It's a Two-Way Street with Vendors

Here's a very familiar scenario for my business: a non-profit gets a grant to improve their communications materials and promotional planning, so they come to me for help. We work together on establishing the organizational personality, write up a communications brief, and then work on design briefs for guidelines in creating a visual identity. Usually this process puts the organization on a learning curve, because if they'd already had a strong visual identity and website they wouldn't be needing the grant. But since most of us in the non-profit world are, by necessity, wearers of many hats, there's a tendency to want to understand and control all the aspects of the process and then, surprise, the money's running low and we need to make difficult decisions about how to spend what's left.

Two of the most important things about choosing a vendor are trust and respect. It's worth the time and energy to find someone you truly, truly trust and respect. And then let them do what they do. Listen to their recommendations and ask questions, but be willing to move in directions you hadn't thought of earlier. That's what they're there for: to guide you in a process that is their specialty. And yes, sometimes things don't go well with a vendor. But nine times out of ten, it's because the vendor was chosen hastily, not reviewed thoroughly, or, in an effort to save money, someone was chosen who's not qualified. ("My cousin's neighbor does something like that . . .")

I recently found this article titled, Turning Vendors into Business Partners that I think is worth a read. Check it out. Good vendor relationships will pay off in the long run, and are worth nurturing for the long-term health of your organization.