Are Vendors A Reflection On Your Own Business December 2001
By Bob Brolhorst

Getting the best price and service from a vendor can be a difficult task
for a small business. I have had good luck in finding other small businesses
with which to work, but I'm still very careful to keep my clients' needs first
in my mind.

When I am looking for a vendor it is important to me first to have a pleasant
greeting from the person answering the phone. That tells me if this is a
company that I will want to do business with.

The next step in the process is speaking with the salesperson. What I am
looking for in a salesperson is the same type of personality as the receptionist,
along with good sales techniques. I don't want a salesperson that is going to
sell me everything in his catalog, but what I do want is someone that will help
me with my needs, not just trying to sell me products.

In this day and age it seems like customer service as taken a backseat. I am
willing to pay a few dollars more for a service that has helped me. So when
working with vendors it is very important that the customer service is top notch.
Being a consultant this is imperative, because so many of the business that I
work with use some of the same vendors that I use.

Once I have developed a good relationship with a company, I ask for payment
terms. One of the things a business needs to do is to be timely with their
bill payments so a business can build a good history with them. Remember that
by paying your bills on time it is highly likely that you are keeping the prices
reasonable for the products and services that you use.

By incororating some due diligence I am happy to say that most of the vendors
I started with 4 years ago are still supplying my needs for quality service and
supplies. As my business grows, they do as well, in increased business from
me and all the referrals.

Establishing a good vendor relationship from the business owner's point of
view is the same as from our view when we work as the vendor for our
customers. Be willing to meet their needs, listen to them, try to be flexible,
help them when they're in a pinch if you can afford to, and communicate.
Likewise, your vendors should be doing what they can to help you.

Bob Brolhorst
Wave 5 Marketing
bbrolhorst@wave5marketing.com
http://www.wave5marketing.com