Seven Questions To Successfully Partner With Your Clients

By Ron E. Karr

All of us have heard the new buzzword in sales management these days; partnering. But what does partnering really mean? As I travel around the world, I have heard comments including:

• Partnering is a term used by buyers to get the best possible deal with no intentions of really becoming a partner in the process.

• Partnering is when the seller acts proactively for as long as it takes to get some business.

• Partnering is a negotiating ploy with no teeth to it.

As you can see, these comments are not too supportive of the partnering process. The good news is that I have heard about and seen partnering agreements that have benefited both the seller and the buyer. In these cases, the partnering process consisted of three critical elements:

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