You’ve done your due diligence. Your credit union leadership has interviewed, researched, and consulted on your top options for a service provider to meet your needs. You made your pick, and it all went downhill from the day you signed the contract. Your credit union started out optimistic, but you never really know what you’ve got until you’re in the thick of it. And now you’re in too deep with no way out.
Does this sound familiar? If so, chances are you’ve been there and done that. So, how can you ensure you’re working with a true business partner that will work with your credit union and provide a stress-free experience?
Here are a few things to keep in mind when looking to partner with a new vendor for a project – big or small.
- Talk with your peer credit unions, whether that’s in asset or membership size, geography, field of membership, or services offered. Ask for references and recommendations on what companies your peers have used in the past. Did they have a positive experience? What would they have done differently? Hindsight is always 20/20 and getting that perspective for someone who has been in your position could be invaluable.
- Identify and zero in on your business objectives so they can be clearly articulated to the prospects and they have a fair chance of selling their product or service as helping your credit union achieve them.
- Let the company take the lead. See if they ask for your goals or just launch into a sales pitch. Do they ask a lot of questions or just talk at you? Your ideal partner will want to truly understand your credit union and your goals so they can produce a product that will generate results.
- Listen to understand whether they can/are willing to generate ideas to support your success. While your team certainly knows your credit union and its objectives better than anyone, will this prospective partner – an expert in their own right – push back, challenge you, and bring new ideas for how you can use the new tool you hadn’t considered before?
- Set clear expectations and results from the beginning. When both parties are respectful of each other’s boundaries, you can reduce conflict and ensure everyone is on the same page moving
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