Why Partnerships Really Matter

Finding a business partner you can trust is difficult. But finding one you have a genuine relationship with? Well, that’s even harder to come by. Truly valuable professional partnerships often come from seemingly nowhere, and might feel more like a friendship than a business arrangement. 

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The perfect partnership is like a unicorn. They are amazing at what they do, honest and your biggest fan. They’ll have your back in any tough situation, and do whatever they can to build you up and boost your business. But, they’re also darn near impossible to find. 

Chemistry and Connection

More often than not, great partnerships are formed by an act of fate or through an unlikely meeting. You may meet a like-minded peer at a conference, or simply connect over a mutual acquaintance. Many, but not all, successful partnerships hit the ground running right from the start.

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Chemistry is often a solid indication of whether a partnership will prevail. The ability to bounce ideas off of one another, or genuinely enjoy the many conversations you’ll have over the course of your relationship, plays a critical role in your ability to work together. 

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Getting along with your partner on a personal level is absolutely crucial to building and maintaining a successful relationship. Many successful entrepreneurs will tell you that if you can’t envision yourself having drinks or coffee with your partner, it’s probably not going to work out. 
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But why would our desire to socialize with someone have an effect on your professional capacity? It simply comes down to the basics of communication. When you’re in a professional relationship, you’ll spend a lot of time interacting. If those conversations are something you look forward to or enjoy, it’s more likely that you’ll get more out of them. Every interaction is more likely to have a purpose and collaboration simply comes more easily.
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Working with like-minded people is the best way to really get a job done. When you have a partner that’s on your wavelength, with similar goals, you spend less time explaining, defending or justifying your choices. 
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Forming a genuine friendship with a partner can help nurture the trust and transparency needed to maintain a mutually beneficial relationship. Sharing control of the reins allows both of you to steer projects in the right direction, adding your own little pop of flair where you can.

Complementary Skills

Good vibes alone are not quite enough to forge a powerful business relationship (but they can certainly make you an unexpected friend). In order for two professionals to form a fruitful bond, it’s important for their talents to complement each other without overlapping.
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Finding a partner with skills that are different from your own, but simultaneously beneficial to the same client, is the key. So many business owners fail to reach their full potential because they try to do too much. Trying to be everything, all the time, means sacrificing the quality of your work for quantity. This isn’t fair to the customer, the audience or yourself. 
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Instead, focus on what you do really well, and identify what you need help with. Once you’ve honed in on the products or services you need to complete your mission, you’ll be able to identify the people who can make it happen. 
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While you’re mixing and matching your skill sets, be sure to stay in your lane. Do what you do best, and let your partner do the same. Stay off of each others’ toes, and trust that your comrade will do the best possible job (that’s why you chose to work with them, after all). 

The Purpose of Partnership

Now that we know what makes a good partnership, we need to talk about why it matters. Partnerships bring a lot to the table in a lot of ways. A partner with a complementary skill set lets you serve more customers and connect with people you otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to serve. 
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Great partnerships build bridges, and maintain them, keeping your network strong and thriving. Spending time nurturing your professional relationships opens the door to vast opportunity, and grows the talent pool you have access to. Your favorite partners will have no problem recommending you to their peers, or sharing a valuable resource of their own. 
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Professional partnership is a gateway to better serving both your customers and yourself, helping you complete challenging projects and finding the next one. In a highly competitive business environment, there’s nothing better than having a friend to help you navigate the highs, lows and everything in between.
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When you find the right partner, you’ll know it. With an expanded lease on knowledge, expertise, and resources, you’ll be able to reach more people and deliver a message with greater impact. After all, two heads are better than one.

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