I locked in a service contract with a vendor with the highest expectations for a successful relationship. What I got was disappointing. I just wasn't seeing the value they'd promised.
Instead of discussing my concerns and identifying where we were misaligned, the vendors response was, "you realize that our contract has a ninety-day cancellation policy?"
And with this response, a door closed. The vendor left no room for us to explore how the arrangement could be tweaked to provide the value that I was looking for. It was the vendor's inward focus that was causing me pain in the first place.
If we have to rely on cancellation policies or termination penalties, our value proposition needs to be re-evaluated. As service providers, we are here to provide value for our clients and they are the only judge of that value. Not everyone is going to appreciate the value we provide, but when we've successfully provided and communicated our value, we'll be rewarded with loyal relationships, higher fees and timely payments.
Let's talk
Brian Amann can be reached at 303.921.5310 or send an email.
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