What is Partner Speed Dating?
Why Now?
These are a few of the questions that go along with the concerned looks I often get when I talk about Partner Speed Dating.
The simple fact is … Partners often want to work with other partners. (click2tweet)
But, and this is a Big But. They often don’t know what the other partner does.
Partner Speed Dating can fix that.
There have been times where a partner thought they competed with one another, but after doing Partner Speed Dating they realized they compliment each other.
This happens with partners of all types.
- System Integrators (SI’s) that though their lines of service conflicted.
- It happens with Independent Software Vendors (ISV’s) that assumed their product offerings competed for the same space (think workflow, document capture, storage, and vertical markets too, etc.)
- And Learning Solutions Providers (LSP’s) too. There was a case where a training firm thought they competed directly with another training firm. After Partner Speed Dating they have now realized they compliment each other and have cross referred over $200,000 in business.
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Back to Partner Speed Dating
The Rules Are Simple (click2tweet)
It’s easy to get started. In fact, most partners have these questions and answers at the ready. However, just for the sake of simplicity I’ll lay them out.
There are just four core questions.
You can re-arrange them, skip them, or embellish them. However, the four core questions get at the root of who you are, what you do, what you can do for the partner community, and what the partner community can do for you.
The Four Questions
- What’s your name?
- What’s your business?
- What’s your role? (Think: What can YOU do for us?)
- How can we help? (Think: What do YOU need?)
I throw a bonus point in there.
Bonus: Set a meeting time to follow up. BEFORE the next meeting. Pro Tip: Get it on the calendar today!
That’s it!
Partner Speed Dating in a nutshell. (click2tweet)
What do you think?
- Have you tried Partner Speed Dating?
- Have you tried something similar?
- How did you do it?
- How did it work out?
Join Us for Partner Speed Dating at the next IAMCP Seattle Chapter Meeting Bring your business cards, your elevator pitch, |
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Thank for reading and I hope to see you at the next IAMCP meeting. The IAMCP Seattle chapter meets on the 3rd Thursday of the month at the Microsoft Lincoln Square offices in Bellevue. Look for Seattle on the calendar here. If you are somewhere else in the world … look to the IAMCP Community Calendar. There are 80 chapters and a few thousand members. We are always looking to add more members. Most of the time the first meeting is free.
But, wait there’s more:
Other Ways to Stay Connected and Engage include the Microsoft Partner Community site. There are multiple sections to connect to, but I focus on the following two and have over 50 articles posted across them:
Take a look, read through a few articles … comment on them, kudo them, share them. And, when you are ready … submit your own content. Microsoft’s Jenny Kordell manages this community. She is part of Kati Quiqley’s team. You can learn more about Kati’s 10 Leadership Principles. She is one of Microsoft’s best leaders and it shows in all that her teams accomplish.
You Might Also Be Interested In:
Why is a Partner a Partner? Think PX
How the Partner Experience (PX) aligns with the CX
Partnering Takes All Kinds … STEM, STEMWIT and Beyond
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Connect with me on Twitter @jshuey
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I am a a contributing author to Entrepreneur Elite Daily, Yahoo, US News and to the Personal Branding Blog with over 250 articles published.
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