Mutual Commitment - Principle I

“For better or worse.”

For most of us these are the four words that define mutual commitment in a relationship…especially if you are married. It represents the unconditional commitment to the relationship regardless of the circumstance or situation. It means that come Hell or high water, I will be by your side fighting to the bitter end. When the commitment is broken, so is the relationship. When one party is no longer willing to be by your side, for better or worse, then you no longer have a good relationship.

As I have probably mentioned earlier, there is no such thing as a perfect relationship. If we, however, are trying to build and grow our relationships to become as close to Utopian as possible, then it is reasonable to say that one of the basic relationship principles is Mutual Commitment.

There are many ways that Mutual Commitment gets represented in a channel relationship. It can range from exclusivity or preferred vendor status to access to product trials to co-marketing. The point is that both companies become invested in each other beyond financial terms. They have an emotional and sometimes passionate relationship with each other. To some extent their brands and brand equity are connected…there is an association and link between the two companies.

There is a lot that goes into getting to this point in a relationship. There will be dates, doubts, and perhaps some diversions. Investment of time, money, and resources is necessary, but the payoff can be tremendous.

As you consider how to build your channel you should consider this level of commitment as a goal and invest in plans to move you in that direction. An individual will not make this happen on behalf of an entire organization; rather the entire organization must be committed to make it happen.