--- title: "5 Questions to Ask a Custom Vendor: #1 Will This Be a Partnership?" description: Download this guide to help you find the right custom development vendor. Ask these 5 questions of potential vendors. Question 1 is about partnership. image: https://blog.elblearning.com/hubfs/5%20Questions%20to%20Ask%20a%20Custom%20Vendor-%20%231%20Will%20This%20Be%20a%20Partnership__Blog%20Featured%20Image%20800x500.png --- [![ELB-Learning_Logo_ColorRGB-white-text-1](https://blog.elblearning.com/hubfs/ELB-Learning_Logo_ColorRGB-white-text-1.png) ](https://elblearning.com/) ![5 Questions to Ask a Custom Vendor- #1 Will This Be a Partnership__Blog Featured Image 800x500](https://blog.elblearning.com/hubfs/5%20Questions%20to%20Ask%20a%20Custom%20Vendor-%20%231%20Will%20This%20Be%20a%20Partnership__Blog%20Featured%20Image%20800x500.png) # 5 Questions to Ask a Custom Vendor: #1 Will This Be a Partnership? by [Stephanie Ivec](https://blog.elblearning.com/author/stephanie-ivec) | Dec 3, 2019 ## ![5 Questions to Ask a Custom Vendor- #1 Will This Be a Partnership__Blog Header 800x350](https://blog.elblearning.com/hs-fs/hubfs/5%20Questions%20to%20Ask%20a%20Custom%20Vendor-%20%231%20Will%20This%20Be%20a%20Partnership__Blog%20Header%20800x350.png?width=800&name=5%20Questions%20to%20Ask%20a%20Custom%20Vendor-%20%231%20Will%20This%20Be%20a%20Partnership__Blog%20Header%20800x350.png) ## 63% of all outsourcing relationships fail to last more than 3 years. Now, researching vendors is time-consuming. First, you have to find a handful of agencies to compare, check out their portfolios, find out their rates, send out a request for proposals, wait for those to come in, evaluate those, maybe narrow it down by asking a few more questions… ### Do you want to do that every 3 years? Or do you want a vendor who shares your vision of the future, will be there when you need them most, will never let you down, is enjoyable to be around, and hopefully over the long-term you can build a trusting partnership together and achieve your goals? ### At [eLearning Brothers](https://elearningbrothers.com/custom-solutions/), we believe there’s nothing better than forging a true connection with a client and seeing that trust and respect result in amazing eLearning content. Our goal is to serve as an extension of your team, giving you access to the skills and manpower you need to achieve your training goals. > “We have worked with eLearning Brothers on a few custom courses. The most recent one was just a great experience. The team worked closely with us and our project sponsors to produce good, accurate training on a really compressed timeline. The end product was above our expectations.” > — Jeffrey Dyer Even if you’re not working with us, look for an eLearning vendor that provides excellent customer service from the get-go, has the flexibility to meet your needs, and a willingness to make things right if something does go wrong. ## We put together this [guide](https://hub.elearningbrothers.com/5-questions-to-ask-before-you-choose-a-custom-development-vendor) to help you find the right custom development vendor for your needs. ### We outlined 5 key questions to ask as you interview potential vendors. Their answers will help you determine if they have the experience and know-how to produce a cutting-edge learning solution for you AND if they’re the type of company you want to work with. # Question #1: WHAT’S YOUR DEFINITION OF “PARTNERSHIP?” This is your time to find out how long clients usually stay with this vendor. Does one project turn into another and another and another? It's a good sign if a custom shop boasts a lot of repeat customers. Ask to see some testimonials from clients. Do you see any common themes in those quotes? That can tell you a lot about what it's like to work with that vendor.  When you build a really good partnership with your custom development vendor, they become an extension of your own team. Efficiency goes up, cost goes down, and excellence emerges. And we know everyone wants excellence. ## Download the **5 Questions to Ask Before You Choose a Custom Development Vendor** guide now. 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