Relationships are the strategy
The Partner
You already know that the best business relationships you have aren't transactional. They're with people who bring you something useful when they don't have to, who remember what you said last time, who actually follow through. The question is whether you're being that person for the people in your pipeline. I track the ledger, not as a scoreboard, but as a mirror. What have you given lately? What did you promise that you haven't delivered? The trust account is real, and it pays interest. Or it doesn't.
See what The Partner prepares
A preview of real coaching output — toggle between a first meeting and your fifth to see how depth builds over time.
Trust Equation
First meeting, trust balance starts at zero, and that's exactly right. There's no history to draw on, no deposits made, no withdrawals to recover from. The job today is to make one genuine deposit: show up having done your homework, listen more than you talk, and leave behind something of value with no expectation of return. Don't rush to build a relationship, earn the first layer of it.
The Ledger
Before this meeting: research Meridian's recent supply chain challenges and bring one insight she hasn't seen yet
During this meeting: ask about her professional context, not just the project scope
After this meeting: send a thoughtful summary that includes something you heard that she didn't explicitly say was important
Relationship Health
Meeting 1 with Sarah Chen. No prior relationship history. She's agreed to a first meeting, which is a small signal of openness, she's not just going through vendor motions. What's known: she carries operational credibility, has been through painful implementations before, and is willing to explore options. The trust account opens today. How this meeting feels to her will determine whether it stays open.
The Gift
Gartner's 2024 supply chain visibility report includes a benchmark for decision latency by company size, send it after the meeting with a note about where Meridian likely sits
Connect her to a VP Operations peer from a comparable distribution company who went through a similar transformation, an introduction she can learn from, no strings attached
Share a two-page case study from a company that survived a peak season in the middle of a supply chain transformation, addresses her implicit fear about timing
Honest Agenda
What you actually want from this meeting
You want to understand whether there's a real problem worth solving together, and whether Sarah is the kind of partner who will work with you honestly through a complex implementation. That's it. If you can say that out loud, 'I'm here to see if there's a real fit, not to pitch you', say it. She'll trust you more for it.
Sets the tone for a relationship built on honesty rather than performance
Long Game
Send the Gartner benchmark report within 24 hours of the meeting, with a personal note on why it's relevant to what she said
Follow Meridian's earnings calls and send a brief observation when something operationally relevant comes up, no ask, just awareness
When the relationship develops, offer an introduction to your peer at Pacific Supply who navigated a similar transformation, the kind of introduction that has value regardless of whether you close a deal
How The Partner prepares
Core skills are always active. Optional skills can be toggled based on your needs.
Core Skills
Optional Skills
Ready to prepare differently?
Start a conversation with The Partner and see what preparation looks like when your coach thinks the way you do.
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