The Biggest Mistake People Make When Collaborating—Plus, 4 Things To Do Before Teaming Up With Someone
Everywhere you look, it seems like brands are partnering up to run a giveaway, go live on Instagram, or launch a co-branded product collaboration. It makes sense then, that more and more people would be curious about whether or not their business should join the collaboration party, too.
The short answer is YES, you should definitely collaborate. When we come together to share our resources, ideas, and communities with one another, we are so much more powerful than when we do things on our own.
The long answer is, although collaboration can be an incredible strategy to achieve your business goals (especially during the current climate of social distancing), you can totally miss the mark if you don’t lay the groundwork properly first. Before you take a dip in the collaboration pool, there are a few steps to take so you don’t accidentally do a belly flop:
Here’s how to do it right.
1. Know your company inside and out
This includes knowing your mission (why you do what you do), vibe (how you communicate what you do), audience (who you do it for), offering (what you do), and execution (how you do what you do). Having that information top of mind will make you sound like the ultimate polished business owner, plus it’ll help you identify great potential partners down the line.
It’s also important to have a super-tight elevator pitch that explains who you are, what you do, for whom you do it, and how you do it. For example, mine is, “I’m a collaboration consultant who teaches individuals, entrepreneurs, and organizations to solve problems and achieve their goals by thinking collaboratively and harnessing the power of their network.”
Having a clear and concise elevator pitch not only makes it easier for you to explain what you do, it makes it easier for other people to explain what you do when you’re not around (and THAT is how you get great referrals.)
It’s totally fine if you continue to tweak it regularly, in fact, it’s encouraged. My elevator pitch has changed nearly a million times over the last few years, so don’t get too hung up on making it something that will last forever. The most important thing is to make sure it remains true to what your business is today, not six months ago.
2. Identify your asks and gives
One of the biggest mistakes I see people make when they begin collaborating is not taking time to figure out what they need to get from a partner in order for the collaboration to feel like a success. If you haven’t identified your “asks” (what you'd like to get from a collaboration), you’re much more likely to take whatever the other party offers you, which may or may not be valuable to you or support your goals. The last thing you want to do is not express your needs, and ultimately feel taken advantage of.
Another big mistake is when people aren’t clear about what all they have to offer a partner before entering into a collaboration. Thinking through your “gives” (what you can give in a collaboration) helps you identify all the ways in which you can create an even value exchange between you and your potential partner.
The key to creating a collaboration that won’t make either side feel taken advantage of (a big fear I hear from people who are hesitant to collaborate) is to always aim for an even value exchange. What feels beneficial to one person may not matter at all to another, so it’s important to have an honest conversation at the beginning of the relationship to find out what each side values. That way you can ensure that each partner is getting what they need in order for the collaboration to feel like a success.
3. Look for the overlap
Much like romantic relationships, not every brand is going to be the right collaborative partner for you. One of the best ways to know whether a potential partner is the right fit is to make sure you share a similar mission (why you do what you do), vibe (how you communicate what you do), and audience (who you do it for). When those three things are aligned, it’s much more likely that a collaboration will be well-received by both of your communities.
You can also have an overlapping offering (what you do) or execution (how you do what you do), but not both. If you offer the same thing in the same way, you're basically the same company, and that doesn't make for a good partnership. Looking for the overlap also means finding common ground from the get-go. What is it that your brands (or you and the other person) have in common? When you start from that place, you’re both likely to feel seen and respected from the beginning, which ultimately leads to a better working relationship.
4. Get a warm introduction
It’s always best to start collaborating with individuals and brands you already know personally rather than reaching out to total strangers. I like to encourage my clients to build up their collaboration muscle with some "test and learns" with people they trust while the stakes are low. Once you feel confident about your ability to be a great partner and run a successful collaboration, then you can expand past your immediate circles to the brands you don't yet know.
Once you’re ready to take the leap beyond your first-degree network and begin reaching out to some brands that you don’t know (yet), the next move is to get a warm introduction to them from a mutual connection whenever possible. If you can avoid reaching out cold (meaning they’ve never heard of you and have no connection to you), you’ll increase the likelihood that they’ll respond.
Consider how different it feels when a stranger emails you directly vs. when a friend connects you to someone via email. Our guard naturally goes up when we see a stranger’s email in our inbox, but the same isn’t true for when someone comes to you through a friend you trust.
