Freelancers: How to Get on Vendor Lists for Corporate and Government Accounts

Some freelancers and creative agencies wonder why it’s so hard to get work from corporate clients. Why can’t they get into car companies, banks, beverage companies, and various levels of government? The answer is simple: these organizations have Preferred Vendor Lists, also called Vendor of Record or Approved Vendor lists.

What is a Preferred Vendor List?

A Preferred Vendor List is a list of suppliers who are authorized to offer products or services to a particular organization. It is often used by larger corporations and governments, but it is also becoming very common in medium-sized companies too. A vendor list is a comprehensive record of suppliers or service providers that a business interacts with for its operational needs. This list typically includes details like vendor names, contact information, the goods or services they offer, and their terms of engagement.

Why Do Organizations Have Preferred Vendor Lists?

• It’s a way of pre-qualifying vendors to make sure they meet the organization’s criteria.
• It’s a key service offered by internal procurement departments to help the organization get qualified vendors and save them money in the process.
• It prevents endless direct pitches to the organization from random vendors. Not on the list? Sorry, can’t talk to you.
• From the client’s perspective, a Preferred Vendor List is a sorting mechanism: “If you can make it onto the list, you can probably work with us.”

Why Do You Want to Get on Preferred Vendor Lists?

Many reasons make these lists attractive to freelancers and agencies:

• These are big or medium-sized organizations, usually with significant marketing budgets.
• They often have interesting work across all media.
• They are professional marketing people, usually much easier to work with.
• Less competition. You’re only competing against others who also made it onto the list.
• You can establish long-term relationships and access more and bigger projects with substantial billing.

How Do You Get on a Preferred Vendor List?

There’s no magic way to find out whether a company maintains a preferred vendor list. You’ll have to dig and do some research. If you’re searching, here are some keywords to look for:

• Procurement department + (name of company)
• Vendor relations + (name of company)
• Vendor of Record + (name of company)
• Doing business with (name of company)

If an organization works with preferred vendors, they may have many lists by type of work. You want to find contact information for the person who controls the list for communications or marketing. Then get in touch with them.

What to Ask the Person in Charge of the Vendor’s List

In my experience, these people are usually quite helpful. Here’s what you want to know:

• An understanding of how they define their lists to see where you would best fit.
• The status of the list that’s of interest to you—is it currently open or closed?
• When does the list open for new applications?
• Can you get a copy of the required qualifications in advance?
• Can you be notified when applications are open?

What Do They Ask for on the Vendor List Questionnaire?

If you’re on the notification list, then once the Vendor’s List is open, you’ll get a detailed questionnaire to answer. They want to know everything about you and your company:

• Your bio (and key staff bios if applicable)
• How much you bill annually and names of your top clients
• How you charge and perhaps a blended billing rate
• Your bank and your insurance coverage
• References they can check and a portfolio

Tips on Answering the Vendor Questionnaire

Answer the questions thoroughly to help them understand and evaluate your company. When you get the questionnaire, they generally want to know whether you’re going to respond to it. Let them know, yes or no. They’ll give you a date and time when you can ask questions. Participate in that even if you don’t have any questions. Often enlightening to see what others ask.

Don’t blow it by being late. There will be a deadline for your submission. Companies are strict on this, so if it says March 1, 12:00 P.M., then you’ll be refused at 12:01.

Sample Vendor Contact List Format

Maintaining an organized vendor list ensures efficient management of supplier relationships and facilitates quick communication. Below is an example of how such data is typically structured: