Do your suppliers take you where you need to go or try to take you where they want to go? Ever wonder if your vendors are going to deliver what they promised when promised? Do you stay up at night wondering if the consultants you are working with actually understand the challenges of your business? Do your vendor-driven projects invariably cost more than initial proposals? Does it feel as though your consultant is from Mars when you are operating from Venus? Many learning professionals consider consultants a necessary evil, whereas others have had rewarding consultant partnerships. Some of you may fall somewhere in the middle, being cautiously optimistic about your vendor relationships. Do you know how to perform the proper due diligence when working with a vendor? Do you really know how to "partner" with a consultant? Are your vendor relationships strained and tenuous at best? Do you find yourself often surprised and disappointed when working with a vendor? There is a definite correlation between the success or failure of a project and the quality of the vendor-client relationship. Working with vendors is a two-way street, requiring you to be forthcoming in the questions you ask and the information you provide. While the issues are not universal or meant to be stereotypes; they are the standard complaints heard by consumers of learning vendor services. Based on ASTD Publishing's Lies about Learning and T+D's March 2007 featured article Lies about Consultants, and additional feedback and best practices drawn from learning professionals, discuss the conflicts often encountered and how to overcome common fibs, exaggerations, and half-truths--with truth. Learn the questions that should be asked and actions you can take to foster more productive vendor alliances and partnerships. Find out what you can do as the client to avoid telling the half-truths that often derail or jeopardize the relationship and project results.