"Gerdes has developed AllianceMapping™, by which companies can match their key attributes with those of potential partners. A great resource." --
PBS Moneyhunt, Cliff Encino, host, November 7, 2002"I have given every member of our executive team and board a copy of this book it's that good." --
Ann Simpson, President and editor, GenerousBooks"I love it. This is the best book about partnerships I've encountered, and for the software industry it's required reading." --
Bruce Hadley, founder and editor, SoftwareCEO.com"I love it. This is the best book about partnerships I've encountered for the software industry. It’s required reading." --
SoftwareCEO, Bruce Hadley, editor, November 4, 2002"Sarah Gerdes knows exactly how to make sure a company's most strategic relationships don't fall apart." --
Jeffrey Tarter, editor, Softletter
A Field-Proven Guidebook for Locating--and Forging a Win-Win Deal with--Your Company's Ideal Business Partner
"Undergoing four major transactions in the last six years, it has often seemed as if our core competency at MBE was executing partnerships. Having Sarah Gerdes' navigational guide available would have made the complex much more simple. A must read for every CEO or deal maker."--Jim Amos, founder and CEO, Mail Boxes Etc.
"A perfect title for this easy to read lexicon on the strategic alliance phenomenon that has gripped commerce worldwide. Insightful and a gem of an overview that will do much to maximize the value of your enterprise."--U. Gary Charlwood, Chairman & CEO, Uniglobe Travel (International) Inc.
"This is a must-read for every CEO or venture investor. Maximizing the value of business partnerships is not well understood, at least not until Sarah Gerdes' new book, which makes a complex concept simple. Partnerships are the way to leverage your organization and maximize your stock price."--Rick Rickertson, COO, Thayer Capital
"Intuitively written following an "Order of Action" approach, Navigating the Partnership Maze provides both the "to do list" and the "tool kit" for any manager hoping to evolve their business through alliances. The clear and manageable framework Gerdes describes makes this book required reading and one I hope my competitors miss."--Jim Weisfield, President and C.E.O, Expo Management, LLC.
"I couldn't put this book down... Every chapter is filled with insightful ideas, explicit examples, and thought-provoking details. It is a book for both the novice and experienced executive... It is for anyone who lacks the background, expertise and/or financial support to create this most strategic weapon. After reading this book, I am now armed with the extensive knowledge of an expert and can make smart decisions about when to partner, when not to partner, and how to partner. Thank you for teaching us how to do this!"--Elizabeth T. Miller, Ph.D., CEO DatStat Inc
"Whether you run a startup or a major corporation, Navigating the Partnership Maze will multiply your ideas about possible routes for growth, and provide you in-depth guides and maps for every step of the journey. Ms. Gerdes' delineates both the issues and the details relevant at each stage, and includes excellent tools for dealing with both. This book will become required business school reading!"--Penny Harger, Executive Director, Northwest Forum For Women Entrepreneurs
- Partnerships account for 40 percent of the revenues in North American companies
- Partnerships account for 60 percent of revenues in companies outside North America
- Since 1980, the number of partnerships worldwide has more than quadrupled
Partnering has become one of today's best strategies for augmenting competitive prospects--and increasing shareholder wealth--for companies of any size in any industry. Navigating the Partnership Maze is a step-by-step directory of the steps and processes decision-makers need to research, plan, and build partnerships that are strong, mutually beneficial, and focused on the bottom line.
From the AllianceMapping partner selection tool to guidance on structuring airtight final partnering agreements, this all-in-one resource gives you everything you need to establish partnerships in half the time and at a fraction of the cost of traditional approaches. It explains the points which must be addressed to achieve success in any partnership deal, including:
- Trends, pitfalls, required resources, and more for specific types of partnerships
- Strategies for ensuring that your company's management allocates sufficient money and resources
- Techniques for quickly gaining access to the correct decision-maker in a target company
- Examples and guidelines for creating and presenting a viable, persuasive proposal
- Stages in the partner development lifecycle, and resources generally required for each
- Types of partner agreements, and how to select and structure one to best serve your needs
- Models, graphics, and tables to illustrate and clarify key points
Lack of a legitimate partner strategy is the number one reason new business plans fail to generate funding. For those who secure funding without having to formulate a partnering strategy, success is far more difficult to achieve--and failure far more likely. Navigating the Partnership Maze transforms the process of seeking a partner from a random coin-flip to a consistent, replicable process. It provides you with the fundamentals of choosing the right partner, methods to create a mutually beneficial and bankable relationship, and guidelines to sustain that relationship--for increased market penetration and enhanced shareholder value over the long term.
