There’s a stack of business cards on your desk that you’ve gathered from all the conferences you attended this fall. You met some great people, sat in on great sessions, picked up bags (and bags!) of conference swag, and had conversations with dozens of vendors trying to sell you on their product and services.
Now that conference season is over, which contacts are actually worth a call back?
Any vendor can sell you their products or services. But a true partner will align with your goals, complement your work style and excel in the areas that matter most to your business.
Here’s how to evaluate your needs – and select a partner that will help you make 2020 and amazing year for your staffing firm:
Set your goals for the next 12 months. Where do you want to be a year from now? What will your company look like? How have your internal or service-related pain points changed or been solved? Understanding where you want your company to be within a year will help focus your evaluation of partners and integrations to make your company more efficient.
How will you achieve your goals? There are plenty of ways to reach your goals. Whether you’re trying to grow your company through geographic or service line extensions, buy another company, or expand further into your existing market, there will be a specific plan and path you’ll want to follow to get there. At major conferences, there are dozens and dozens of vendors to solve these issues. Most of these companies have areas that they excel in (and weaknesses, too). Make sure their strengths complement your goals.
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How do they match up with your company? Some companies like immediate feedback, while others tend to let emails sit a few days before drafting a response. Your company may work hard and have fun, while a specific vendor may just work hard. Some vendors focus on successful little steps along the process, while others believe that the final delivery is all that matters. Or, you may profess professionalism above all else, and their account managersare the type that sends you memes while dressed in jeans and a hoodie.
When evaluating a business (and its account managers) that will be a strategic partner to your success, make sure that they fit the way that you want to do business.Finding the right alignment will reduce friction as your companies and staff work together, and make it easy (even fun) to achieve your goals.
Bonus tip: A true partner will take fit as seriously as you, evaluating your firm and its needs to decide if the relationship makes sense for both parties.
Talking to everyone doesn’t work. Lastly, it’s okay to tell a vendor that it isn’t worth exploring further or that they just aren’t the right fit for where your company wants to go over the next year. It works better for both parties to not extend talks due to obligations or pleasantries when a partnership is not realistic.
Do your homework, understand who your company wants to be over the next 12 months, decide how you want to get there, and then select a partner (or six!) that will support you along your journey.
