Trust your gut: Know when partnerships are a right fit
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The wrong partnership or client can hurt you, your brand and/or your business. Partnerships which don’t align with you and what you stand for (or your business) creates a disconnect. Perhaps this plays out publicly in the media or forces you to complete tasks you don’t agree with privately. Either way, you’re on the losing end.
One of the most difficult things I’m learning as a business owner is how to say no when a partnership doesn’t align with my business or “doesn’t feel right.”
Yes, I put faith in my my gut reaction (with the exception of when I’m hungry). I’ll go out on a limb and say nine times out of 10 it’s usually the right decision.
It’s a wonderful to know people want to work with you, just be sure it’s the right move for both parties.
Thoughts?
56 Comments on this post
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DJ said:
Your post couldn’t have come at a better time… Dealing with some crazy wedding vendors.
January 6th, 2010 at 5:23 pm -
Nathan T. Wright said:
Sarah, this is absolutely correct and vital to the health of your business (and sanity) as you mature. Saying no is very hard when you’re in that first year of starting up, but it gets easier over time. Great post!
January 6th, 2010 at 5:23 pm -
Erin said:
All too true! Thanks for this reminder!
January 6th, 2010 at 5:25 pm -
Karen Rocks said:
One of my cardinal rules: I cannot promote something/work with someone I don’t believe in. Integrity is very important to me and when there are clients who I don’t think I am a good match for, I let them know. It’s like the phrase “It’s not you, it’s me”. And yes, trust your gut, as that saying has gotten me to very good places in life w/out any regret.
January 6th, 2010 at 5:26 pm -
Emily said:
I think this is a common issue in the world of PR. Representing a company implies that your values/ideas align with theirs. If you don’t agree with what the business does or the products they offer, it’s best to decline.
January 6th, 2010 at 5:33 pm -
lizziesorensen said:
I wholeheartedly agree. Whenever I have had a bad qualm it has gotten icky and toxic by 60days in. Karen Rocks says it – can’t work with someone I don’t believe in so I try to stick to my gut.
January 6th, 2010 at 5:33 pm -
Julia Beck said:
Sarah,
This is spot on…you are truly the company you keep. And the more we pay attention the whole of the picture (placing intuition at the top) the healthier our business will be. Hooray for having the strength clarity and confidence to make wise choices. Happy New Year to you smart and savvy Sarah!January 6th, 2010 at 5:34 pm -
Paola Finocchiaro said:
Ogilvy, (in his book on Advertising) says to fire any client who makes your people miserable.
1) When you work in-house, the problem usually remains peripheral. (Unless you get “merged”, of course)
2) When you work in an agency, your control over any potential partnership problem is directly proportional to your paycheck. (If you’re really junior, blissful ignorance can help cushion things)
3) When you work for yourself, your desire to stop toxic partnerships is directly proportional to the amount of new biz you pull in that quarter.
4) I suppose if you’re unemployed no one looks toxic to you.
Conclusion: Ogilvy answered correctly for 1), 2), 3) and 4). I think you have the right instincts, too.
January 6th, 2010 at 5:41 pm -
Laura Scholz said:
Sarah, this is SO true. And like you said, a hard lesson to learn, I think especially for women, who have a tendency to want to be “nice” and have a hard time saying no. But when it’s your brand and your name and your business, you have to be picky. I’m even being more careful about what businesses/individuals I endorse on social media channels, because that also reflects on me and my business. I will say that saying “no” sometimes pays off. I said no to a lot of business at the end of 2009 because the projects just didn’t align with my values, and I’m so glad I did. It always pays to trust your gut!
January 6th, 2010 at 5:47 pm -
Dayna Steele said:
Have always followed my gut. Many have said I was crazy along the way. I’m still here! Has always worked out for the best.
January 6th, 2010 at 5:53 pm -
PRsarahevans said:
Thanks, all!
