Building Successful Alliances

Partnering for Profits: Deeper Relationships with Alliance Partners

A topic that I wrote about in my first book, “The Art of Partnering” back in the mid-1990s is that of going deeper (vertically) to build additional relationships beyond your immediate contacts. When you do this in our alliance partner organizations, you achieve two important alliance strengthening elements:

1. Business leaders get promoted, transferred, and fired. If this happens to your only contact at an alliance organization, chaos in the daily functioning of the alliance is sure to follow. However, if your relationships go both wide and deep in your partner organization, there is a good chance that you will already have a relationship with your new contact, be they transferred or promoted.

2. When problems in the alliance occur, and they will, it is having the deep organizational relationships that will hold things together. When partners are at war, anything one does is considered confrontational by the other. Conversely, when relationships are good, mistakes made by a partner organization are simply considered just that; honest mistakes and not cause for eliminating the alliance.

To keep your strategic alliances working like a well oiled machine, take the time and make the effort to build relationships both deep and wide in your partner organization.

You can read more about the fine points in my several alliance articles at http://www.Rigsbee.com/morearticles.htm (Permission to reprint is also there.)

Executive Presentation Skills: Deep Personal Inner Exploration

Consider the idea of deep personal inner exploration of your core message, wisdom, and universal truths in preparation for your next presentation. My good friend, John Alston, CSP, CPAE, once told me to get rid of the “fat” around my universal truths. He told me that it is that “fat” that diffuses the power of my message.

As we endeavor, I believe, to develop content to share with others, too frequently we abandon what Mark Victor Hansen, CSP, told me is “Your Inner Knower.” Yes, we have to trust ourselves. In presenting our ideas to others there is a monumental need for you to access our inner core beliefs. This is necessary on order to muster up your passion to effectively to influence others. In contrast think about the monotone speaker reading his/her PowerPoint bullet points, one at a time—at an excruciatingly slow pace.

Compare in your mind the vision of the slow monotone speaker to that of a strong, committed and powerful speaker, like John Alston. In order to influence others you must dig deep into your soul to determine your real beliefs on any topic in order to share the subtleties of the topic through your window on the world.

Before every speech, consider spending the time necessary to quiet the static in your head, to explore your beliefs, and determine the core message (about any topic) that you want to share with your audience.

Executive Public Speakers, Professional Speakers, and Emerging Professional Speakers; please visit http://www.SucceedInSpeaking.com for additional ideas, assistance, and resources.

Trade Association & Professional Society Executives: Go Deeper in Member Companies

As I mentioned above in the “Partnering for Profits” section, there are benefits for going deeper in building relationships in partner organizations. This applies also for trade associations and to some degree in professional societies.

By going deeper, encouraging conference attendance and membership of additional job levels, within your current member companies will serve your organization well. The cost to your organization will be appropriating the necessary resources to both develop additional levels of educational programming and appropriate conference activities.

The benefits to your organization are:

• Increased membership from additional employee levels

• Member retention as owners/CEOs will see additional value in their membership through providing cost effective training and other benefits for their employees

• Emotional ownership in your association from tomorrow’s leaders of your member companies.

• Increased convention/conference/expo attendance

• Increased interest from your supplier members to participate at higher levels driven by increased meeting attendance and ability to influence up and coming users/buyers of their products and services

Association Executives may access association growth articles and member recruitment campaign information at http://www.GrowingYourAssociation.com

Crashing Preoccupation Barrier

Partnering for Profits: Finding Alliance Partners

Where do I find great alliance partners is the question I generally hear. The simple answer: anywhere and everywhere. The truth is—the quality of your partner(s) does play a major role in the value you will receive from an alliance. In my book, Developing Strategic Alliances I offer several recommendations:

• Your suppliers are a good place to start in your search for an alliance partner. They know your competitors and other local business people from a different window than you. You can learn about their buying habits, bill paying habits and other important information about them.

• Your customers are another great place to look. They have most likely done some business with the person or company that could be seeking. Again, they have a unique window through which they have viewed your potential alliance partner.

• Your professional or trade association is a fabulous environment to search if you want to build an alliance with competitors or suppliers. The executive director of the association is usually the person who is most a tune with the players in your industry.

• Newspapers and trade magazines offer current information as to the movers and shakers in many industries. They compare, they research and generally dig up interesting bits of information about business people. Also research Internet blogs, articles, and postings for aggressive companies.

• Local successful business people can be found at the chamber of commerce activities and mixers, civic service clubs, charitable organizations and even local seminars.

• Ask those that supply you with professional services; including, consultants, lawyers, and accountants.

