A love/hate relationship
By Julie Adamen

I once had a manager friend of mine comment that I had joined "The Dark Side." He was referring to, of course, the fact that I left actual managing to become a "vendor" or "associate."   It is unfortunate, but many managers feel that way about vendors - I know, I did too. But now that I have walked a mile (or more) in their shoes, let me see if I can create a little more understanding about the vendor and manager relationship - and help us better understand that our professions intricately and necessarily woven together.

Working effectively with your vendors

We all have known managers who were able to create and sustain great working relationships with their vendors. These are the managers who are able to pick up the phone and get their vendor to take care of problems quickly and efficiently, while other managers can't seem to get the lawn mowed on the right day.   Is it the manager? Is it the vendor? Or both?

Create a productive working relationship.  Since you, the manager, are the leader in this situation, it is up to you to lay the foundation for a productive working relationship.  Here are some tips.

Treat the vendor with respect.  Most vendors, especially those who have been around awhile, are competent in their discipline and deserve your respect.  When treated with that  respect, vendors  can be your best allies in community management. These are the guys who will go out on a service call at 5pm on a Friday for you.

Pay the vendor on time. Paying a vendor on time is a good idea not because the vendor is greedy, it's because it is good business on your part.  Paying someone on time ensures their loyalty and their desire to work for you and your association. If your association or company has specific dates for action on invoices, make sure and let the vendor know those dates and times.  (See "Pet Peeves" below).

Be truthful with the vendor. Once, many years ago, I took over an association that was flat broke - yet, I didn't know it prior to having a considerable amount of remedial maintenance work taken care of.  By the time the bills came in, there was less than zero in the bank.  I didn't run, I didn't hide, and I didn't place the vendor on hold until he hung up because I was embarrassed. I called him, and explained the situation. He wasn't happy. But he was grateful that I had called him so he could make arrangements to meet his payroll.  

Give credit where credit is due.  Have you ever had a vendor pull your fat out of the fire? Of course you have. Did you say thank you? Did you tell your Board what the vendor did? I hope so. This small amount of recognition could make the difference between a great relationship with a vendor or a mediocre one.  You will find that great managers don't take all the glory, they share it.

Empower your vendors. Just as you dislike your Board micromanaging you, your vendors don't like to be micromanaged, either. Let them know up front what you expect of their service, and what you expect your involvement, if any, to be. Then stick to it.

Fool me once…. One of my favorite adages of management is that I give people all my trust until they lose it.  It's no different with vendors. Unless you know for certain otherwise, vendors deserve your trust until they break it. Once they do, you must be the judge as to how many chances they receive from you to make it right. 

If a vendor screws up, deal with it. Now.  Tell your vendor what happened, and why.  Tell them in the same manner you would like to be told if you had screwed up and the Board called you on the carpet. Let them know in a firm and professional manner  what they could have done to make it better - and/or allow them to fix it. You will find that most vendors are glad that you have told them the problem or allowed them to take remedial action. 

Some Pet Peeves

In talking with managers and gleaning from my own career, and my new perspective on it, let's talk about your pet peeves and what do about them when it comes to vendors. The most common problem comes down to a lack of communication, or inappropriate communication.

"There is a vendor who always calls me up when I'm super busy asking me to lunch so he can pitch his new product/service. It drives me nuts."  So tell him.  Just get on the phone, call him up and tell him you are too busy, not interested, or not able to attend lunch at this time. Or tell him that calling you at 8:00 am on the Monday after a three day holiday makes your grumpier than usual. It's not a secret, let him know. It's also called common courtesy.

"My pet peeve is a vendor that hounds us for checks - they just can't seem to understand… check schedules."  Yes, we all know this one well. Look to yourselves, managers.  Prepare a schedule that shows the vendors exactly which days their invoices must be in to get paid by a certain date.  If there are going to be extenuating circumstances, note that on the schedule (holidays, time off, etc.). 

