Partnering with other agencies...what works, what doesn't

Now that Saint St. is a whopping one week old, we are moving forward with partner agency talks with new and old friends. These discussions have been productive, and next week we will share the key highlights.

For those of you out there who are looking to partner with Saint St. or any other shop, here are a few things that I have learned along the way while developing partnerships. Keep in mind good lessons sometimes hurt. You just have to make sure you learn from those lessons.

1. Get out of a partnership what you need. Don't sacrifice just to partner. Significant sacrifices will lead to you becoming the partnership's sacrificial lamb.

2. If you don't respect your partner in advance of partnering, don't partner. Your disdain and beliefs will affect the relationship dynamic. As humans we suck at lying. And when your beliefs become palpable, they will present in BIG PRINT.

3. Set up early rules for Straight Talk. If you can't tell your partner they are "wrong," you are "right," or your idea is better, smarter, more creative, etc., then you will not be as succesful as you prospectively could be.

4. You idea doesn't have to win out. You are entering into a partnership, not an ego contest. Ego contests should take place on a bball court, at Chambers Bay or when you're wearing boxing gloves.

5. Only partner if you feel said partnership makes you a better professional being. Money isn't everything. And what you might gain today from a partnership, will definitely affect what you may earn or gain in the future. And, I don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to the future far more than I am concerned about the past and what I have done or not done.

If you want to talk further about this, feel free to call or email me: 206-941-6935, chrisl@saintst.com.

CLOW