Working with Vendors Event
by Deanna Briggs, dbriggs@copyright.com

On February 9, I was one of many fortunate folks to be attending the “Working with Vendors: Benefits and Barriers” event, which was also the first event sponsored by the SLA-Boston Chapter Young Professionals Committee. Attendees heard from two excellent resources: Cynthia Robinson, who is the Manager of the Stephen D. Cuter Investment Management Center at Babson College and Sam Brooks, who is the Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing at EBSCO Information Services. Cynthia provided us with expert advice from the customer perspective, as she’s had a wealth of experience over the years, working with over 100 vendors! Sam was the counterpoint, advising attendees from the vendor perspective, including methods for optimization of current vendor relationships and recognition of possibilities for future partnership. I was anxiously taking notes, trying to capture the insights of both speakers, who really emphasized the “with” of “working with vendors.”

Both speakers emphasized the fact that buyers must encourage competition in the marketplace, in order to benefit current and future product offerings, your selection of the best product, and ultimately, end-users’ experiences with the resource. Cynthia noted that one way to do this is to ask the vendor what makes their product or service unique in the marketplace. Similarly, you might also ask, what makes the vendor unique? By asking these questions, you are helping to ensure that the vendor proves the value of the product or service being offered. Even if you do not purchase a product from a vendor who has made a presentation to personnel in your organization, you can still influence spirited competition in the marketplace. Sam told us that by informing the vendor why you have chosen not to select them, the vendor will gain valuable information about what improvements might be necessary to eventually win your business in the future. In addition, this practice, of providing constructive criticism to the vendor, leaves the “door open” to a relationship, which may arise when the product or service does indeed improve and meet your needs.

Cynthia stated that we really need to “treat vendors more like partners.” In doing so, buyers should really be asking vendors plenty of questions, to truly understand if the vendor may be able to meet your needs, as a true partner. Some questions that Cynthia suggested include the following:

• Who are your primary customers?
• What kind of tech support do you have?
• What types of pricing structures are available?
• What are your technical requirements?
• How stable is your company?
• What is your value proposition? 

Of course, with products aggregated in a multitude of packages, you’ll want to consider your current resources and ask questions about how your product groupings may change. For instance, Sam suggested asking this: if we purchased your product(s), which of our existing products might we cancel? This question will cause the vendor to create some comparisons for you, with different prices, and the specific gains and losses of each product grouping selection that may be possible. If you’ve already done your homework, you may be well aware of what the vendor comparisons will look like. In sum, the complete list of questions of questions you’ll want to ask will be quite long. However, asking plenty of questions is just a part of “doing your homework,” which will pay off in the end.

Finally, the manner in which a vendor may respond to you in times of dissatisfaction is another very important aspect of the extent of your partnering relationship. For instance, Sam noted that after dissatisfaction, of any kind, is raised to the vendor, the vendor should listen carefully and present a clear plan as to how the problem may be corrected. The vendor should be interested to correct the problem as soon as possible to maintain and grow the partnering relationship. Conversely, to maintain a great relationship with a vendor, Cynthia suggested writing a letter to your representative’s boss, describing how things are going and expressing your overall satisfaction with the partnership. Such a letter may also prove useful if your representative leaves the vendor, because at least one other person within the organization is well aware of your relationship, which will help others pick up the slack.

Of course, the amount of vital information that all information professionals should know about working “with” vendors is massive. However, as we move forward and change career directions and responsibilities in our positions, it’s quite likely that all of us need to become more competent in this area, to obtain the best products and services that our budgets allow us to purchase. To improve your knowledge in this area, please check out the Boston Chapter website, where we will be posting the informative PowerPoint presentations, from Cynthia Robinson and Sam Brooks very soon.

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