In this episode, the hosts, Toni and John, discuss the importance of tactical planning in partnership management. They emphasize the need to align business priorities between partners and develop a collaborative approach. By visually mapping out the partners' business priorities and seeking their input, trust and a competitive advantage can be gained.

They also highlight the significance of regular communication to adapt to changing priorities and ensure progress. The hosts encourage the audience to share their experiences and challenges in understanding partner priorities and offer successful examples of mapping business priorities.

Key Topics Covered:

•  Introduction to "The Partnership Path" podcast
• Importance of tactical planning in partnership management
• Aligning business priorities between partners
• Visual mapping of partners' business priorities
• Seeking partner input and building trust
• Gaining a competitive advantage through collaboration
• Adapting to changing priorities through regular communication
• Audience engagement: Discussing partner priorities and sharing success stories

Listen to Julie Schrady @ Vertigis talk about Casting a Partnership Strategic Vision.

Listen to Matt O'Donnell @ Microsoft talk about Casting a Partnership Strategic Vision.

Listen to Peter Martin @ Microsoft talk about Casting a Partnership Strategic Vision.

In this episode, the hosts, Toni and John, discuss the concept of being strategic in the context of partnership relationships.

Key Topics Covered:

• Understanding the relativity of the terms "strategic" and "tactical" in partnership management.

• Defining strategic in the context of a partnership based on the partnership's specific goals and level of involvement.

• Emphasizing the importance of having a visionary and long-term perspective in partnership planning.

• Shifting the focus from numbers to the desired outcomes and aspirations of the partnership.

• Connecting the "why" of the partnership to the vision for its future.

• Engaging in mature and strategic conversations with partners to align goals and achieve mutual success.

• Encouraging partner account managers to ask partners why they want to be number one and explore what that means for the partnership.

• Setting strategic goals and periodically reviewing progress toward achieving them.

• Discussing the challenges of having strategic conversations with partners and sharing strategies for overcoming those challenges.

The hosts also invite listeners to join the discussion and share their experiences and strategies for having strategic conversations with partners.

Listen to Adriana Gutiérrez @ AWS talk about Using "Why" to Drive Your Partnerships.

Listen to Michael Johnson @ Microsoft talk about Using "Why" to Drive Your Partnerships.

The video is an episode of "The Partnership Path," a podcast focused on partnership management best practices for partner and channel management professionals.

The hosts, Toni and John, discuss the importance of understanding the goals and motivations of partner organizations in order to build successful partnerships. They compare the role of a partner business professional or channel manager to that of a diplomat, bridging the gap between two parties with different objectives. They emphasize the need for transparent communication and asking the question "why" to uncover the true motivations behind forming a partnership. By understanding each party's goals, a partnership business plan can be developed and executed more effectively. The hosts also encourage listeners to share their success stories and insights on building trust with partners.

Key Topics Covered:

• Introduction to "The Partnership Path" podcast

• Role of partner business professionals as diplomats

• Importance of understanding partner organizations' goals

• The significance of transparent communication

• Asking "why" to uncover true motivations

• Building a partnership business plan based on shared objectives

• Ensuring you are talking to the right people in the partnership

• Examples of collaborative business conversations and plans

• Building trust with partners

• Encouragement for listeners to share success stories and insights

Listen to Kristen Maraghy @ Microsoft talk about Selling the Value of Partnerships.

Listen to Trent Collie @ Microsoft talk about Selling the Value of Partnerships.