Vendor Relationships (part 2 of 2)
- Remember you are a Christian witness.
- How you treat the vendor’s people (sales agents, technicians, billing, etc.) is a Christian witness.
- Some of the vendors may have negative feelings about church due to their past history, but they are willing to do the work at a church because it leads to a paycheck.
- Their people should be treated with professional respect but also in a way to ensure a positive experience with Christians.
- When you call a number and get someone in India or a foreign country, you must remember that they know they are talking to a representative of a church, and that might be one of the few times in their lives that the person is exposed to a Christian of any sort.
- A good, professional relationship developed over months or years allows the church administrator to have a non-threatening conversation about the vendor’s faith walk. Some may feel that is an inappropriate conversation, but a vendor’s relationship to God is far more important than their relationship to a client. The “God question” is not an evangelistic technique; it is asking a simple, non-threatening question in a natural manner.
- Bill paying is also important in developing a good Christian witness.
- Some businesses refuse to work with churches because they’ve been stiffed or had payments delayed.
- Pay bills on time or even ahead of time, talk nicely to the accounts receivable clerk at the vendor, and don’t give the vendor a reason to speak negatively about Christians.
- How you treat the vendor’s people (sales agents, technicians, billing, etc.) is a Christian witness.
Lead On!