Change can be difficult—and it can be even more difficult to communicate. People come to work and try to do the best job they can. They are proud of their work and good at what they do. When we ask them to change or do it differently, they can feel slighted.

Michael Rothschild has more than 20 years of experience in security. Prior to his role at industrial security vendor Indegy, Michael worked in product management and marketing roles with Thales, RSA, Dell, Juniper Networks, and Radware. He taught marketing at Yeshiva University and currently occupies a board seat at Rutgers University. In his spare time, Michael volunteers as an emergency medical technician.

Developing partnerships with your suppliers can be a key strategy to help them reduce costs without making sacrifices. Here are some simple ways to build relationships with your suppliers that are based on more than price.