Supplier Strategies: How to Know When It’s Time to Bail

As an optimist, do you sometimes find yourself sticking with something longer than you needed to?

I once worked with a web designer who kept insisting that the issues I was raising while he developed a new website were completely fixable.

Every time I brought something up, he swore it could be addressed, and that he’d get back to me in 2 days with a solution.

Each time, though, he took a little longer than promised, and only had partial solutions.  I remained optimistic!

After the first few rounds of this, I had a talk with him and he assured me that all would be well from then on, that he’d been dealing with a renovation, that he had been sick, that the cat had wandered off with his mouse J, and on it went.

Each step became a laborious slog of half-completion and delayed response.

I still stuck with it though, because after a certain point, it seemed easier to keep going than to abandon the effort and move on.  After all, we were ‘almost done!’.

I finally bailed, after more than 3 months of ‘almost done!’.  The subsequent designer reasonably completed the project in a few weeks time, and the website was up and running.

The whole experience, though frustrating, taught me an important lesson: it’s important to know when to bail!

This experience is just one example of how we can get bogged down in our businesses with what seems like minor delays.  Before you know it, it becomes a major issue that not only sucks up our time, but also keeps revenue from rolling in.

It’s not only that things aren’t getting done, but you start to lose motivation and energy for the project.  And it’s all so unnecessary, if you know when to bail.

Here are ways to check in, when you’re starting to feel that a project is going astray:

1.  Is the step getting completed in the time agreed?  If not, it’s worth having a conversation with the person involved right away.  Let them know that agreements are important to you, and that you need to know that they will deliver as promised.  That doesn’t mean that you just set deadlines and expect them to do it!  It means that you’ve had a discussion, and both agreed that a timeline is reasonable.  If, after this talk, give the person another chance.  If they fail to deliver, then it’s time to consider moving on.

2.  Are they looking for solutions, or are you just being presented with problems?  If your supplier is only presenting you with problems, turn things around.  Ask them to only come to you once they have at least one solution as well.  It’s amazing how resourceful people can be when finding a solution is a requirement!

3.  Are they completely addressing every item on your list?  Half-completions are often no completion at all.  Make your priorities clear, first to yourself, and then to your supplier.  Give them the must-haves first, and the nice-to-have’s next.  If the must-haves are not getting done, and especially if they are defaulting to the easy-to-do’s in favor of your must-haves, consider moving on.

4.  Are you being clear?  Sometimes your lack of clarity in communicating what your priorities or needs are can interfere with progress.  Take the time to get clear before you communicate it just what your priorities are, and what you need to see happen.

5.  Can this person do the work that you have asked for?  In web-world, many people profess to know more than they do, because they can often figure it out as they go.  Do you want to pay for their time while they’re figuring it out?  I’m guessing no!  Ask about past experience, and if you have any doubts, check on their references, especially for big projects.

6.  Is the supplier consistently having to pull in other people to help because of lack of knowledge or skill with particular tasks?  Are they managing that process so that it’s relatively seamless?  If the answer to both questions is yes, then it’s not likely an issue.  But if additional help is continually needed, and glitches in the hand-off keep happening, you might be dealing with someone who just can’t manage either the project tasks or the project management.  Move on.

7.  Is the supplier listening to you?  Some designers find it difficult to accept that the client’s product is their own, and they can take a little too much ownership over the design.  It’s great to get input, but ultimately, you have to decide if what you are getting is what you want.  If not, and the designer is unwilling to accept that, it’s time to look elsewhere.  Collaboration is key.

8.  Are you talking to the right person?  One of my clients recently had to bypass the point person in favor of someone who got things done.  She wisely chose to talk directly to the person who was making the changes, and saved herself a lot of time.

9.  Is the supplier returning your calls/emails?  If not, and that happens on an ongoing basis, then consider whether they really value your business.  You might want to check in with them, in case there are technical issues, or a personal crisis has come up.  If that’s not the case, then look for a supplier who cares enough about your business to return your calls.

Perseverance is an awesome trait, and is often helpful as an entrepreneur.  Sometimes though, it’s best to bail and move on.

Your time is valuable, and so is your energy.  Keep a vigilant eye on how you are spending both.

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Do you recognize yourself in this article?  What do you do when projects are just not getting done by suppliers?

Tell us one thing you do that works for you.

Leave a comment below!