The Partner Channel Magazine Summer 2017 Final 2

LEADERSHIP
SMART P2Ps:
story by SHANN McGRAIL AND DIANA KREKLOW
illustration by DAVE SWANG
SEVEN STEPS TO FINDING “THE ONE”
T
he heart races with excitement. The dialogue is a fast-paced exchange full of ideas and potential.
Hours together seem to fly by in an instant. Thoughts are so in sync that each can finish the
other’s sentences. This is what it feels like when you are in the company of “the one” – your
ideal partner. Alas, as nice as that sounds, finding the right “one” can be a challenge. Successful
business partnerships, just like romantic ones, take time and commitment. In both types of
relationships, it is often the case that what starts out full of hope and promise for a long-lasting
arrangement of mutual fulfillment, ends up quickly heading toward frustration and disappointment. But fear not –
with a little guidance, you will be well on your way to meeting your dream business partner.
BUILDING PARTNER-TO-PARTNER RELATIONSHIPS WITH SMART P2P
SMART P2P (www.smartp2p.net) is a framework developed to help businesses overcome the challenges of
finding and building meaningful partnerships. It calls for any potential suitors to have a dating profile, of sorts, that
captures details of what they are looking for in, or can offer, a Partner across five key dimensions: Sales, Marketing,
Agreements, Readiness Resources, and Technology. SMART P2P helps would-be Partners establish trust, share,
and adapt to allow each other’s strengths to shine through, and live happily ever after, accomplishing all the goals
for which the partnership was initiated in the first place.
SEVEN STEPS TO PARTNERSHIP SEVENTH HEAVEN
To get you started and help you avoid as much heartbreak as possible, lessons learned from recent SMART P2P
engagements have been summarized in seven steps for finding your ideal Partner:
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Know Yourself – While “tell me a little about yourself” might sound like a cheesy pick-up line if heard over a
cocktail in a dimly lit room, it is a standard and legitimate business networking question that is almost certain
to be asked early in any partnership pursuit. It is important, therefore, to be well-prepared with an answer.
Having a business value proposition that considers how Partners fit into the equation is a good place to
start. You need to be able to clearly articulate and demonstrate the value you will bring to the relationship
if a channel Partner is to spend time and resources with you. Unless you can deliver value to a Partner, do
not set your sights on them. Make sure you can clearly identify target clients, the pain points your company
14 SUMMER 2017 | THEPARTNERCHANNEL.COM