Relationships with your vendors are vital to your success, and guess what? Your success is vital to them. So why does it often feel like a one-way street? Vendor relationships should be evaluated as frequently as employees—bad ones come in many forms: Good vendor relationships can go far beyond a salesperson taking you and your staff out to Applebee’s with unlimited drinks (But really, how do you top that?). Your vendors’ successes are tied to your success, so why not ask (or demand) utilization of their resources? Smart vendors know this and are usually willing to oblige. What does a good vendor relationship look like? In my experience, successful vendor relationships all begin with expectations that it’s a true partnership. In one particular circumstance, I...