The easiest way to figure out who may be able to connect you to someone at the brand you want to reach is by using LinkedIn. When you search for the person at the brand who you ultimately want to connect with, you’ll be able to see what connections you have in common. If you can find someone that you know well enough to ask for an intro, reach out (preferably via email instead of LinkedIn Mail) using this template.
Just a little housekeeping note
Once someone introduces you via email, do them a favor and in the next email response, thank them and move them to BCC. I can’t tell you how many emails I’ve been trapped in long past my warm introduction! Also, remember to reach back out to let them know if anything came of their introduction. As someone who connects people all the time, it’s always nice to know if it worked out.
Collaborating with the right partner can be an exciting, rewarding experience for everyone involved, especially when you go about it intentionally and strategically. Always aim for an even value exchange, and remember that it’s in the overlap where communication, connection, and collaboration can happen. Start there, and the rest will follow.
About the Author: Baily Hancock is a collaboration consultant, speaker, and the host of the “Stop, Collaborate & Listen” podcast who’s on a mission to save humanity with collaboration. Join the Entrepreneurs Who Collaborate Facebook Group to find potential partners and receive Baily’s collaboration templates, tools, and tips.
This story has been updated.
The Biggest Marketing Mistake to Avoid—Plus 4 Key Marketing Tips From Gray Whale Gin Founder Jan Livingston Mokhtari
When launching a new consumer packaged goods (CPG) brand—i.e. products that are consumed by people on a daily or frequent basis—developing the right marketing strategy can be just as important as the product itself. Effective storytelling is a powerful tool that can help establish connection and trust between the consumer, product, and the company, which ultimately drives revenue growth. In competitive markets, having a strong narrative can set you apart from other brands, increase the likelihood for people to share your story, and lead to a loyal customer base that boosts overall success.
More than half of consumers (57 percent) will increase their spending with a brand when they feel a strong connection, and 76 percent will buy from them over a competitor, according to a study from Sprout Social. Connection is heavily built through storytelling, something award-winning creative director turned eco-entrepreneur Jan Livingston Mokhtari knows firsthand.
A power player in the marketing industry for over 20 years, the former head of creative for Fox Networks Group’s first branded content was once named one of Business Insider’s “Most Creative Women in Advertising.” Livingston Mokhtari led brand-building campaigns for heavyweights like Procter & Gamble, Samsung, Target, Nestle, and T-Mobile. Her passion for narrative also transcends into filmmaking—she’s been a creator, writer, and showrunner for networks like E! and Comedy Central.
Given her expertise in marketing and storytelling, it’s no surprise that when she set out to launch Gray Whale Gin in 2016 alongside her husband, Marsh Mokhtari, the company quickly became the fastest-growing craft gin in the country. Storytelling is key in every touchpoint of the brand, down to the ingredients. Inspired by a family camping trip in Big Sur where they spotted a gray whale and its calf on their migratory journey, the company infuses this core narrative in its name, purpose, botanical ingredients, packaging, and even proceeds from its sales.
“These creatures have been making the longest-known migration to man for [more than 30 million years], and it started this conversation of how could we tell that story through a spirit that celebrates California, is made from California botanicals, and gives back to ocean conversation,” says Livingston Mokhtari on the latest episode of WorkParty.
The result is an award-winning gin infused with locally sourced botanicals (including sea kelp) that is sustainably packaged in an ocean-inspired teal bottle showcasing a gray whale tail. One percent of all sales go to supporting ocean conservation and the creatures within it.
Having built her company from the ground up, Livingston Mokhtari has plenty of advice for aspiring entrepreneurs looking to do the same—especially when it comes to marketing. For her, the biggest mistake brands can make is overcomplicating the narrative. “I see a lot of young brands telling too many stories in too many places,” she says. Streamlining is key as to not confuse the consumer and detract from your central message.
Here, she shares four key marketing tips for those looking to build their brand:
1. Always come back to your core story
Storytelling happens at so many different touch points throughout the customer’s journey, and it’s important to stay consistent. Make sure you’re staying on brand with your company’s mission and always consider your core narrative when making decisions for stronger impact.
