The vendor/ client relationship can be like an episode of ‘Dancing with the Stars’. You either glide together seamlessly and beautifully across the floor, or you’re stepping on each other’s toes, trying hard not to land on your gluteus maximus in front of a cast of thousands. I’ve been on both sides of this partner tango…Responsible for managing a clients’ expectations, performance requirements, and ongoing relationship on behalf of company X…and I’ve also been the recipient of good and bad vendor solutions/deployments and partnerships.
These engagements are typically entered into as follows:
Step 1. Client needs X ( a service, solution, tool, resource etc.)
Step 2. Client sends out a request for said need, usually containing mostly functional requirements
Step 3. Prospective vendors respond with ‘yes we can do x’
Step 4. A series of discussions around functionality occur
Step 5. Pricing is negotiated
Step 6. Agreements are signed
The dance starts, work commences, and, if you’re lucky, the solution functions as expected.
But what if it doesn’t? What if business needs change, something in the landscape of your business doesn’t quite work? The answer depends on whether you have selected a ‘partner’ for your business need or a ‘provider’ of a service, tool or resource. A partner will work with you to help find solutions. A great partner will proactively teach you new moves. They provide ideas, innovation and solid advice to work within your changing environment. Whereas a ‘provider’ is locked into the literal language of the contract…and, at the very worst, leaves you stuck with a solution that doesn’t work for your business needs.
So how do you know? The fact is, you don’t …at least not at first. You take the capability claims, demos and functionality/performance and support discussions at face value and assume it ‘works’ the way it should. But there are situationally based questions you can ask that can help tease out what you can expect from the ongoing business relationship, so you aren’t left frustrated and unsatisfied.
Some examples of these are:
- How do you handle a situation where you encounter something completely out of scope, or an assumption that was incorrect and stalls progress. What steps do you take at that point?
- Is there anything in our requirements that may be a stretch for you?
- Tell me about a client you took on and then realized that you should have never accepted because of a complexity or requirement that wasn’t fully explored. How did you handle the situation?
- Describe a custom solution you created for a client
Remember, you are auditioning the provider of your solution, not just the solution itself. The answers to these questions will tell you if you have a collaborative, willing partner or someone who’s just there to pop and lock it alone. Pay attention to the answers, tie up your fancy shoes and get out on the floor.
"Is it idealistic to expect a cohesive, collaborative relationship with your client/vendor?"
by: Cheryl Gunn
