At CoPort, we believe partnerships should be purposeful, repeatable, and performance-driven. But even the most promising collaborations can derail before they begin—usually due to avoidable missteps. If your partner kickoff is leaving you stuck in neutral instead of scaling together, it’s worth asking: are you starting on the wrong foot?
Here are five ways partnerships commonly go sideways before they ever move forward—and how to fix them.
1. Only Ask for Leads
If the first (or only) question you ask your partner is “Can you send us some leads?”, you’re not co-selling—you’re begging. Partnerships thrive when value flows in both directions. That means investing in mutual enablement, building a joint value prop, and establishing a GTM plan that makes lead sharing logical, not transactional.
💡 Fix it with CoPort: Map your goals, define joint actions, and track activity so leads aren’t random—they’re earned.
2. Meet Only Once a Year
Annual QBRs are important—but if that’s your only touchpoint, you’re not managing a partnership. You’re passively hoping it works. Successful partnerships have rhythm: regular syncs, active tracking, and fast feedback loops.
💡 Fix it with CoPort: Build a cadence of collaboration with shared dashboards, health indicators, and recurring check-ins.
3. Rush to Contract, Slow to Strategy
Too many teams celebrate a signed contract before building a real go-to-market strategy. The paperwork might be done, but the work hasn’t started. A rushed contract without strategic alignment usually leads to slow (or no) execution.
💡 Fix it with CoPort: Launch faster with guided onboarding flows, joint checklists, and goal-setting that comes before the legalese.
4. Expect the Partner to Do the Work
When one side assumes the other will “run with it,” disappointment is inevitable. Real partnerships need shared ownership. That means clear expectations, aligned priorities, and mutual accountability.
💡 Fix it with CoPort: Build and assign joint tasks, track execution, and stay aligned through one shared system.
5. Don’t Get Executive Buy-In
No exec buy-in = no budget, no urgency, no visibility. Without an internal champion on both sides, even the best partnerships get stuck in the weeds.
💡 Fix it with CoPort: Use performance dashboards to prove value and make it easy for leadership to sponsor your partnership strategy.
Conclusion
Partnerships don't fail because people don't care. They fail because systems don't support them. At CoPort, we help partnership teams build repeatable success through clear structure, aligned goals, and accountable action. Avoid these five traps and your next partnership won't just launch—it'll scale.
Ready to run partnerships on purpose? Schedule a call.