2. Before saying ‘yes’ to opportunities, ask yourself if it aligns with your brand
As your company grows, so too will the business opportunities. Whether you’re presented with a partnership, collaboration, or asked to participate in an event (big or small), make sure that it’s right for your brand. Does it align with your company’s purpose, values, and core narrative? Will it make sense to the customer that you said “yes” to this?
3. Authenticity is key
Make sure that all brand decisions are coming from an authentic place. For example, if you’re invited to an event and know that influential people will be there in attendance, you must ask yourself if saying “yes” is coming from an authentic place with the other partnerships that you have. Try not to get caught up in opportunities or trends that will detract from your core message and company purpose.
4. It’s just as important to say ‘no’
Opportunities may come along and they may be big, but they could spread your team or your budget too thin. After winning awards, several distributors asked Gray Whale Gin to be in their states, but they turned them down. “If you’re in 48 states and you’re only selling 5,000 cases, then that’s not a good efficient use of your budget, your time, or your founder’s time,” she says. “We recognized that we were in one of the largest craft gin markets in the world, which was California/Los Angeles, so we just focused on California. That was a really smart move because when the strategists were interested and wanted to have conversations with us, the data of 3.5 percent of the market in California was enough on its own.”
Livingston Mokhtari was able to stay focused on marketing, which at the time, was the bottle, events, and organic social media, and that decision helped prevent her from overextending herself and her team, allowing the company to grow organically at a pace it could sustain.
Tune into the latest episode of WorkParty with Jaclyn Johnson for more key learnings from her illustrious career in advertising and how she built Gray Whale Gin into the successful brand it is today.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/5mNIuQqWZ96pBvuwvUVWU4?si=160d07a2fc8740cf
RESOURCES
To connect with Jan Livingston Mokhtari click here
To follow along with Gray Whale Gin click here
To connect with Jaclyn Johnson click here
To follow along with Create & Cultivate click here
To submit your questions call the WorkParty Hotline: 1-(833)-57-PARTY (577-2789)
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You Made a Mistake at Work, Now What?
Everyone makes mistakes. Here’s how to handle yours with professionalism and poise.
Photo: Christina Jones Photography
We've all been there. That moment when you realize you've made a huge mistake and get that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach.
Everyone makes mistakes. It's human nature. what matters isn’t that you made a mistake, but how you handle it. If you are perpetually making errors because of a lack of attention to detail or carelessness, that is a separate issue that should be addressed. However, making a rare mistake is totally normal as long as you handle it properly. What does that mean?
Handling a mistake properly means taking the high road, taking responsibility, and making the situation right. Below is a list of steps to take to ensure that you handle your mistake professionally and with poise.
You made a mistake, now what?
TAKE ACTION IMMEDIATELY
The moment you realize that you've made a mistake is the moment you need to take action. Sitting around and dwelling on your error won't make it better, and depending on what the mistake is, moving slowly could make it worse.
In some instances, taking immediate action could actually help you reverse the mistake. For instance, if you realize that you just sent something to print with a typo in it, call the printing press or whoever is in charge and explain the situation immediately. If you get to the right people in time, you may be able to stop the problem before it starts and get them the correct information before anything gets printed incorrectly.
TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR ERRORS AND FESS UP TO THEM
There's nothing worse than a person who won't take responsibility for their error and instead tries to place blame on someone else. When you don’t take responsibility and try to blame the problem on others, it becomes a bigger deal, involves others, and can turn into an office-wide issue.
If you handle your mistake appropriately, you will often be recognized for your quick thinking and your ability to jump on a situation. In this case, the mistake could end up working in your favor in the long run. Most people understand that mistakes happen, so they pay more attention to the aftermath than the mistake itself. Make your mitigation process memorable, and people will remember how you remedied the situation instead of created it.
WORK QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY
It’s important to get things sorted out as soon as possible, but if you're not working strategically and efficiently, it's not worth it. No one will care that you're working fast to remedy the situation if your fast work is riddled with errors and carelessness. Quality trumps everything in business, so make sure that your work is efficient and free of errors, especially when you’re trying to fix a mistake that you made.
This is the moment to make sure your next steps are near perfect. That means triple-checking the information you’re putting out and taking note of everything you do. Document your process so you have it on file should it ever come out in the future. That way, if someone does question the mistake you made, you can easily outline the process you took to fix it.
