5 tips for playing nice with partners

Communications professionals face the unique challenge of trying to get our clients and companies front and center in the public eye while not raising the hackles the various partners we’re sharing space with. Sometimes it feels like being tasked with running a marathon with lead weights on your ankles.

I like to try to think of it more as a classical ballet than a mafia hit. While I’m no angel on tip toes, there’s an art in knowing how to engage partners, particularly those with which you’re sharing work in the same arena, and still ensuring your brand comes out a leader. Check out the below tips to help guide your efforts:

1. Forge good relationships. The basis of a good partnership with a coalition organization or a joint company venture comes down to the same ingredients that make for a good marriage or a good friendship. Be friendly and transparent. Offer to meet people in person so you’re not firing off emails into the abyss at faceless individuals. If you have a strong rapport with partners, you’re more likely to move forward in a way that’s agreeable.