This episode focuses on building strong, long-term relationships with suppliers, emphasizing the importance of professionalism, loyalty, and mutual investment. Key strategies include showing up as a professional, being loyal, maintaining consistent business, setting clear expectations, and fostering mutual transparency and shared wins. The discussion highlights the underrated advantage of suppliers in construction and trades, and the need to communicate like a partner, solve problems together, and be easy to work with.
This episode focuses on building strong, long-term relationships with suppliers, emphasizing the importance of professionalism, loyalty, and mutual investment. Key strategies include showing up as a professional, being loyal, maintaining consistent business, setting clear expectations, and fostering mutual transparency and shared wins. The discussion highlights the underrated advantage of suppliers in construction and trades, and the need to communicate like a partner, solve problems together, and be easy to work with.
Takeaways
Show up as a professional, not a problem.
Be loyal to your suppliers.
Build relationships that create leverage, trust, and better outcomes.
A strong supplier relationship is built on consistent business and clear expectations.
Mutual transparency and shared wins are key to strong relationships.
Suppliers invest in customers who invest in them.
Communicate like a partner, not a customer.
Solve problems together with your suppliers.
Suppliers are an underrated advantage in construction and trades.
Be professional and easy to work with.
Chapters
Introduction to Supplier Relationships
Building Strong, Long-term Relationships
Key Elements of Supplier Communication
The Underrated Advantage of Suppliers
Connect with Jeff:
Contact: (307) 372-9052 O. (630) 973-6481 D.
Email: Theconstructioncowboyshow@gmail.com
Email: Jeff@merchantcommodities.co
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-williams-merchant-commodities/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559698873942
Jeff Williams:
Hi folks, here we are at another episode of the Construction Cowboy Show and it's awesome to be with you for the next five to ten minutes. My topic today is how to build relationships with suppliers. So let's just jump right in and we'll get started here. It's kind of a fun topic and very close to my heart because my company Merchant Commodities is a supplier and wholesale supplier. So this one I know really well.
Jeff Williams:
In construction, you have suppliers you work with that can make or break your schedule, your pricing, your reputation. A great supplier relationship can save you weeks. A bad one can cost you thousands. So today, I want to break down how to build strong long-term relationships with suppliers, relationships that actually create leverage, trust, and better outcomes.
Jeff Williams:
So first one is to show up as a professional, not a problem. Suppliers deal with chaos all day long, rush orders, incomplete information, customers blaming them for problems they didn't cause. So the number one way to stand out is simple. Make their job easier. That means give accurate measurements.
Jeff Williams:
Communicate lead times you actually need. Pay on time. Don't ghost them for weeks. Then demand something tomorrow. When you show up organized, suppliers start treating you differently. You jump the mental line. Your calls get answered faster. When something goes wrong, and it will, they are more willing to fix it for you.
Jeff Williams:
Professional behavior builds professional respect and respect becomes your leverage. Be loyal.
Jeff Williams:
but be valuable.
Jeff Williams:
Loyalty, if you bounce around to every supplier just to save 2%, you lose long-term power. But loyalty works both ways. A strong supplier relationship is built on consistent business, clear expectations, mutual transparency, shared wins. Here's the key.
Jeff Williams:
Suppliers invest in customers who invest in them. If they know you're committed, they start offering better pricing, faster turnaround, reserved inventory, early access to new products, help with bids, inside knowledge on shortages. But don't forget the second half of this. You must be valuable to them. Also,
Jeff Williams:
Being reliable, predictable, and easy to work with. Loyalty opens the door. Value keeps it open. So another one of the key elements is communicate like a partner, not a customer. Most people only talk to suppliers when they need something. That's not a relationship. That's a transaction. Instead, treat them like
Jeff Williams:
part of your team. Give them a heads up on upcoming jobs. Share your forecast so they can plan stock. Ask their opinion on materials, lead times, or pricing trends. Keep them informed when schedules shift. And the more they understand your world, the more they can support it.
Jeff Williams:
Underestimate this. Suppliers talk. Boy, do they ever. They talk to reps, manufacturers, distributors, even competitors. They know what's in stock, what's running low, what prices are about to jump for sure. They know about the tariffs or not and what products are getting phased out. When you build
Jeff Williams:
real relationship.
Jeff Williams:
you start getting information before everyone else. Information equals advantage. Communication isn't just being nice, it's being strategic.
Jeff Williams:
Solve problems together. Again, this is another big one, right? Solve problems together. Issues will happen. Damage shipments.
Jeff Williams:
wrong SKUs, late trucks, back orders. The fastest way to ruin a supplier relationship is blow up on them. Instead, approach problems like this. Okay, how do we fix this together? When you shift from blame to collaboration, suppliers move mountains to help you because they see you as a partner, not a complainer. So in closing,
Jeff Williams:
Suppliers are one of the most underrated advantages in construction and trades. When you treat suppliers like partners, not vendors, you gain better pricing, faster service, priority treatment, and information that puts you ahead of the competitors. So remember these things. Be professional and easy to work with.
Jeff Williams:
build loyalty and bring value. You've heard that many times. And communicate like they're part of your team. Do that consistently and your supplier relationships won't just support your business, but they'll accelerate it. So again, happy trails to all our followers until we meet again. And here is a cowboy saying.
Jeff Williams:
Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear, or a fool from any direction. See you soon.