5 Ingredients to a Productive Partnership

“I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.” -Mother Theresa

All business relationships are transactional—we pay for each other’s products and services. But not all business relationships turn into partnerships, where both parties work together for a common goal, trusting each other and relying on each other’s strengths. Partnerships can bring us much further than we can go with purely transactional relationships.

As freelancers, we think about partnerships a lot. Long-term, committed client relationships are more sustainable for business than one-off projects, and the more time we spend writing for a client, the better we get at telling their story.

The big question is how to move from a transactional relationship to a partnership with your client or customer. How can we go from working for someone to working with them?

Building partnerships takes time and vulnerability. Here are five ingredients to a successful partnership: 

#1 Trust

Partnerships need trust to thrive—trust in each other’s expertise and ability to be decent human beings. Building trust starts with delivering quality products to clients. And when issues arise, take the time to ask what went wrong and find solutions so the same mistakes aren’t repeated. Clear communication helps ensure bumps along the road don’t end up cracking the partnership.

We enjoy this type of trust with a current client. They review what we submit but trust that our writing is logically-sound, research-based, and engaging. So they spend most of their time on how each piece fits their strategy, not micro-managing each sentence. This level of trust is very encouraging to us and frees them up to do what they do best.

#2 Investment

Investment differentiates a partner from a transaction holder. Partners work to help their clients meet their business goals, not just to turn in a project and get a check in return. Because partners invest themselves in their client’s success, we make suggestions for improving strategies, love to hear results (good and bad) and write with the bigger picture in mind.

#3 Shared ideals 

Transactions can become partnerships when both parties believe in the company’s mission. What is the company trying to achieve? Where are they making an impact? How are they driving their industry toward excellence? Partnerships flourish when we share our client’s passion for their product or service.   

#4 Positive vibes  

Working together has ups and downs, so partnerships need amiability to thrive. Building friendship into a business relationship begins with vulnerability—expressing excitement, confusion, or even frustration (in a constructive way) shows your client you are being real with them and encourages them to do the same. Also, sharing personal successes and challenges, such as sickness, vacation plans, and big life changes, helps cement a feeling of togetherness.

#5 Longevity

Work on a project may end for budget reasons or a pivot in strategy, but partnerships help ensure clients and customers will return over the years. For example, my colleague has worked with one of our clients multiple times over several decades. It’s a productive relationship because we get quality work done for them, and they don’t have to find a new freelancer to vet each time a job comes up. We also genuinely enjoy meeting with them and collaborating on projects. 

I like to write about our wins—the productive partnerships we’ve built and cherished over the years. But it isn’t always this way. And I learned a lot from a transactional relationship that never reached the partnership stage. Here’s (very briefly) what went wrong:

• Trust was never fully established
• Strategy wasn’t always a part of conversations
• Vulnerability faded over time

Looking back, I can see the cracks in the relationship and the types of conversations we could have had to repair them. But I also want to acknowledge that not every client relationship will become a partnership. The client may not be looking for a collaborator, or it may not be a good fit. 

Partnerships elevate the value we bring to our clients and customers. Building them takes time and vulnerability, but ultimately is worth the effort.  

Let’s talk about building a partnership to meet your communication or marketing goals.