Tired of feeling inundated with solicitors who don’t really know anything about your business? I know I am. If you’re like me, you can see them coming from a mile away. It’s annoying because I want a true and sustainable business partnership with my clients, and I want to work with people who see themselves as the same.
That’s why I’ve learned to look for signs that I’m talking to a true partner. And it can help you feel in control as you look for ways to make an impact on growing your business if you know the difference between vendors and sustainable business partnerships.
What do I mean by a true partner, and what do I mean by a vendor? Well, let’s start with vendors.
Vendors Offer Clearly Defined Products and Services
The number one thing to look for upfront is standardized pricing. They have a widget, a software package, or some other clear deliverable that you can buy. If you can see a price, you’re clearly dealing with a vendor. Vendors are an essential part of doing business because we all need tools to get the job done, right?
The nice thing about vendors is that they usually don’t come flying at me with a vague and pushy sales message. Furthermore, it’s easy to get into or out of a relationship with a vendor. I pay for the tool, and then I use the tool and it works. If not, I can get my money back.
Do you look at your expenses and wonder: “Who are these people and what am I paying them for?” In my case, it’s either a product or service that I have neglected to fully utilize, or they’re an outfit who is getting more from me than I am from them.
My point is this: we should be meticulous about clearing out the things we don’t benefit from. That includes services who do not invest in our vision.
True Partners Focus on Client Success
If you’re like me, fulfilling my business vision is a top priority in life. And we don’t like to waste time and money on relationships that aren’t driving our business forward, right?
But when I can clearly see that they are obsessed with my success, to the point that my relationship with them is something that makes us both smile, I know that I’ve found a true business partnership.
That line item with their name on it is no mystery. That’s really where I’m giving them their share of the earnings from the work we’ve done together.
True Partnership as a Core Value
In a nutshell, true partnerships are based on mutual investment, honesty, flexibility, and mutual benefit. It’s a relationship that can grow and change as we discover new ways to realize our vision, together.
Another quality that I find in a true and sustainable business partnership is patience. Take our EfficientMe services for example. When I talk to clients who are looking for affordable custom software to automate their processes, reduce workload, and increase profits, I tell them upfront that our investment comes first. Our discovery and development work comes before we see our share of the earnings we generate.
Then, we have the credibility to talk to our clients about how our partnership is going to grow over the years. That represents a core value of my business and is just one reason EfficientMe is so unique among the sea of companies looking to get your attention.
