Now before you go off skimming over the idea, stop a second and consider what I am proposing to you. First, vendor and partner are not the same. Perhaps your vendor provides a service that you’re satisfied with so you continue to work with them. However, is it more about convenience and familiarity than it is actual satisfaction and value? No one has the time to search for alternative solutions, however a true client-partner will help you eliminate that necessity besides solidifying the value of their expertise.
The contrast is more than just marketing. A vendor provides services and/or a product to its clients. A vendor may go above and beyond to make the client look awesome, however the vendor is just hoping to get hired. On the other hand, a partner inserts their creative business into the client’s requirements, so that the service or product being supplied is just a component of the overall value adding client/partner relationship.
A partner has skin in the game whereas a vendor performs a service.
It all starts with the proper mindset
- Partners foster long-term relationships essential to your success, vendors are replaceable because they’re 100 percent transactional.
- A strong foundation for a solid partnership begins with concise communication and the alignment of core values.
A clearer mindset of what a client partner could mean for your business, helps to determine how to recognize a company that will serve as a partner rather than just a transactional vendor.
You want a partner that will take a proactive role in your success since their continued success is based on their ability to help you reach your objectives.
To affirm your client-partner status or if you’re not sure, the answers to these questions will settle it for you:
1. Does the company say yes before understanding your request? Some company executives will throw out a scenario that may be impossible to fill, just to learn how the prospective vendor/partner approach the answer. A true client partner will first ask, when, why and how, yet a vendor will jump in and say, “no problem how many you need?”
2. Does the company provide customized education and training or is it a ‘one size fits all’ approach? It’s no secret that not everyone can afford to produce their own training. However, no one wants to receive a canned presentation, with their company logo filling a blank box being the only unique part of the presentation. It is highly frustrating to learn that over 50 percent of the information is not relevant to your current situation or objectives. A trusted partner will take the time to tailor their presentation with updated analytics and targeted information specific to you and your organization.
3.Is the company product-centric or product-agnostic? This is more related to the services industry. Most companies depend on one relationship with a major supplier such as Xerox, Dell or Cannon. However, if your service provider cannot offer you other options, such as solutions and software that fit your requirements then chances are that company is just a vendor.
We have all sought information to address a particular challenge, need or curiosity. A true partner adds value just by being the ‘go-to’ resource.
3 Characteristics of a client-partner:
- An informer - Stays up to date with trends and best practices in their industry and regularly pass the information to their clients.
- A connector - When partners connect their clients to other necessary resources, they become exceptionally more valuable to them. By creating a large professional network partners use their position to help dozens of companies and people.
- An advisor - As an established expert, partners advise on several subjects within their niche. Partners who are well informed and well read, become the person who provides a helpful perspective and not just another pitch.
As a value adding resource, partners become indispensable to your continued success. They also become an objective sounding board when you need specialized knowledge within their area of expertise.
Pixentia is a full-service technology company dedicated to helping clients solve business problems, improve the capability of their people, and achieve better results.
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