The Vendor Profile
The vendor profile
What a listing holds, and how to write one that tribes actually act on.
Last updated September 2, 2026
The profile is the listing your network sees. It is the vendor's shop window, and most of them are far too vague.
| Field | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Vendor name | The trading name tribes would recognise. |
| About | What you supply and who you suit. Two paragraphs, not a company history. |
| Website | Where tribes go to look properly — also the source for the website import. |
| Categories | Where you appear in the directory. |
| Keywords | What somebody would search for who does not know your name. |
| Logo and imagery | A directory of unbranded entries is a directory nobody browses. |
Write for a tribe, not for a procurement panel
The person reading this runs one site and has ten minutes. Say what you sell, who you already supply in this network, and what makes you worth a call. Leave out the mission statement.
Categories and keywords do the finding
Most tribes arrive at the directory looking for a thing, not a company. Choose the categories that genuinely describe you and add the words people would actually type — including the everyday ones your industry avoids.
A HALF-BUILT PROFILE COSTS YOU ENQUIRIES
Tribes contact the vendors whose listings answer their question. A profile with no products and a paragraph of marketing language is skipped for the one underneath it.