Partnership Best Practices

        Partnership Best Practices 1
        Relationship Building

        • Listen to Proficiently Understand the Company
        • Develop the Best Fit
        • Be Clear about Commitment, Value, and Expectations
        • What it involves and how companies within the association respond to partners

        Partnership Best Practices 2
        Basics of Program Development

        The Partner Must Clearly Know

        • The deliverables from the association
        • The opportunities on which they must capitalize
        • Recommendations and guidelines from the association
        • Fees and additional expenses they will incur from properly activating the partnership
        • The full integrity and transparency
        • Develop trust and seek win-win

        Partnership Best Practices 3
        Creating Tiers Within Your Program

        • Caters to Vendors’ Uniqueness
        • Allows Vendors to grow in the association
        • Supports the association in revenues and budgeting
        • Distinctively name your tiers to recognize their meaning in association
        • Should have at least three tiers
        • Customize the levels, type, and number of partners

        Partnership Best Practices 4
        Tenets for Expanding Your Program

        • Develop the Partnership Program to be Win-Win, must be good for both
        • What resources do you have that partner companies will value
        • What trends are relevant to potential partners
        • Bring in companies who have a community mindset
        • Structure the program well to protect relationships during growth
        • Clear agreements protect relationships

        Partnership Best Practices 5
        Growth Limitations to Reject (or Accept)

        • Associations must realize the many monetization opportunities
        • Price the partnership at the value of a dollar to the vendor
        • One relationship can justify the partnership for a vendor
        • Understand the size and purpose of your association, including the number of members you can reasonably have, the market size represented to joining partners

        Partnership Best Practices 6
        Creating New Value for Partners

        • Meet what is in the agreement
        • Partners must fully participate in everything on offer
        • It is a process not an event
        • Participation is the value multiplier
        • If doing a virtual partner show, prioritize exposure
        • Virtual partner shows have viability in the wake of 2020
        • Don’t get distracted by bells and whistles
        • Make info sharing easy; create relationships
        • Names and effects do not compensate for a bad story
        • Focus on connections, not frills
        • Agendas that encourage organic engagement (committees, educations, etc.)
        • Collaboration opportunities for
        • Value creation should drive decision making
        • Develop great relationship and communication with partners
        • Humanize your partners to your members

        Partnership Best Practices 7
        Remember the Big Picture

        • Partnership program supports the association in growth
        • Services, events, finances
        • Creates a larger community
        • Relationship grow through partnership
        • Partner programs work because they represent trusted resources specific to the industry