A healthy supplier relationship is also punctuated with open two-way communication. There are no surprises and you are kept aware of developments in products, pricing, service delivery, order status, etc. Account managers ensure that your questions are answered succinctly and in a timely fashion and the best ones possess another great skill – they are able to accurately assess how best (and how frequently) to communicate with you. Are weekly telephone conversations appropriate, or do formal quarterly reviews work best, or both? The little things are important as well. Making sure that you are aware when they are unavailable and that you have access to appropriate backup and escalation protocol can be critical when unexpected issues arise.