How do you handle partner performance issues and conflicts and when do you decide to end a partnership?

Not all goals or expectations will apply to all of your partnerships. Consider why you are seeking to build a partnership with a respective organisation, or what you bring to another should you be the one initiating the ask. A strong partner network that plays to the unique strengths of those involved will be far more impactful than one which looks to set the same targets for all.

Handling partner performance issues involves identifying and assessing the problem, then initiating an open dialogue to address concerns. Develop a clear action plan with specific steps and deadlines, and monitor progress closely. Document all communications and agreements for clarity. If issues persist, evaluate their impact on business goals and consider termination only if necessary. Ensure the decision to end the partnership is based on thorough assessment and aligns with contractual terms, handling the process professionally and respectfully.

In our startup, delineating specific goals like increasing eSIM adoption or improving booking efficiency with transportation partners was foundational. Articulating these goals during initial discussions allowed for alignment and avoided future misunderstandings. For example, emphasizing revenue growth aligned our cellular partner's objectives with our business targets, setting a shared direction for success.

Handling performance issues requires the partners to take a collaborative problem-solving approach that enables them to work together to identify the root causes of the performance issues or conflicts and develop solutions. If irreconcilable differences are persistent and there is no amicable solution for them, then the partnership should end. One of the key indicators of ending a partnership is when a partner's objectives and goals diverge significantly from your own.

It’s so important to ensure that you have the same vision as your partner from the word go. It is equally important to have aligned values so that the way you approach and achieve the vision is agreeable to both or all partners.

An example of this would be the rhythms you engage around performance, business updates, industry insights, and market best practices. To ensure you’re pivoting to what your partners are seeing with customers, or experiencing when positioning your products or programs - it’s important to ensure your regularly listening to your network.

Transparent channels for ongoing communication played a pivotal role. Regular meetings and structured feedback mechanisms facilitated an open dialogue. These platforms enabled us to provide constructive feedback on service quality or eSIM integration, fostering a culture of proactive issue resolution and continuous improvement.

Objective evaluation of partner performance was critical. Employing KPIs, such as eSIM activation rates or user satisfaction scores, offered insights into partnership effectiveness. Regular partner audits and satisfaction surveys allowed us to identify areas for enhancement, ensuring optimized collaborations.

Communicate Openly: Address issues promptly, listen to your partner's perspective, and negotiate a mutually beneficial solution. Clarify Expectations: Define shared goals, roles, and responsibilities to prevent misunderstandings and ensure fairness. Foster Trust: Invest in relationship-building, schedule regular check-ins, and celebrate joint successes to build trust. Seek Mediation: Consider third-party mediation or conflict resolution mechanisms to prevent escalation. Know When to End: If conflicts persist and negatively impact the partnership, it may be necessary to re-evaluate and potentially end the partnership.

Some common things which may require attention and support are: Lack of industry knowledge or experience. In this case it may be useful to work through the way that business considers your target prospects and how your products and services are positioned for different use cases and demographics. Collateral and resources: It's common for partners to get requests for documentation and other resources to help answer customer questions or provide certain information. Understand what the partner requires and supply appropriate collateral or clarify when to direct a customer to your team. Common questions or objections: Provide material to describe the value of your products/services and address common questions and objections.

To effectively address partner performance issues and conflicts, it's essential to have a structured approach. Regularly assessing partner engagement and performance against set benchmarks is key. When issues arise, it’s vital to engage in open dialogue, identifying root causes and collaboratively developing improvement plans. In cases where conflicts persist or performance consistently lags, a review of the partnership’s viability is necessary. Decisions to terminate should be based on thorough evaluations against strategic objectives and should be executed with professionalism, ensuring a respectful conclusion and maintaining potential for future collaboration.

When challenges arose, swift and respectful resolution was paramount. Addressing misalignments or service discrepancies through collaborative strategies was key. For instance, tackling integration hurdles with cellular partners or streamlining booking processes with transportation companies required joint action plans, fostering amicable resolutions while preserving partnership integrity.

I believe it's important to communicate as part of the conversation that while this partnership is not working out and and must end, that there may be opportunity for future partnering. Both partners will have lessons learned, improvements made, business growth and other experiences that may make them more suitable partners in the future.

In cases where partnerships fell short of expectations, professionalism in termination was crucial. Reviewing contractual obligations and communicating decisions respectfully minimized disruptions. Gracefully concluding partnerships due to divergent values or performance discrepancies involved a clear, documented termination process, maintaining goodwill and leaving room for potential future collaborations.

The ultimate “A” game is to make sure that your personal relationship remains in tact, this is a sign that both partners have walked away feeling comfortable with the split. There is a tendency to try and do whatever it takes just to end it, but this is likely to leave at least 1 of the parties feeling disenfranchised. If the partnership split is done from a professional perspective, always considering the needs of the organisation first, the actual end of the partnership is based on a set of objective criteria and reason and sense should prevail.

When ending a partnership, having a clear exit strategy is crucial! It should be outlined in the partnership agreement. In any case, it's also important to discuss the pros and cons of dissolution with your partners and resolve any disagreements through open communication and negotiation. Review the partnership agreement to understand the steps required for dissolution. Potential issues may arise due to different interpretations of the dissolution clause or disagreements on execution. Work together to follow the steps in the agreement and consider external support if direct communication is challenging

I agree and great partnerships start with clear expectations. With clear goals and strategies in place, performance issues with the partner can be discussed early, redirection can occur, and then decisions regarding the continuation or conclusion of the partnership are a natural progression.

Based on my experience, business partnerships must: - Focus on providing value to the customer, not just corporate interests. Partnerships should enhance the customer experience, not just drive sales. - Avoid making your product a commodity. Partnerships should strengthen your brand and customer relationships, not weaken them. - Offer unique value that can't be easily replicated. In the case of embedded insurance, it works best for novel risks, not generic coverages. - Be transparent and avoid pushy sales tactics. Customers will reject partnerships that feel like harassment!

Maintaining a proactive stance during conflicts often involves fostering a culture of joint problem-solving. Encouraging partners to collaborate on improvement plans, even amid challenges, often salvages relationships and paves the way for stronger partnerships. Furthermore, recognizing that partnerships evolve or become obsolete is vital; being open to redefining terms or exploring new collaborations aligns with the dynamic nature of the industry.

The end of a partnership should never come out of the blue or as a surprise to the partner. Many attempts, conversations and avenues to course correct should have taken place prior to cutting ties.

A robust channel-partner ecosystem develops and evolves in alignment with the brand's value proposition. While some startups may benefit from nurturing partners who grow alongside their value proposition, others may naturally fall behind. Even mature brands launching channel-partner initiatives may face similar challenges, where some partners may not align with the program's future direction. In any scenario, maintain an open mind and recognize that we're all part of the same journey. Preserving relationships and leaving bridges intact is consistently the wisest approach.