You can read more about the fine points in my several alliance articles at http://www.Rigsbee.com/morearticles.htm (Permission to reprint is also there.)

Executive Presentation Skills: Crashing Preoccupation Barrier

In order for your presentation to be effective, you first have to first get your audience’s attention. Those folks sitting in the seats in front of you are thinking about their jobs, their friends, and their loved ones—and all the issues that surround them. They are preoccupied, and it is your job to crash through that barrier. Needless to say, it is best to do this at the beginning. Start with your introduction; make it short and it needs to sell you. Your introduction had better give your audience a reason or two that it would be in their best interest to listen to what you have to say.

Then your opening has to build on your introduction. Your opening is more than just what you say; it is also what you do. Check your non-verbal statements. What you wear, how you look, how you stand, your manner in approaching the platform following your introduction, all speaks clearly about you. What are these non-verbal statements saying about you?

While you are waiting to present, take the temperature of the room and determine if your meeting planner gave you the correct information about your audience. This “last chance” to adjust is crucial. I know—who wants to change at the last minute? Any quality presenter, professional or not, is willing to do last minute adjustments to better serve the audience.

The first words out of your mouth are being judged by those in your audience, it is simple human nature. Don’t fight it, go with it. Lean into your strength at the beginning. Truly attempt to “sell yourself” to your audience in the first minutes of a presentation. Your effort will make experience better for all that are in the room, including you.

Executive Public Speakers, Professional Speakers, and Emerging Professional Speakers; please visit http://www.SucceedInSpeaking.com for additional ideas, assistance, and resources.

Trade Association & Professional Society Executives: 2009 Meeting Strength

Lately, I have been hearing from association executive directors about their fears and concerns regarding the strength (attendance) of their meetings in 2009. Yes, everyone involved in the meetings industry has huge concerns for the strength of meetings in 2009. What can you do to motivate more of your members to attend this year’s meeting and also bring along their senior staff?

Deliver more value is the answer. Most likely your members are currently having a difficult time. As an example, is a golf tournament the best use of your resources? Perhaps a better idea would be to have a consulting day? Enroll your speakers to attend the meeting for an extra day and deliver consulting sessions. There are a number of ways to administer this idea; sell the sessions, have a drawing for early registrants, or organize it so all attendees have access.

Be honest, is it networking or education that is the primary driver for your attendees? Lean into the primary attendance driver by adjusting the meeting format to better serve the real needs. If it is networking they want; rather than offering traditional lecture programs, shift to interactive programming. You may have to secure different speakers, and it will be worth the effort.

If it is education that is the primary attendance driver then select the speakers that are willing to help you build a pre-conference, conference, and post-conference educational event that is beyond anything your members have ever seen. Many speakers have eBooks, surveys, etc. that can be structured to deliver this higher-level education. Explore through new windows how you can deliver more value while still keeping costs manageable.

Association Executives may access association growth articles and member recruitment campaign information at http://www.GrowingYourAssociation.com

Don't Be Caught Empty Handed on Valentine's Day

Valentine’s Day is coming; (guys) you had better shop by Friday. Don’t be caught empty handed on Saturday morning.This week we all really should be thinking about relationships so I am going to focus on just one topic; Clicking verses Conflicting

Trust:

In both business and personal relationships trust is, in my opinion, the foremost ingredient. Trust is something that can be destroyed unintentionally and without hurtful intent. Trust is also something that once damaged, if ever, takes a tremendous amount of work to repair. By making continual “Relationship Bank Deposits” with others, your chances are less that things will fall apart. And if conflict does occur, the perception others will have of you is that there must have been a simple mistake made rather then using the situation to justify in their own mind that you are untrustworthy.

Communication:

Conveying your true thoughts, feelings, and ideas to another person is more difficult than you might think. Everyone hears/listens through their personal filter, developed from years of various experiences. It is the lack of these shared experiences that creates subtle communication challenges, frequently not recognized by either party; and that can easily cause conflict. If every person would take responsibility for both their outgoing and incoming communication, oh how much better things would be. Yes, you should be responsible for what you say, how you say it, and how the other receives it. Don’t you think? Trust me on this one, when you do this everyone around you will seem just a bit smarter.

Priority:

What matters to me might be quite far away from what matters to you, and vice versa. Without meaningful communication in the area of shared priorities, relationships fall apart. I believe this is a crucial element in the sidetracking of any relationship. Frequently, you will find it difficult to understand the priority of others, let alone care about them. Since Valentine’s Day is so close, let’s bring this one home. You want to stay home and relax, but your honey wants to go out—or vice versa. Who wins out? The person that wins that battle is ever so closer to losing the war. But the other agreed, you say. Sure they did—they really gave in. By being aware of, and sensitive to, your honey’s priorities, you are making hugely valuable “Relationship Bank Deposits” that will go a long way in smoothing ruffled feathers then you have been guilty of being less sensitive. You can take that one to the bank!

