If customers are like kids, then vendors are like teenagers

My last few posts have been describing commercial relationships in Industrial Manufacturing. Rivetting stuff as you have shown me with the rising number of viewers. Thank you for giving me a chance and listening to what I have to say.

But I do not deserve nice things, so this article will try its best to step on the toes of everyone involved in a commercial transaction.

Some vendors call their customers "babies" behind closed doors, and with good reason. 

Life is always a give and take, and if you want to call your clients babies, then I will call you teenagers!

Whiny and indecisive customers are a true stereotype

If you have ever been around a commercial discussion, you heard a variation of this:

"Client is challenging us to create something new and different as long as it has been done before and was successful."

At a glance, it sounds ridiculous. But like a sleep-deprived parent, vendors tend to treat customers like cranky babies. They rush to their every whim to avoid a temper tantrum. But at what cost?

Think for a second: whenever you see a kid having a public meltdown, whom do you blame?

Why, Video games, of course! (if you haven't noticed a tinge of sarcasm in that answer, I think it is safer for me that you stop reading now...)

Bad parenting leads to badly behaving children. If you're going to call your customer a baby, might as well treat them like one: Be kind but firm, compassionate but fair.

Also, just like babies, they're calling you names too.

Vendors are trusted like teenagers on prom night

See? it hurts when someone calls you names. It's ok though, the truth hurts.

Think about the typical trust cycle between a teenager and their parents:

1. They are growing up, becoming young adults ready for the big leagues. You want to give them a chance.
2. For the better part of a year, they seem to be handling responsibility quite well. You can't be happier and more proud of them. You tell your friends about how good they are.
3. One day, you walk into their bedroom while they are at school. You find out the truth. They were being bad behind your back. Lying all the way through.
4. You confront them! They start blaming their friend for being a bad influence. They never admit their faults.
5. You ground them for a month and threaten to extend it indefinitely if they don't behave.
6. A month goes by and they seem to have adjusted well. You take away their punishment, but you increase your oversight.
7. They become frustrated by how you don't trust them and they can't go hang out with friends. You are the bad guy!
8. You throw them out of the house and look for another better kid to replace them. 

Aside from the obvious joke at the end (which is STILL illegal), this is a typical teenager.

With the help of modern software, find and replace "Teenager" with "Vendor" and you got yourself a typical description of your image in the eyes of your customers.

But how can you avoid this, you ask? Just don't act like teenagers.

Perfect commercial relationships exist in fairytales

We always talk amongst ourselves about "Ideal customers" and "Ideal Vendors". These profiles exist as mental exercises to guide us in our professional prospecting. They help you develop a list of desirable traits that you would like to have in your next business partner.

Do not be naive, however, for you will never find all these traits in one single place. You might have to sacrifice some requirements in exchange for others. 

You will also never manage to force these traits onto your partners after the fact, which is why professional relationships deteriorate.

Unrealistic expectations from both parties are the reason why these relationships devolve into namecalling.

Go into your potential partnerships knowing that these candidates are, similar to you, humans with flaws, feelings, and motivations.

Healthy is good enough

Perfect partnerships do not exist, but healthy partnerships come close to perfect. These healthy relationships are what contributed to the development of the most powerful companies driving this industry today.

For-profit organizations tend to forget that empathy, kindness, and trust generate more profits than constant breakups, excessive monitoring, and ridiculous standards. So next time you are considering a new business partner, make sure your business goals, values, and ethics are aligned before embarking on a tumultuous journey full of roadblocks and obstacles.

And while you're at it, consider me too, I can help you with things...

I don't make coffee, though; thought I should mention it

And since I'm at, potential customers, it's not a BRIEF when it's 7 pages long. 

Just saying...

Are you a baby? or are you a teenager? Let us know in the comments below.