READ ON PHILHSC.COM | READ TIME: 4 MINUTES | 15 OCTOBER, 2025

Hi Reader, how's the week started for you?

Here's edition #116 to help you build partnerships faster, with less guesswork, and confidently close 6-figure deals.

And if you have a growth question? Reply to this email, I read every one.

A LESSON TO BUILD ON

“We’re bringing an end to our partnership.”

My co-founder and I sat stunned. We’d built breakthrough technology for one of the biggest names in commercial radio, a new way to understand who was listening. Every signal looked positive. We had clear intent, a multi-year deal, strong allies, and an early win (nearly an IDEAL partnership).

What we missed were the incentives. They nodded through every presentation, but nodding isn’t buy-in. Their success depended on airtime sales; ours depended on adoption. Different scoreboards.

The partnership didn’t fail for lack of effort, it failed because incentives quietly drifted apart.

Leadership lesson: Incentives are the gravity of every partnership. Align them early, test them often, and never mistake polite agreement for shared motivation.

AN ANSWER TO HELP YOU MOVE FASTER

There are ~70 days until Christmas. How do I help my team close out the year with a great result? I was asked this question from the crowd this week. Here’s my answer:

It’s the right question to ask because right now, especially if your financial year ends on 31 December or 31 March, your sales and marketing team is looking at you for direction.

The way you can be of greatest help is to provide clear expectations.
​
Here's what you can say this week:
​
​"Every deal gets a verdict by December 15th"​
→ Close, push to Q1, or kill it
→ No deals live in limbo through year-end
→ Your team's focus is worth more than false hope
​
​"We're auditing everything above $50k. Now."​
→ Real blockers vs. what reps are saying
→ Decision makers identified (not just contacts)
→ Timeline that's honest, not optimistic
​
​"Daily stand-ups start Monday"​
→ 10 minutes max
→ Blockers surface immediately
→ I remove obstacles, you close deals
​​
Your team is tired. Lead accordingly.​
→ Cancel non-essential meetings
→ Take admin tasks off their plate
→ Give permission to log off at 5pm
→ Celebrate small wins daily, not just closes
→ Double your 1:1 time (they need you more)
→ Write personal notes of appreciation
​
And while you're executing Q4:
​
​Map Q1 opportunities now​
→ Future customers are budgeting in November
→ Book discovery calls before December chaos
→ Position yourself when competitors are asleep
​
​Prep your team for January momentum​
→ Document objections you're hearing today
→ Refine your strongest closing techniques
→ Set territory goals that excite, not exhaust
​
​Lock in Q1 expectations early​
→ Numbers that stretch your team's confidence
→ Clear consequences for underperformance
→ Support systems that make success inevitable
​
The difference between good go-to-market teams and great ones?
​
Great teams don't just finish strong. They start the next quarter already winning.
​
Each day from here on in needs to count and clarity is the greatest gift you can give your team.

Here’s an infographic that might help you navigate this topic further: Blind Spots GTM Leaders Actively Work On by Phil Hayes-St Clair.pdf

THIS WEEK'S MOMENT (Insight for your commute)

Every feel like partnership deals were solid until they weren’t?

In this 8-minute episode, you’ll learn:

• Replace wishful thinking with probability-driven strategy
• Stop pushing pressure and start enforcing process
• Treat December as the launchpad for Q1 growth through high-value partnerships​

Get every episode of the Partnership Playbook on your next commute or workout. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Youtube!

KNOW PEOPLE WHO FEEL STUCK?

Share this issue via text, social media, or email by copying and pasting this link:

https://philhsc.com/partnership/15-october-2025

See you next Wednesday,

Phil Hayes-St Clair
Executive Coach

Find me on LinkedIn