Speech Blog

Harnessing the strengths and abilities of others from different corners of your ecosystem is one of the most strategic ways for businesses to scale their innovation and solve complex challenges. In today’s fast-paced environment, a “do-it-alone” approach is not the best strategy for growth. Companies need to look for new ways to drive collaborative innovation that delivers on what their customers need today and in the future. The reality of today’s business landscape is that partnerships are key to better serving customers by merging talent, expertise, technology and purpose. Collaboration and strategic partnerships are fundamental to improving business outcomes.

Strategic partnerships benefit everyone: businesses, employees and customers. Businesses can broaden their relevance and increase their addressable market; customers benefit from the strengths and offerings each organization brings to the table; and employees can expand their development opportunities by being exposed to new perspectives and expertise. Plus, deepening ties between complementary businesses fosters collaboration and longevity, and allows companies to offer services and solutions that help their customers and other businesses become more successful.

Communication

For a partnership to succeed, an emphasis on clear communication between partners is essential. Ongoing dialogue is so important because it helps to reduce the risk of assumptions and encourages you to stay focused on your shared vision. For external partnerships, in-person meetings can go a long way in developing a solid working rapport. Open and effective channels of communication between members of the partnership will ensure there are no misaligned expectations between parties.

Collaboration

Any partnership, big or small, will work best when there is a shared goal. Developing value-aligned partnerships that focus on common goals and complementary strengths is key to ensuring successful outcomes for all. Working collaboratively with partners generates the kind of energy that fuels growth, innovation and creativity.

Strategic partnerships open up the opportunity for businesses to share their secrets for success with one another in a way that benefits all parties involved. Think of all the resources you use to ensure the success and continued growth of your business. These may include access to certain programs or software, a large social media following, or a strong network of industry professionals in your area. Imagine the potential your business could reach if you were able to take advantage of other business’s expertise and resources. Strategic partnerships enable teams to bring the best of their talent and strengths forward. Every person and every business has unique strengths, so honing your partnership strategy to play to those strengths will let you shine. A functional partnership can strengthen the weaker aspects of your business, so you can grow and expand in a way that would have been impossible on your own.

In our experience, we have found that communication and collaboration are in fact key factors in successful and productive partnerships. Our partners are critical in the success and growth of our business and we are constantly learning from them. We’ve also observed that partners who don’t shy away from contacting us in the early stages of an opportunity and show the value of working closely with Philips, guarantee the right solution offering for their customers at the right time. Direct relationships with Philips representatives help to assure your customers will not only have the right solution, but the best support.

Have questions about how partnership can benefit you and your business? Leave a comment and let us know!