands in your city or sector, and organisations whose values match yours. For each, we note audience, reputation, size, current partners, and what a fair exchange could be. We check publicly available information and, where useful, ask for references; we do not rely on assumptions. We rank candidates and prepare an approach for the top few. The first contact is a short, specific proposal: the shared customer, a modest first project and a request for a conversation, not a demand for commitment. Many strong partnerships begin with a small pilot such as a referral trial or one joint event, and expand when both sides see value. See co-marketing campaigns for that kind of pilot. When a partner is interested, we help structure the arrangement. We write a value summary that sets out contributions, benefits, targets, timelines and reviews. We outline the terms to discuss with your adviser: exclusivity, territory, use of names and logos, quality standards, customer data and consent, pricing and payment, lead handling, confidentiality, dispute handling and how either side can leave. We then plan the operating model: named contacts, regular meetings, shared calendar, reporting format and escalation routes, so the alliance does not rely on one enthusiastic person. We create joint propositions, such as a bundle, a co-branded service, a referral route, or a shared stand at events, and the marketing needed to launch them, including a partner page on your website and materials for partner staff; see lead generation landing pages. For referral flows, we link to referral campaign planning. We set measures that suit the relationship: introductions made, leads accepted, sales won, partner satisfaction and cost of effort. We review quarterly and give an annual summary that asks whether to expand, keep or end the partnership. We can also help you handle any conflict early and respectfully. We cannot control a partner’s behaviour or guarantee outcomes, and some alliances do not work out, so we advise starting small and keeping options open.
