Last month, the Origin Solutionistas took a road trip to St. Cloud to go shopping. But we weren’t just visiting a department store with a great sale. We were going up to see one of our favorite vendors, Chris Dolney at Facetime Business Resources.
We’ve long partnered with Facetime to provide our clients with exceptional printing and promotional products. We greatly appreciate Chris and his team because they help us look amazing. Their competitive pricing saves us and our clients money, and their quick turnaround saves us all time, too.
So when the time came for the Solutionistas to upgrade our own swag, our choice of vendor was obvious.
Every business relies on its vendors to get through the work day. They’re the people you call when your internet is down, when you need a rush job on a printing project, or to help you keep the books in order. Sometimes, they interface directly with your clients. Your vendors are an incredibly important part of your team. But many business owners don’t think of their vendors when it comes time to share your gratitude.
We’re urging you to pay it forward.
Ways to Show Your Vendors a Little Appreciation
Earlier this month, we shared 14 ideas for how to show your clients a little appreciation. Most of the items on the list could be applied to your vendors, too. But what most vendors appreciate most is the opportunity to build a stronger business relationship. Here are a few ways to do it:
- Pay on time. Be a good customer yourself!
- Remember the Golden Rule. Mistakes are going to happen. Instead of pointing fingers and placing blame, work with your vendors to correct the error. That’s the way you hope your customers treat you, so do the same for your vendors.
- Take the time to learn what they need from you. How long does your vendor need to complete an order for you? Do they prefer to communicate by phone or email? Should you use their website to complete an order, or should you speak directly to a sales rep? What are their payment terms and their time-frame for deliveries? Respecting your vendor’s workflow can go a long way toward building your relationship with them.
- Share your goals and mission with your vendors. Most vendor relationships are symbiotic—when your business does well, you have resources to spend with your vendors, which in turn helps them. Give your vendors the chance to help you succeed. Share your business goals, mission, and core values with them. At the very least, it will help them deliver a better product or service. But it may also turn them into a referral source for you.
- Refer your colleagues to your vendors. Are you happy with your vendors? Review them on Google and Facebook. Better yet, refer them to your other business partners and colleagues who could use their services.
The Origin Solutionistas greatly appreciates all the work our vendors do for us. We know we owe some part of our success to their efforts and expertise. If you’d like to meet some of our trusted vendor partners, give us buzz!
