Make your partners more relevant
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BE IN MOTION
Welcome to Partnership Wednesday #84 featuring a lesson, a thought, an answer, and a prompt to sharpen your partnership skills and help you confidently close 6-figure deals.
A LESSON
In its early days, Airbnb leveraged Craigslist’s massive classified advertisements user base to drive bookings. By allowing hosts to cross-post listings, Airbnb tapped into a built-in audience. This strategy helped helped Airbnb grow rapidly without heavy marketing costs and move from being a niche platform to a global hospitality provider.
Key Lesson: Growth isn’t always about reinventing the wheel. Sometimes, it’s about leveraging existing audiences to accelerate success, and those who own those audiences are always looking for something new to remain relevant.
A THOUGHT
There are 7 discrete steps to take when winding up a partnership if you want to maintain your reputation. I share them tomorrow on the Partnership Playbook Podcast (you can subscribe for free, here)
AN ANSWER
What if people doubt the partnerships we’re building? I was asked this question from the crowd this week. Here’s my answer:
Some won't understand your partnerships and that’s fine.
Outsiders will criticise partnerships they don’t understand. They’ll question the fit, the timing, or the strategy.
But the truth is most people don’t need to understand.
The ones who matter are those who can see the long-term value—your team, shareholders and partners.
Why? Because successful partnerships are built on shared goals, aligned incentives, and mutual trust—not universal approval.
When outsiders doubt you, remember:
→ They don’t have your context
→ They don’t see the long-term vision
→ They don’t know the behind-the-scenes wins
→ They don’t understand the value being created
Ignore the noise.
Partnerships that seem unconventional often deliver the biggest breakthroughs.
THE PROMPT
Where could your business bring something new to a large, existing audience?
PARTNERSHIP PLAYBOOK MOMENT
You can listen or watch full episodes of the Partnership Playbook on your next commute or workout. Here’s a short moment that will give you a shot of partnership goodness. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Youtube!
Tap the tile to listen!
KNOW PEOPLE WHO NEED THIS?
Want to share this issue of Partnership via text, social media or email? Just copy and paste this link:
https://philhsc.com/partnership/26-february-2025
Until next Wednesday,
Phil Hayes-St Clair - Partnership Expert & Coach
When you're ready, there are three ways I can help you:
1. Partnership Essentials: A self-paced, practical online course for entrepreneurs and small business owners. In just 30 days, you'll build a partnership operating system that turns conversations into contracts.
2. Partnership Lab: Coaching tailored for marketing or sales leaders ready to drive rapid growth. My promise: I'll help you close 3 game-changing partnerships in 90 days.
3. Performance Partnerships: A coaching program designed for organisations aiming for sustainable, meaningful growth. The goal: Achieve double-digit growth through strategic partnerships in 12 months—without overwhelming your team.
Looking for something different? Send me an email.
Don't know where to start with partnerships?
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