MAKE NOTE OF WHAT WENT WRONG AND TAKE PRECAUTIONS SO IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN
Part of making mistakes is learning from them, so it’s important that you assess the situation to figure out exactly what went wrong. After you’ve taken care of all of the cleanup and have gotten everything smoothed out, take a few minutes to reflect on what happened. Go through the steps in your head to see what went wrong, where it went wrong, and note how to combat this in the future.
MOVE ON
Take a deep breath and move on. Once you’ve cleaned up the aftermath there is nothing else you can do. Try not to dwell on it, and do your best to move forward. This may be easier said than done, but it’s the truth. Take the high road, take responsibility, work efficiently, document your work, and make sure you don’t make the same mistake twice. After you’ve done this, you’ve done your part. Once it’s over and done, let it go. You’ll live longer.
About the Author: A native San Franciscan, Michele Lando is a certified professional résumé writer and founder of writestylesonline.com. She has a passion for helping others present the best version of themselves, both on paper and in person, and works to polish an individual’s application package and personal style. Aiming to help create a perfect personal branding package, Write Styles presents tips to enhance your résumé, style, and boost your confidence.
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This story was originally published on August 17, 2016, and has since been updated.
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The 4 Rs You Need to Recover From a Mistake
The logistic ninjas of Grow Marketing break it down.
Photo Credit: Musings of a Curvy Lady
By: Cassie Hughes & Gabrey Means, Grow Marketing
Anyone who has dared greatly, innovated or made things better has also known failure. When we first set out to create our own experiential agency, we may not have known what we were doing, but we were crystal clear on what we wanted. Neither of us came from an agency background but we knew what was important from the client’s perspective and that we had something different to offer than what we were seeing in the marketplace. We knew there would be a lot of mistakes along the way and rather than shying away, we faced them head on.
"Anyone who has dared greatly, innovated or made things better has also known failure."
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Everyone makes mistakes. We’re only human. But how you learn and grow from them can help you better prepare for challenges ahead. Whether in your personal or professional life, here are a few tips to help you bounce back from a mistake and walk away stronger and smarter.
RECOGNIZE
Early in the life of our agency we took on a project where there were red flags we didn’t pay attention to because we were so eager to prove ourselves as a new entity, even though we had a long track record of success in our careers. It was a huge national brand in a category we were dying to break into so while our intuitions were screaming no, our egos kept saying yes. The client was unrealistic but we thought we could turn her around. We couldn’t have been more wrong. In addition to grinding us on every budget and continually asking for new ideas (free of charge) eventually she actually became verbally abusive. We got through the project and delivered but at a cost to ourselves and our team, who were left feeling deflated, unappreciated and exhausted.
RECORD
We are big believers in intention and writing things down. When we make mistakes we process them by writing down a list of what we learned and would do differently the next time. This was crucial to our process of avoiding bad project/client matches in the future. While it may sound intimidating to see your mistake recorded in black and white, it's actually quite liberating. When possible, sharing your list with a friend or partner who can keep you from being too hard or easy on yourself helps to keep the process honest and, therefore, most useful.
REPAIR
If you want to create an environment where people are inspired to be their best, they have to feel safe to fail. If they don’t, they’ll engage in all kinds of unproductive behaviors that only compound the mistake, from covering up to placing blame on others. Meanwhile, time ticks away and the impacts are increased. Encouraging people to own their mistake and take an active part in the solution means resolution comes quicker and the individual is left with the empowered feeling of having helped to repair it versus the deflation of screwing up, which only makes people feel and think smaller. To repair the damage to our team from the verbally abusive client, we owned up to letting our eagerness override our instinct and shared how we would avoid such situations in the future.
"If you want to create an environment where people are inspired to be their best, they have to feel safe to fail."
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RESOLVE
One of the most important parts of recovering from a mistake is knowing when to take a deep breath and let it go. Continually reliving mistakes is unproductive and paralyzing. Once you have done the work to repair the mistake and can clearly articulate your learnings, you should trust you have learned what that mistake has to teach you, freeing you to move on.
The mindset of recovery and resolution is an important one to build. It allows people to continue to want to take on new challenges and find new ways of doing things-- which, are really powerful assets. A culture that rewards creativity and trying new things – without punishing the misses – fosters a team of savvy problem-solvers who can think on their feet and are energized, instead of paralyzed, by new challenges.
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