"I hate going to industry functions because I am always pounced on by vendors. All they want is my business." No kidding! Of course they want your business. But a vendor introducing him/herself at an industry function and handing you his card it not exactly pouncing on you. It's business as it's done the world over. Be gracious, accept the business card and move on. Or, you may be surprised to find that you may need the product or service, or you know someone who does. 

"I can't get a bid on time." Unless you know something otherwise, you are right, there is absolutely no excuse for not receiving a bid on time. If you have provided a written RFP (Request for Proposal) that includes a due date/time, and that vendor has chosen to ignore it,  move on to the next vendor.

"The proposals some vendors put out are so unprofessional I hate to give them to my Board. But I know the vendor does great work!" Remember that most  vendors, especially those in the (construction related) trades are great at their trade, but lousy at business.  Its not an excuse, but it gives you perspective in dealing with some vendors. When this has happened to me, I let the vendor know right away how their proposal looks. Almost always, they are glad you let them know the problem. Unfortunately, some times you may have to be the one to give them instructions on how to fix it (Note: This may be worth your time if you know the vendor does exceptional work).

"I can't tell you how many times I have had to correct letters or opinions put out by out attorney's office, or cover for them because they don't have their work out when they are supposed to. They make so much money, and here I am correcting their work!" They may make more money than you, but lawyers are vendors and should be used as such. Unfortunately, they are some of the worst offenders when it comes to not completing assignments on time. Let the lawyers know that you expect service as you would from any other vendor: On time, accurate and efficient work.  Send inappropriate work back, and don't feel as if you have to cover. If the lawyer gives you grief, treat them as you would any other vendor. They aren't irreplaceable, they just try to make you think they are.

Some bare facts we need to keep in mind about vendors in the community administration industry.

If you manage a smaller association(s), your work probably isn't desirable enough for vendors to jump through hoops for you.  Sad but true, especially in boom times. This results in delayed bidding and a general lack of vendors to bid on potential (smaller) work.  This is not a reflection you as a manager, it is a reflection on the business climate: Why work at an association where it will probably take longer to get paid, the profit margin for the job will be lower and you are more likely to be hounded by a homeowner when you can work at a job site with others who understand your profession? The only thing we can say is, continue to utilize those vendors who served you well in good times and bad.

The vendor you 'dis' today may be the vendor you need tomorrow - in more ways that one.  Make no mistake that vendors talk to each other - a lot.  That vendor you badmouthed the other day could refer work to your firm tomorrow - or - you could be working for him next week. Many managers leave the management end of the industry to work for vendors - don't burn bridges.

Without vendors, you would not be able to attend educational events or seminars at the reduced rate you attend them now.  Although managers give a lot of talk to how "expensive" it is to acquire on going education or designations, the reality is that it is very, very inexpensive and relatively easy to acquire both, due almost solely to vendor participation in professional organizations.

Many of you have participated in professional organization committees and have been the one to acquire vendor "sponsorships" (read: monetary contributions) for various events. As a part of this group, we think nothing of calling and asking for $150, $200, $500, or more (much more) from a vendor.   For those of you who haven't had that level of participation, take a minute to read the brochure or sign at the next event you attend to see who exactly paid your fare there.  Vendors are who keep the professional organizations and their events alive and  very affordable for you.

Conclusion

The purpose of this article was to shine some light on the vendors in our industry and to let us see them for what they really are: Our partners in community administration. The next time you see a vendor approach you with a business card in hand, be polite, shake that hand and realize that his/her participation in the industry is one without which we cannot survive. Our ability to effectively manage our communities is intricately tied to vendors and the services they provide. Their monetary participation to our trade organizations is vital not only to affordable manager education, but to the actual survival of those trade organizations.

So next time you feel like vendors are nothing but a pain, remember:  For better or worse, Vendors and Managers are joined at the hip. Making the best of that relationship not only serves your community(ies), it can make your professional life better.