READ ON PHILHSC.COM | READ TIME: 3 MINUTES | 11 JUNE, 2025

Welcome to Partnership Wednesday #98 featuring ideas you can use to create partnerships faster, with less guesswork, and confidently close 6-figure deals.

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A LESSON TO BUILD ON

When Amazon let major U.S. department store chain Kohl’s handle product returns, it wasn’t a simple customer service move. It was a backend play with front-end benefits. Kohl’s had idle space and staff. Amazon had a growing returns headache. The partnership yielded shorter lines, happier customers, and a surprising lift in Kohl’s in-store traffic. This unlikely alliance turned logistical slack into shared value.

Leadership Lesson: Look beyond the silos. They turn excess into opportunity by asking: Where do we have untapped capacity? and Who else could benefit from it while advancing our goals?

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AN ANSWER TO HELP YOU MOVE FASTER

How do we help our champion turn interest in partnering with us into budget, support, and green lights to get started? I was asked this question from the crowd this week. Here’s my answer:

Great partnerships gain momentum in the meetings after the meeting. That’s where real buy-in happens.

Start by moving away from “our champion just needs to get approval” to “our champion becomes a hero when we help them secure the approval”

Consider these 10 internal selling tactics:

1. Arm Them With a Custom Slide​
→ One clear page they can drop into any deck.
It should answer: “Why now? Why us?”

2. Translate the Value Into Their Metrics​
→ Not “brand awareness.” Say for example, “10% lift in partner-led conversions.”
Speak the CFO’s language, or be ignored.

3. Offer the 3-Year ROI Narrative​
→ Short-term lift. Mid-term efficiency. Long-term positioning.
Leaders buy what lasts.

4. Name the Risks Before They Do​
→ “Here’s what could go wrong, and how we’ll handle it.”​
You’ll earn more trust by being the first to say it.

5. Draft a Win Email They Can Forward​
→ The deal, summarised in 4 bullet points.
Make it easy for them to look smart, and decisive.

6. Show Them How to Say No to You​
→ “If these 2 things don’t happen in 90 days, let’s shake hands and walk away.”​
This reduces fear, and increases the chance of yes.

7. Give Them Internal Credit​
→ Mention their idea in front of your CEO.
Or shout them out in a deck. Influence their org through recognition.

8. Map the Decision Chain With Them​
→ Who signs off? Who blocks? Who needs to feel safe?
Great partners help navigate, not just pitch.

9. Offer a ‘No Budget Needed’ Pilot​
→ Give them a risk-free way to get started.
Once the results come in, budget follows.

10. Co-Create a Short FAQ Doc​
→ 5 questions their team will ask, and how to answer them.
Make the internal sale as smooth as the external one.

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THIS WEEK'S MOMENT (Insight for your commute)

Have you ever felt like a partnership is gaining traction, yet there's no deal, no dollars, no launch to prove it?

In this 6-minute episode:

• Discover 10 powerful signals that show a partnership is moving forward, even without formal agreements
• Learn how to demonstrate progress to internal stakeholders when traditional KPIs are absent
• Get strategic insights to avoid misreading cues and make smarter decisions about which partnerships to nurture or cut

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/11-june-2025​

See you next Wednesday,

Phil Hayes-St Clair, Business Partnerships Expert & Coach

​Find me on LinkedIn or Book a 1:1 Call​

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