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A major corporate client of ours asked for help with a new programme they were planning. It's a joint business planning process that they want to "roll out to their largest customers". Their objective is to build closer relationships which will lead to greater influence and insight into the planning and decisions of their customers.

These are laudable aims, and the programme is sound, but they ran the risk of sinking the programme before it started.

The problem was not the programme but the approach. The phrase "roll out to their largest customers" came across in their messaging. This is a major investment in collaboration with their customers, and requires joint activities at the highest level. This type of commitment will only be gained if everything about it 'special' and not part of a continuum.

Consider these two descriptions:

• We have developed an innovative programme that will lead to significant opportunities for new business. A programme that will be built upon joint commitments and comprehensive action plans that will meet the strategic goals of all parties.
  We are now looking a small number of partners to work across the globe, and we think that you are an ideal candidate.
  
  
• We have developed an innovative programme that will lead to significant opportunities for new business. A programme that will be built upon joint commitments and comprehensive action plans that will meet the strategic goals of all parties.
  We are now rolling this out across all of our largest customers, including yourself.

The message is almost identical, apart from the last sentence. But the meaning, the customers' interpretation, is entirely different. Version 1 makes a customer fell special, its a members only club and they are invited to join. Version 2 just tells them that its happening anyway and its of interest, but not exclusive.

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