Our business doesn’t operate in a vacuum. We can’t do everything in-house, but at the same time, whether it’s a news release, a feature story pitch, an event, a strategic plan, or something tangible like printwork, ultimately it’s our name that goes on everything that comes out if TMPR.
That’s why our vendors are so valuable.
We don’t green-light just anybody to be a vendor. We’re picky. We expect our vendors not just to be providers of goods and services. We expect them to be our strategic partners, too. We expect them to understand our business and our customers. We expect them to take an interest in what we’re doing.
Why? Because we take the same attitude toward our clients.
We work to make sure we understand our clients’ businesses, goals, and objectives. They place their trust in us. They count on us to help them succeed. We want to help them succeed, and we want our relationships to continue for years to come.
Every now and then, we make a mistake. We find out that for one reason or another, our judgment was misplaced. We allowed a vendor in to our circle believing it would be a long-term partner only to find out that it wanted the quick buck — a one time or short term deal that would get them a couple of shekles.
As convenient as that vendor may be, we have to say goodbye. That vendor doesn’t care about us or our business or our values or, most importantly, our clients.
While that business model may be perfectly fine for that vendor, it’s unacceptable for us.
A situation arose over the past couple of weeks and caused us to sever certain vendor ties for future relationships. The details aren’t important other than to say that what the vendor thought may have gone unnoticed or wasn’t a big deal WAS noticed and WAS a big deal because it showed that the vendor ultimately didn’t care about what we were doing — even though there could have been a benefit down the road.
When you’re signing a new client, when you’re signing a new vendor, realize that at some level, you’re entering in to a strategic partnership. Your names will be linked. Your actions and conduct will, in some way, reflect on each other. You have a vested interest in each other’s success.
If you find out down that road that your philosophies don’t align, get rid of the dead weight. Move on, and replace that vendor with one that wants to be with you and your clients or the long haul.
Oh, and if you’re a vendor who’s just in it for the cash without having an interest in what we do. Keep walking, and don’t knock on our door. We don’t have time for you.
