--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've never been in the enterprise where…" description: "\"I've never been in the enterprise where your customers are your partners. It was always, you had customers, and you had partners.\" — Diane Greene" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7a/diane-greene-16344_always_i-ve-never-been-in-the-enterprise-where_2454893.png" --- # I've never been in the enterprise where your customers are… ![“I've never been in the enterprise where your customers are your partners. It was always, you had customers, and you had partners.” quote by Diane Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7a/diane-greene-16344_always_i-ve-never-been-in-the-enterprise-where_2454893.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7a/diane-greene-16344_always_i-ve-never-been-in-the-enterprise-where_2454893.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7a/diane-greene-16344_always_i-ve-never-been-in-the-enterprise-where_2454893.png) > “I've never been in the enterprise where your customers are your partners. It was always, you had customers, and you had partners.” [Diane Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-greene/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Customers and partners are distinct roles; treating customers as partners fosters collaboration and shared success. **In simple terms:** Treat customers as partners for better outcomes. Key Takeaway Shift mindset to partnership. Themes collaboration business strategy customer relations Mood optimistic strategic Type business leadership When to use this quote - sales meetings - product development - customer support - strategic planning Key Concepts partnership model value co‑creation Questions to Reflect On - How can you turn a customer into a partner? - What risks arise from blurring roles? A Different Perspective Partners may have conflicting goals, requiring clear boundaries. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Businessman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/businessman/) [Enterprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enterprise/) ## Related quotes > [For a long time, to obtain enterprise customers, I concealed the fact that I owned the company. I never lied about it, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-enonchong/for-a-long-time-to-obtain-enterprise-customers-i-concealed-the-fact/) Rebecca Enonchong > [Never treat your audience as customers, always as partners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-treat-your-audience-as-customers-always-as-partners/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You should think of your customers as partners, or better still, family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-kiam/you-should-think-of-your-customers-as-partners-or-better-still-family/) [Victor Kiam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-kiam/) > [My whole life has been about building trust with customers and partners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-burgum/my-whole-life-has-been-about-building-trust-with-customers-and/) [Doug Burgum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-burgum/) > [Enterprise customers have been working together with us for a long time, they trust us, and we just keep everything open and transparent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-yuan/enterprise-customers-have-been-working-together-with-us-for-a-long/) [Eric Yuan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-yuan/) > [We're learning that, when it comes to enterprise users or otherwise, privacy is very important. Some features might work well for enterprise customers and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-yuan/we-re-learning-that-when-it-comes-to-enterprise-users-or-otherwise/) [Eric Yuan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-yuan/) > [In expectation of his demise, a successful businessman may sell out to his competitors to prepare his estate with readily marketable securities, such as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-f-sennholz/in-expectation-of-his-demise-a-successful-businessman-may-sell-out-to/) [Hans F. Sennholz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-f-sennholz/) > [When individual enterprise is free and unhampered, profit-and-loss calculations set precise limits to a businessman's temptations to expand his services... a government valuable they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-f-sennholz/when-individual-enterprise-is-free-and-unhampered-profit-and-loss/) [Hans F. Sennholz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-f-sennholz/) > [Customers should complain more. You know, food's expensive nowadays. And these sommeliers come along with their thousand-page wine list and practically throw it in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-ramsay/customers-should-complain-more-you-know-food-s-expensive-nowadays-and/) [Gordon Ramsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-ramsay/) > [The advantage of the consumer businesses is they tend to be much broader-based, much larger number of customers, that tend to over time be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-advantage-of-the-consumer-businesses-is-they-tend-to-be-much/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Every day Big Government heaps demands and restrictions upon businesses that sink some enterprises, cause others to direct resources away from serving customers and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-miller/every-day-big-government-heaps-demands-and-restrictions-upon/) [Joel Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-miller/) > [The single most important thing to remember about any enterprise is that there are no results inside its walls. The result of a business…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/the-single-most-important-thing-to-remember-about-any-enterprise-is/) [Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/) > [Business isn't some disembodied bloodless enterprise. Profit is fine - a sign that the customer honors the value of what we do. But "enterprise"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/business-isn-t-some-disembodied-bloodless-enterprise-profit-is-fine-a/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [To generate any appreciable degree of long-term affluence requires scrupulous honesty and the willingness to honor long-term agreements with employers, suppliers, partners, and especially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sheaffer/to-generate-any-appreciable-degree-of-long-term-affluence-requires/) [Robert Sheaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sheaffer/) > [At VMware, the engineers worked very closely with our customers, closely with the