January 6th, 2010 at 6:07 pm -
Angela Daffron @DaffronMkt said:
Very true! Following your gut is good in most cases including when to accept or reject a client.
Great reminder Sarah!
January 6th, 2010 at 7:20 pm -
duongsheahan said:
Bullseye! We’ve all heard the term, “I Have a GUT feeling” Because your GUT is your 2nd BRAIN. have done some interesting study/read on this topic. I’ll never underestimate my “gut feeling” most of the time..it’s right on.
@duongsheahanJanuary 7th, 2010 at 1:54 am -
Catering said:
I have tried partnership in other business in my starting days, few days are always best with partners but when problems comes it’ll never be ending because opinions, nature and working methods very person to person, main thing i learned is you require best understanding if you working in partnership, but still i suggest to go with Gut feeling and do our own.
January 7th, 2010 at 2:11 am -
used tires said:
Its hard to find the right balance, to one point…. you gotta be open to new ideas, and to another… you gotta restrict yourself to not jump on every opportunity, so I personally find its a balance, and one that you learn with experience. The more experience you have, the more likely you are right to lock into that partnership that creates the right chemistry, and leads to being one of the best business decisions for you =D
Till then,
Jean
January 7th, 2010 at 5:34 am -
youtube gir said:
thanks for new tools. but we always love twitter =)
January 7th, 2010 at 1:23 pm -
Aluminum Laptop Cases said:
I have tried various partnerships and I agree that they don’t always work out. Sometimes personalities clash or you just don’t have the same motivation or goals. If it’s not working out, you have to be willing to cut ties to ensure that partnership does not hold you back.
January 7th, 2010 at 3:07 pm -
Tatyana Gann said:
I agree with your Sarah.. ALso follow that intuition! Never allow people influence your decision but make the ones that best serve your purpose and go for it. Partnerships can make you or break you for sure.
Best to you
Tatyana Gann
January 7th, 2010 at 5:09 pm -
Catering said:
Yes much agreed with ‘Aluminum Laptop Cases’ don’t think partnership always workout, there is no guarantee of success in partnership but in individual business you can drag success at your door by working hard and smartly.
January 8th, 2010 at 12:14 am -
Michelle Minch, Moving Mountains Design said:
I love working for myself, and I love being able to choose which clients I will work with. True success for me is not having to say yes to a client/project that makes my “spidey sense” tingle.
I’m good at making delicious lemonade out of lemons, but sometimes the lemons are rotten, and nothing good can come of them.
January 9th, 2010 at 12:04 am -
Cartoon Bears said:
I am considering starting a small record label. I want my business model to involve partnerships with other small international record labels.
January 9th, 2010 at 12:44 pm -
calivita said:
honesty is very important, but yes to friendship should not be confused trade
January 10th, 2010 at 1:16 pm -
yemek tarifleri said:
best wishes thank you
January 11th, 2010 at 7:22 pm -
textbook rental said:
you got to trust your gut… I know most would say do business logicaly, and I agree it has its place but you need to work with people that feel right for you
January 12th, 2010 at 12:27 pm -
Catering said:
My experience is some times not only partners(people) but situations goes wrong in partnership which will causes problems.
January 13th, 2010 at 12:23 am -
sarki sozu said:
Very true. Thank you
January 13th, 2010 at 11:23 am -
resimleri said:
I agree with your Sarah.
January 13th, 2010 at 11:26 am -
germany.calivita said:
trust you partnership you can use intimoments http://calivitainternational.com
January 14th, 2010 at 6:50 am -
germany.calivita said:
and firstly health is come
January 14th, 2010 at 6:50 am -
textbook rental said:
Always trust your gut. Even when its Dark Chocolate.
January 14th, 2010 at 6:45 pm -
Net Age Web Design said:
Gut feel works for me. I’ve disregarded it too many times and got burnt because of that to not be cognisant of the fact that our instincts seldom lie.
