We already have a preferred vendor: staffing sales
The short answer
Do not fight the vendor list. Ask which role has been open longest and what the preferred vendor has not filled. Offer to present candidates for that one role, with no switch needed. Use the list as a way in: the buyer may add a firm for a hard role, not replace one.
Take this call against an AI buyerWhy buyers say it
A preferred vendor list protects the buyer from risk and paperwork, and it can mean HR or procurement already signed off. A hiring manager may not be able to add a firm alone. They say it to end a pitch, and also because it is true.
How reps lose the deal on it
- They say "we are better than your vendor." The buyer cannot check it and does not like the tone.
- They pitch the firm and its history. The buyer cares about the open role.
- They ask to be added to the list on the first call. That is a procurement ask, and the hiring manager cannot grant it.
Stronger lines to say
- “That makes sense. Which role has been open the longest, and what hasn’t the vendor been able to fill?”
- “I’m not asking you to replace anyone. If one role is stuck, I can send two or three vetted candidates for that role alone.”
- “What would it take to try a firm on one hard role? Is that something you can decide, or does HR need to be involved?”
Questions reps ask about it
What is a vendor management system and how does it change the call?
Larger companies often route all staffing through a VMS or a managed program. Hiring managers cannot add a firm on their own, and candidates must come through the system. Ask whether one is in place and who runs it. If so, your path is the program office.
Where is my opening if the vendor is doing a good job?
A role they cannot fill or a speed they cannot match. If there is none, ask when the agreement is reviewed and leave the door open. A rep who does that is remembered when the vendor misses.
Should I offer a lower fee to get added as a vendor?
No. Being added for being cheap puts you at the bottom of the list on every requisition. Get in on a role the vendor cannot fill, deliver, and let the result argue for you. Fee talk belongs after you have shown you can fill something.
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