field, and it was exciting for everyone. So, one of things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-greene/at-vmware-the-engineers-worked-very-closely-with-our-customers/) [Diane Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-greene/) ## More by Diane Greene > [Every customer wants to run on all the clouds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-greene/every-customer-wants-to-run-on-all-the-clouds/) [Diane Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-greene/) > [To sail successfully, you need to observe with great care. You need to identify what the wind and the water are telling you and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-greene/to-sail-successfully-you-need-to-observe-with-great-care-you-need-to/) [Diane Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-greene/) > [At VMware, the engineers worked very closely with our customers, closely with the field, and it was exciting for everyone. So, one of things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-greene/at-vmware-the-engineers-worked-very-closely-with-our-customers/) [Diane Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-greene/) > [I just do what I want to do. I look at what's interesting to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-greene/i-just-do-what-i-want-to-do-i-look-at-what-s-interesting-to-me/) [Diane Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-greene/) > [I have a lot of help to do chores so I can be with my family, and I never have any help over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-greene/i-have-a-lot-of-help-to-do-chores-so-i-can-be-with-my-family-and-i/) [Diane Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-greene/) > [Part of knowing ourselves is also being able to accept who we are and to value ourselves regardless of our flaws. Accepting who we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-greene/part-of-knowing-ourselves-is-also-being-able-to-accept-who-we-are-and/) [Diane Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-greene/) > [Now we're in an environment where women are increasingly having a huge impact and adding a lot of value to our industry. And women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-greene/now-we-re-in-an-environment-where-women-are-increasingly-having-a/) [Diane Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-greene/) > [I only use a Chromebook now. I never thought I could do that, but I love it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-greene/i-only-use-a-chromebook-now-i-never-thought-i-could-do-that-but-i/) [Diane Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-greene/) > [To me, the difference between a good marriage and a great marriage is conviction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-greene/to-me-the-difference-between-a-good-marriage-and-a-great-marriage-is/) [Diane Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-greene/) > [Building a company is so much like racing a sailboat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-greene/building-a-company-is-so-much-like-racing-a-sailboat/) [Diane Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-greene/) > [I'm pretty transparent and clear about things. The things I do and the way I act are no different than I would expect of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-greene/i-m-pretty-transparent-and-clear-about-things-the-things-i-do-and-the/) [Diane Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-greene/) > [At VMware, we did the virtualization, which is now used extensively across the cloud. Virtualization layers - and containers - are what facilitated the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-greene/at-vmware-we-did-the-virtualization-which-is-now-used-extensively/) [Diane Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-greene/) > [Google went in a consumer direction, and VMware was system infrastructure. But there are a lot of parallels and similarities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-greene/google-went-in-a-consumer-direction-and-vmware-was-system/) [Diane Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-greene/) > [If I had to have my druthers - the best technology, the best cloud... if I had to choose between that and building out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-greene/if-i-had-to-have-my-druthers-the-best-technology-the-best-cloud-if-i/) [Diane Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-greene/) > [When you race a sailboat, the selection of your crew is just completely paramount. It's impossible to be an effective skipper if you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-greene/when-you-race-a-sailboat-the-selection-of-your-crew-is-just/) [Diane Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-greene/) [Explore all 40 Diane Greene quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-greene/) ## More Always quotes > [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/) [Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/) [Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/) [Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/) Browse all 36,048 Always quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I've never been in the enterprise where your customers are your partners. It was always, you had customers, and you had partners.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Diane Greene" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-greene/i-ve-never-been-in-the-enterprise-where-your-customers-are-your/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Always" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-greene/i-ve-never-been-in-the-enterprise-where-your-customers-are-your/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7a/diane-greene-16344_always_i-ve-never-been-in-the-enterprise-where_2454893.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7a/diane-greene-16344_always_i-ve-never-been-in-the-enterprise-where_2454893.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7a/diane-greene-16344_always_i-ve-never-been-in-the-enterprise-where_2454893.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I've never been in the enterprise where your customers are your partners. It was always, you had customers…” — Diane Greene", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Diane Greene", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-greene/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I've never been in the enterprise...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-greene/i-ve-never-been-in-the-enterprise-where-your-customers-are-your/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-greene/i-ve-never-been-in-the-enterprise-where-your-customers-are-your/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```