Both large and small businesses across industries depend on vendors to provide products and services. Sometimes the products and services provided are critical to the success of your business, which is why it’s important to ensure due diligence when selecting a vendor. Finding the right vendor will be worth the time and effort.
To identify a vendor that can meet your needs, it’s important to clarify your expectations in advance, which includes the quality of the product or service, sometimes it’s best to spell out your expectations in contractual agreements. For example, expected milestones can be detailed in the agreement so that you can periodically assess progress. Whether you own an indoor hockey rink that requires repair services or a retail store that requires merchandise, you want to receive the best possible service.
While it’s important to have a budget, the cost is not the final determining factor when choosing a vendor. A key aspect of working with a vendor is being able to establish a positive working relationship and ensuring expectations are met. Although the financial aspects of selecting a vendor may not be the top priority, that doesn’t mean it isn’t important. In fact, you should always negotiate pricing and obtain any available discounts. If you’re a long-term customer of a vendor, then they probably value your business and will be amenable to providing discounts.
When embarking upon the journey of selecting a vendor, be sure to conduct as much research as possible. You can start with contacting related associations for recommendations and then visiting the website of possible vendors to see if their capabilities align with your needs. It’s also important to read reviews from other customers. Perhaps one of the best ways to identify the right vendor is to ask for a referral from associates within your professional network.
After you’ve identified a vendor that you think might fit your needs, you can place a small order to see how it goes. If you’re hiring a service provider, you can start with a one-time project and then assess the results. For example, you can hire a cleaning service for your office for just one week. This will provide you with plenty of time to assess the quality of their work and make a decision about signing a service contract for a longer period of time.
Another way to check out a business is by calling their office to assess the level of service and how they engage with customers. If you end up getting stuck in a phone tree, then that could be a problem after you’ve become a customer. When selecting a vendor for raw materials or any other product, you will want to make sure they ship on time and will be responsive should a problem occur. Sometimes it makes sense to choose a vendor that’s located in your area or region, just in case there’s a problem that requires an immediate delivery to your business immediately. Sometimes engaging with vendor face-to-face can make a world of difference in the service that you receive.