How would you describe a win-win business relationship? Is it just a platitude pulled from a business book; a soundbite you trot out during PowerPoint presentations? Or is it a living breathing philosophy you execute on every day?

You’ve probably experienced relationships with suppliers, clients or others that just feel right – there’s an ease of communication, you have matching values, and both parties are passionate about each other’s success.

On the other hand, you might have had relationships that are detrimental to one or both parties. The most maddening is when only one side can see benefits to the relationship.

The problem I’ve seen all too often in my industry is when large businesses treat products and services as commodities, and they try to sell as many of them as possible to earn the largest commission.

This aggressive selling strategy is not right for the SME market, and it misses the opportunity to meet individual requirements that are necessary to support the business in question. Furthermore, the ‘quick-sell then up-sell’ strategy often overlooks the importance of an SME’s future growth plan, and to deliver a long-term solution that is easily scalable.

A great business relationship always seeks a win for both sides.

Before you know it, you can find yourself locked in a four or five-year contract, paying for unused capacity, or unable to expand quickly to meet demands, and ultimately losing out on business and productivity – all while your provider enjoys their regular pay cheque.

Does this leave you wondering how to avoid win-lose relationships in the future?

It might be the time for you to explore beyond the traditionally large and mature system providers. Not all providers are focused on aggressively selling you confusing and option-laden systems!

Look for a service provider who:

• Is solutions-focused rather than sales-focused
• Is experienced with (and cares about) the SME market
• Asks detailed questions about your organization’s specific needs
• Can tailor a solution to accommodate your specific needs
• Delivers a real solution that aligns with your growth plans and can evolve to meet your future needs

A great business relationship balances the gains on both sides. There’s really no such thing as a win-lose relationship. In the end, all relationships become either lose-lose or win-win. Because even if you score a temporary ‘win’ at the expense of your client (i.e. you over-charge, you limit their growth, your pricing or service suite is too complex), they will eventually drop you.

You both lose.

ServiceTree was founded upon the same ethos we used to build our MSP into a nationwide business. Our goal from the outset was to make the lives of everyone in an MSP easier, more productive and enjoyable.

We’ve experienced considerable gains in our own business, and we’d like you to experience them, too. And that’s how we define a genuine win-win.

We call it 360-degree support automation for MSPs, and when you’re ready, we’d love to show it to you.