Action:

It is the action of showing, through both word and deed, that the needs and wants of another person are important that help to cement relationships. Here is a timely idea: with the economy slow and money tight consider doing something really special for your Valentine. Skip the usual last minute shopping and write a love poem, letter, or song for your special someone. Deliver it with breakfast in bed on Saturday morning. You will build trust through a new style of communication. You will also show that your priorities are in order through this action—a win for all involved. Except the retailers, oh well, let the “schlubs” go shopping—you have a better idea.

Alliance Implementation Steps

Partnering for Profits: Alliance Crash Course

Perhaps, now more than ever, it’s time to give your organization a crash course in alliance management? As you already know, facing 2009 are some difficult economic realities. Goods and services demand has slowed or reversed; resulting, are many organizational failures. Increased competition and consolidation naturally follow. CEO edicts; “Do more with less” have become common place. Can organizations realize more value from their alliance relationships? I absolutely believe so.

Have your alliance relationships grown organically rather than by purpose? If so, perhaps your alliance managers could use a tune-up? Like most other business development and managerial activities, alliance skills are learned rather than inherent. Do your alliance managers have the ability to see the bigger organizational picture while managing an external relationship?

Below are my Seven Steps for Alliance Development, I like to call them the Alliance Alchemy; the formula for turning your alliance efforts to gold.

1. Monitor (Determine Reasons and Need)

2. Educate (Cultural, Operational and Strategic Differences)

3. Select Alliance Type (Structure)

4. Organize (Select Partner)

5. Agreement (Written is Best)

6. Implementation (Begin Activity)

7. Maintenance (Monitor Progress and Cooperation)

You can read more about the fine points in my several alliance articles at http://www.Rigsbee.com/morearticles.htm (Permission to reprint is there too.)

Executive Presentation Skills: Twittering in the Back

If you are presenting to an audience where there are a minimum of just a couple people under the age of 40 (perhaps 50?), I can assure you there is someone Twittering. What’s Twittering? Visit www.twitter.com/edrigsbee to see. Twitter is something like an instant blog Web Site where persons can post—from their cell phones using the text messaging function. Their friends that follow them receive a notice of the other person’s post. You may not realize it but there can very well be a number of people commenting to one another about your speech—real time, while you are speaking.

What’s a presenter to do? First acknowledge it. Say something early in your speech like, “For those of you Twittering in the back, say something nice about my speech.” This is being proactive. Let them know that you know. Also, if it is possible, leave the podium (the definition of podium is; riser or stage, not lectern) and walk toward the back of the room, you can keep them off guard and they might Twitter less. Of course this is assuming you have a wireless lavaliere microphone.

For years now presenters have been successfully dealing with those RUDE individuals that leave their cell phones on “ring” rather than “vibrate” in a belief that they (the offender) are more important than the entire audience—that it is okay to disturb others trying to glean some important bit of information. Today, presenters are also successfully enduring the second generation of “disturbance through technology.”

Executive Public Speakers, Professional Speakers, and Emerging Professional Speakers; please visit http://www.SucceedInSpeaking.com for additional ideas, assistance, and resources.

Trade Association & Professional Society Executives: Getting to Yes

Just last week, I was hosting the Cigar PEG, Inc. Annual Meeting in Scottsdale, AZ. I called the hotel front desk (from California) to be sure my attendees could check in before I arrived as the rooms and expenses would be put on my card, which was already in their system. And what do you know; the clerk I spoke with at the front desk was all about why they could not check in without…

Why in the world does one want to create conflict before the guests arrive? The primary reason I believe is twofold; a lack of training and a lack of a desire to serve. Let’s now move the discussion of your staff interacting with your members. Is there any chance that any of your staff could be guilty of this?

At the hotel, there was of course a very easy solution that (the second) front desk person offered. Perhaps the same is true when one of your members has a challenge? But why did I have to go to a second person? See the above two-fold reason.

Let’s face it, 2009 could deliver your association a membership net loss. So why in the world would you allow your staff to do anything but deliver absolutely fabulous value to your members? When staff doesn’t care or is trained poorly, the E.D. needs to look in the mirror for fault.

Please do what you can to help your staff to abandon the “sorry, it’s our policy” and stay focused on the “yes, I’m sure we can help you.” Your members will thank you.

Association Executives may access association growth articles and member recruitment campaign information at http://www.GrowingYourAssociation.com