Every business is an ecosystem. You may have a supply chain, resellers, joint marketing agreements, affiliates in global markets, creative agencies. You have a Board and shareholders. At the very least, you have customers!
A successful business thrives on the energy and influence its ecosystem creates if everyone in it understands your vision and your business. For that to happen, you need to have active, healthy, relationships. You need to speak to your partners in a way that matters to them. Over and over and over again. And then again. Forever.
Here’s how to educate, nurture and derive value from your business’s ecosystem:
- Define clear messages. Tailor these messages to the needs, aspirations and fears of each segment of your beautiful, complex, vibrant ecosystem.
- Consistently and graciously deliver those messages via whatever channels your ecosystem prefers. Take the time to poll them – how do they want to hear from you? Measure what do they actually read and adjust accordingly.
- Repeat. Repeat again. Your message can never be too clear, too easy to find, too often repeated. Communicate with your partners on a consistent, repeating cadence, because you are not the only partner your partners have. Because teams change.
- Listen! Dialogue goes both ways. Ask questions. Listen carefully to the answers. Ask for their suggestions. Respond to their inquiries, concerns and ideas with enthusiasm and respect.
- Clearly demonstrate your appreciation for your ecosystem’s loyalty and contribution to your business. Tell them when something they suggested went well. Recognize their quarterly or annual contributions in ways that are meaningful to them. Offer them opportunities to participate in your marketing. Favored partner status benefits both them and you.
- Finally – as the CEO, make the care and feeding of your ecosystem a personal priority. It’s great to have a strong business development and alliances team. But don’t delegate the most important relationships in your ecosystem to others entirely. As the leader you must be engaged with your key partners.
A thriving ecosystem is the foundation that energizes and sustains a business that’s scaling. Grow your ecosystem with plenty of care, nourishment and consistent communication!
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