ere.net posted a great article by Dr. Michael Kannisto, Global Staffing Director from Bausch & Lomb Tuesday of this week titled How to Fall in Love With Your Vendors.
I thought it was a fabulous article, especially the "Helpful Hints for Working With Vendors" which included:
1. Stop awarding business on price alone.
2. Tell others when you're happy.
3. Be brutally honest when you're "dating."
4. Call and visit your vendors just to talk.
5. Acknowledge when there is a problem.
While the intended audience of this article is corporate buyers, vendors will also find the article informative as it helps us better understand our customers. And since we are all vendors to someone, it's a good read for all.
It's tough being a vendor:-) Companies often demand more from their vendors than they do of their own employees - and hold the vendor to a higher level of accountability. And vendors can be on the receiving end of tirades that employees are never subject to. However, we're not complaining - it's part of business and we wouldn’t be in the game if we did not enjoy the work. But the work is a lot more enjoyable if your client "boss" is someone like Dr. Michael Kannisto, who understands that successful client/vendor relationships are a two-way street.
Labels: account management, marketing, vendor relations