Start a partnership with clear expectations.
Business relationships
A promising introduction can make a partnership feel straightforward. Both sides see an opportunity and want to move quickly. The practical work begins by checking whether they mean the same thing by success.
Discuss the contribution each party expects to make. That may involve introductions, specialist knowledge, delivery capacity or access to an audience. Be specific about what is available now and what depends on further work.
Walk through a realistic customer scenario together. Who communicates with the customer? Who delivers each part? How will an unexpected issue be handled? This exercise can reveal operational differences before a public commitment is made.
Where possible, begin with a clearly bounded piece of work and a review point. Record the scope and responsibilities, and obtain appropriate professional advice for formal arrangements. Early enthusiasm becomes more useful when it is supported by a shared understanding of how the relationship will operate.