Executive VicePresident of Vendor Management | Business of AV
Golf on Monday, dinner and NDA on Tuesday, webinar appearance on Wednesday, lunch and product demo on Thursday, HETMA and higher ed happy hour on Friday, a few weekend concerts, afternoon meetings from fishing on my boat, and jetting off to speaking engagements around the world thrown in for good fun. Yep, that’s a week in the life of Joe Way. Or, well, so it may seem on the socials. People often ask: “When do you find time to do your day job?” What people do not realize… that is my day job. And, if you are in a leadership position at your institution—manager or higher—it should be yours too. As leaders, our role is not to “do the work,” but provide the resources for our people to be successful doing the work.
I have joked that my real job title should be the “Executive Vice-President of Vendor Management.” While it sounds tongue-in-cheek, I am paid by my university to make the right decisions—both financial and technological—for my institution at the time I need to make them. I cannot properly do that with information. I cannot properly do that without relationships. People deliver products and products are supported by people. Our industry is built upon access: access to products, people, and information.
What people need to understand is that the higher ed vertical is unique in the AV industry. While we are “end users,” we also have our own customers. We are not a typical corporate client looking to upgrade a few spaces. When we buy something, we buy hundreds of that “something” to standardize it across the enterprise. We cannot afford to make technological or financial mistakes. We must be as ingrained in the commercial integration channels as we are on our campuses with our own customers.
When I make time to invest in my vendor relationships and they make time to invest in me and my team, it is a win-win. Through that investment, I am able to continually deliver the best, cutting edge technology to the students and faculty, and my vendor are able to better understand my needs and roadmap. We become partners in the technology solutions.
These relationships must be built up and down the AV channel from the manufacturers we use (and don’t yet use—I still need to know all the tech offerings available and coming down the road), our integrators we use (and don’t yet use—I still need to know who can service me the best), the resellers we use (and don’t yet use—I still need to know which products are available and/or backordered and who gives gets the best pricing), and my customers: the students, faculty, and administration I interact with (and don’t yet interact with—I still need to know how my department impacts all of campus, even if I don’t see them every day). The end result of a flawless teaching-and-learning experience with the best technology available and best-in-class support process is dependent upon every part of that chain being a success. Our students and faculty rely on it and deserve it. Likewise, as soon as I do not deliver that as the norm, I should be instantly fired. Every minute of downtime in a classroom is lost tuition, and that responsibility falls on me.
During the February 27, 2022, #AVinTheAM, Chris Neto asked the question: “In an ideal world which team member should be the 1st to meet the stakeholder/client after the sales: PM, Engineer, Lead Tech or other?” My response: “For me, the person I want to meet after the sales rep is the top-level executive team: CEO, VP’s, Regional Sales Mgrs. If I don’t trust your leadership, you won’t get my business. Then, bring me an engineer/PM.” I received a lot of flak for suggesting that, even from our very own Mike Pedersen who said: “That is a little arrogant on your part to assume your business is worth getting VIP treatment pre-sale.” While Mike did reference that I could possibly have that opinion when requesting a seven-figure deal, I push back. Why would I give a company a seven-figure deal if I do not know they could properly handle a three-figure deal? As the Scripture says: “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much” (Luke 16:10).
I will have more respect for those who treat me like a VIP before they get a PO, than those who pander afterwards. The pre-sale is more of a sign of how they will treat me post-sale. While there are obviously exceptions, the opposite is definitely true: If you cannot get good service before you are a key client, what makes you think you would get good service after you are a customer? The fact remains: human nature always makes people favor and support they know and trust. That takes time, both pre- and post-sale. Those who take the time to learn my pain-points, needs, desires, and vision become the ones whose business grows from the three-figure “test you out” sale to the six-figure five-room install project to the seven-figure-plus preferred vendor status.
Lastly, It has been asked: “Do you do business with companies that do not take you out?” Absolutely. No financial decision is made upon the perceived “perks.” There is no quid-pro-quo. Our partnership needs to be developed. How that is done is individual, but the need to build the trust is a non-negotiable. No company has been given a sale without building a relationship and learning about me and my school’s needs, and offering a tangible, well-designed and supportable solution.
If you are my sales/industry rep, I am going to ensure I have a good of a relationship with you… and with your boss. Reps come and go in this industry, but relationships last, and my need to be supported continues. Therefore, each stoke on a golf course, lunch meeting creating napkin CAD together, cocktails at a local watering hole, or simple Zoom-touch base call is more than “playing the game,” it is an investment in the success of my institution’s students and faculty. It is an investment in us as industry colleagues. That is my job. That is what I am paid to deliver. If you are a higher ed or end-user manager or higher, being your institution’s “Executive Vice-President of Vendor Management” is your job too.
