{"id":3106,"date":"2021-04-01T13:37:00","date_gmt":"2021-04-01T17:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.certitrek.com\/nlpa\/2011\/07\/01\/how-being-a-suppliers-reference-can-help-you-too\/"},"modified":"2023-11-30T11:08:51","modified_gmt":"2023-11-30T15:08:51","slug":"how-being-a-suppliers-reference-can-help-you-too","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.certitrek.com\/nlpa\/blog\/how-being-a-suppliers-reference-can-help-you-too\/","title":{"rendered":"How Being A Supplier’s Reference Can Help You, Too"},"content":{"rendered":"

When a supplier says, \u201cCan I use you as a reference?\u201d many find the question to be a disruption. Others visualize their phones ringing off the hook with calls from a supplier\u2019s prospective customers. With more professionals having limited time, it is equated with being sucked right out of an already busy schedule.<\/p>\n

While I advocate appropriately protecting your time, being a supplier\u2019s reference may also benefit you.<\/p>\n

What Those-in-the Know Say<\/strong><\/h6>\n

In a Harvard Business Review blog post, Jodi Glickman<\/a> suggests that generosity \u201ccan make your career\u201d.\u00a0 Though referring to references for employees, we agree with what Glickman calls \u201cgood professional karma to pay it forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thrive Global, a community that offers companies science-based solutions to enhance both well-being and performance. uses the term, “generous professional” when giving credit and acknowledgments.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

If You Decide to Do It<\/strong><\/h6>\n

The key to these situations is preparing yourself to be as good as the person that will be using you as a reference in a professional capacity.<\/p>\n

Not long ago, I called an executive of a prospective supplier\u2019s customer. Note that he was not one of the supplier\u2019s \u201cofficial\u201d references. However, I knew he was a customer and thought about getting more objective feedback from someone other than the official references provided by the supplier.<\/p>\n

When I reached this executive, of course, I was interrupting his work. He asked for a moment while he finished typing a critical email.\u00a0\u00a0After that, we had quite an interesting discussion about the supplier about which I had questions. The value of the conversation went from being one-sided to mutual. How? By using the opportunity our conversation presented to pick my<\/span> brain as well.<\/p>\n

It seemed as if he was struggling with a certain procurement-related issue and was perhaps hesitant to ask someone else for \u201cfree advice\u201d for fear of burdening them. But, because he was giving<\/span> free advice during this call, he was in a situation where it was absolutely appropriate for him to ask for<\/span> free advice.<\/p>\n

I pointed him in the direction of a supplier that we\u2019ve used for a service that he was looking to procure. So, he got as much value out of the conversation as I did.<\/p>\n

So, the next time you\u2019re asked to be a supplier reference, consider doing it. It may give you a unique opportunity to network with your peers and ask for advice about your most pressing issues without the guilt of \u201cbothering\u201d someone for their expertise.<\/p>\n

Recommended Reading<\/b><\/p>\n