What makes a great vendor/client relationship?

The recent announcement of Taleo's acquisition of WetFeet Recruiter seen on Cheezhead Xtra and on RecruitingBogs was a great reminder to me of all the great memories of working with an exceptional vendor and what is possible when both parties are truly committed to a shared outcome. What has your experience been with exceptional vendor relationships? What do they look like?

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Permalink Reply by creativetalent on October 11, 2007 at 3:41pm

Great Vendors....

--Listen unbiasly to the business problem you are trying to solve and don't jump to one size fits all solutions, or any solution, until they fully understand the problem
--Have a can do attitude but set clear expectations on what they can deliver on--they have solutions that work for you and are realistic about time and cost of implimentation
--They are masters of follow up; when they say they are going to follow up they do; if they miss a deadline you know up front they are going to miss it
--Once the relationship is established they push you to think differently about they way you do business; they look for real solutions and challenge the status quo and corporate bueracracy that you are in
--They measure their success and proactively address this with you
--They don't waste your time or money--if you don't need something they don't sell it
--You have open lines of communication so both parties can give constructive feedback without having feelings hurt--focus on the issue and resolve it quickly--whether on the client or vendor end
--People who have a passion for the field they operate in--if they are just a sales person to make money I'm instantly turned off; of they know their industry; know whos the best; study the best; show their passion--then they are golden
--They treat your organization the same way you would treat it

Steve