January 15th, 2010 at 2:08 pm -
germany.calivita said:
i should not trust anyone more
January 18th, 2010 at 8:09 am -
Catering said:
@ germany.calivita: i think you doing good, no need to trust any one problem solved before it raise.
January 20th, 2010 at 7:08 am -
Bidet said:
This is a great tips. Having a bad partner can give your company a bad name, if that partner has a bad reputation. Its always good to do research before you pick your partner/client. Thanks for sharing this tip with us.
January 24th, 2010 at 2:21 am -
calivita.com said:
what a funny thing
January 31st, 2010 at 3:53 pm -
calivita.com said:
i also should not trust anyone more
January 31st, 2010 at 3:54 pm -
chat sohbet said:
The system works at five levels deep so you could potentially create a massive amount of free ad views and web traffic. You can also track your stats by using their tracking code which can be generated in html or php. Another benefit you can use is the email function to alert your downline about special offers, the system also keeps tab when you last sent a broadcast and limits the amount of emails sent to avoid spamming issues.
February 5th, 2010 at 8:26 am -
Turkey said:
But, sometimes confidence is required.
February 7th, 2010 at 10:22 am -
Hair Salons said:
I agree with Aluminum Laptop Cases, partnership not workout, after sometimes creates problems in the partnership.
February 9th, 2010 at 5:37 am -
youtube gir said:
great idea, thanks for sharing.
February 16th, 2010 at 8:33 am -
youtube gir said:
But, sometimes confidence is required.
February 16th, 2010 at 11:52 pm -
Aluminum Laptop Cases said:
You definitely should take partnership proposals seriously and not just jump into any partnership that is offered. You need to have complimentary skills and personalities to make a good partnership. There are a lot of things that can make a partnership fail. So don’t waste your time on a partnership that is doomed from the beginning.
February 17th, 2010 at 1:39 pm -
how to start a blog said:
When I was in the web design business, I had turned down clients flat out when my intuition tells me that he/she is going to be a pain in the you know where
It’s funny though if you think about it, we as humans are so “trained” to say yes. Think about when your friends ask you to go out for a drink, when colleagues ask you to got out for happy hours – it’s just so hard to say NO because it makes you look like a party pooper or unfriendly individual.
Learn to say NO!
February 18th, 2010 at 9:45 pm -
Hair Salons said:
Yes, we seen many example of partnership break up or not work out. Yes, don’t waste your valuable time for partnership.
February 19th, 2010 at 7:36 am -
radyo dinle said:
Yes freelancing is easy way to generate money in short time according to our time, i would very good that 9 to 5 Job, ELance one of good freelance site not much idea of Guru
)March 2nd, 2010 at 2:52 am -
radyo dinle said:
yep allright okey?
March 2nd, 2010 at 2:53 am -
sikis izle said:
best wishes thank you
March 4th, 2010 at 2:38 am -
wholesale handbags said:
Trust is essential and most important factor for any business ventures or deal. Collecting reviews would be the great idea before getting started? Don’t you think?
March 4th, 2010 at 5:58 am -
oyun oyna said:
play games on my web site man
March 5th, 2010 at 7:27 am -
Freelance Writing Jobs said:
That’s why personal marketing and relationships should be carefully studied and must go on with each other. Otherwise, things could happen like those you have mentioned in this post.
March 6th, 2010 at 5:48 am -
Turkey said:
Yes freelancing is easy way to generate money in short time according to our time,
March 6th, 2010 at 3:43 pm -
Writing Jobs said:
@Turkey – easy way but not for a long term basis.
March 11th, 2010 at 12:27 am -
steve said:
having the wrong client can cause you more time/headache than its worth.
March 15th, 2010 at 4:07 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Sarah Evans, cloudspark. cloudspark said: read it! RT @PRsarahevans Trust your gut: Know when partnerships are a right fit http://bit.ly/88MxY4 [...]
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